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James Paterson: ‘A Dramatic Wake Up Call’ Navigating Contemporary Geopolitical Threats

As Australia faces the most challenging geopolitical landscapes since the 1950s, the Australian Government has been redefining our alliances and place in the world in a similar manner to Robert Menzies, who successfully navigated the early Cold War. Joining our CEO Georgina Downer to discuss the dangers posed by an increasingly assertive China and the outbreak of conflict in Eastern Europe is Senator James Paterson.

Australia’s degenerating relationship with China has dominated the headlines in recent years. As Australia seeks to a rules based international order, we are increasingly exposed to economic coercion, cyber-attacks, and even acts of espionage and foreign interference which challenge our sovereignty. Dealing with these threats as a liberal democracy involves balancing security and freedom, and also working with like minded nations to ensure a coordinated and firm response. The new AUKUS agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States builds on Menzies’s ANZUS Treaty, and represents the most significant change to Australia’s strategic arrangements in decades.

James Paterson is a Liberal Senator for Victoria. First elected in March 2016 at age 28, he is the youngest Liberal ever elected to the Senate. Senator Paterson is the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, the deputy chair of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, and the former chair of the Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services and the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee. Senator Paterson is also the Australian co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Museums, Libraries and Galleries; co-patron of Liberal Friends of Israel; and deputy chair of the Modest Members Society – a group of Coalition MPs committed to championing free markets and economic freedom.