THE SQUIZ
PM Scott Morrison has delivered a grave assessment about the state of the world right now, warning that the economic and political implications of the war in Europe would “inevitably” stretch to the Indo-Pacific. In a major national security speech to the Lowy Institute in Sydney yesterday, Morrison said we’re currently in “the most difficult and dangerous security environment in 80 years.”

I’M NOT GREAT AT MATHS, BUT 80 YEARS AGO WAS WWII…
Yep, and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, including the 9/11 terror attacks and its aftermath. But Morrison yesterday accused Russia and China of aligning to create an “arc of autocracy” that will be difficult for Western countries like Australia to deal with. Think cyber-attacks, foreign interference, disinformation campaigns and economic coercion – so a couple of things… He says that Russia must pay the “ultimate price” for its invasion of Ukraine, and he took aim at China for its “bet each way” on the war. Morrison said it’s that sort of vibe that saw Oz sign the AUKUS partnership with the UK and US, and why we will build a submarine base on the east coast to support a nuclear-powered fleet. Note: decisions on who will build the subs and when they’ll be operational won’t be made until after the election, he said.

WHERE IS THIS GOING?
Get set for a lot more talk about national security as the election draws closer. Morrison hasn’t been afraid to push back on China – we’ve seen that play out over the last couple of years. But the recently ramped-up rhetoric from the Coalition comes as it seeks to highlight what the polls say is an advantage it could hold over Labor. Voters might be iffy on Morrison’s COVID response and climate change chops – but the theory goes that voters might give the PM the nod on managing national security over Labor’s Anthony Albanese. We’ll hear his side of the story when he addresses the same forum on Thursday.