After registering via the “Register now” on the left side of this page, you will receive a Zoom link by email to join the event.

If you experience any issues, please contact [email protected]

Australia is in the dark on AUKUS. The UK has had a review, the US has had a review but not Australia.

Australian foreign and security policy has long been hidden behind closed doors – it makes Australia more vulnerable, and compromises our ability to make independent decisions.

66 per cent of Australians support a Parliamentary Inquiry into the AUKUS security agreement, according to polling commissioned by The Australia Institute.

Over 40,000 people have signed The Australia Institute’s petition calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the deal.

Join Karina Lester, Aboriginal Co-Manager & Senior Aboriginal Language Expert of the Mobile Language Team, Leanne Minshull, co-CEO of the Australia Institute, and Dr Emma Shortis, Director of International and Security Affairs, as they discuss the need for public scrutiny of the AUKUS pact.

SPEAKERS:

Karina Lester – Aboriginal Co-Manager & Senior Aboriginal Language Expert, Mobile Language Team

Karina Lester is a Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman who grew up on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in the Far North West of South Australia.  In her spare time she works as an Anangu Interpreter and Translator for the Western Desert Language that covers a large area of the State.  Karina is very passionate about maintaining her Aboriginal Language and about hearing from other South Australian Aboriginal people on how they would like to maintain their languages. Karina hosts a weekly radio show Nganampa Wangka which talks about language activities in the state. Tune into Radio Adelaide on 101.5fm Fridays 7–8pm.

Leanne Minshull – co-Chief Executive Officer, The Australia Institute

Leanne is the co-Chief Executive Officer of The Australia Institute. Formerly the Institute’s Strategy Director, Leanne has built an extensive network across political, advocacy, and business communities, working as a senior strategist in social, environmental, not-for-profit, and political sectors. Leanne was admitted to practice as a solicitor in NSW and holds degrees in politics, industrial relations and law.

Dr Emma Shortis – Director, International & Security Affairs Program, The Australia Institute

Dr Emma Shortis is the Director of The Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Programme. Emma is historian and writer, focused on the history and politics of the United States and its role in the world. Emma’s first book, Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States, was published by Hardie Grant in 2021. She writes regularly for Australian and international outlets, and appears regularly on Australian radio and television. Before joining the Australia Institute, Emma was a Lecturer at RMIT University, where her academic work focused on international relations and climate transition. Before that, she spent a year in the United States as Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University, where she finished her PhD in History.