Calling on ADF is a poor excuse for tackling national security

In his latest article for The Australian, Dr Ian Langford argues that upholding the rule of law in Australia requires discipline not only in intent, but in how the state responds to terrorism and which instruments of national power it deploys.

While acknowledging the moral clarity of recent efforts to confront anti-Semitism, Langford warns against the growing tendency to default to military deployments in domestic security crises, driven by cost, convenience and political risk management rather than legal necessity.

“The military is used not because it is the most appropriate tool but because often it is the cheapest and most readily available.”

As strategic pressures intensify in the Indo-Pacific, Langford cautions that this approach carries long-term risks for defence preparedness and constitutional integrity.

“As the Indo-Pacific becomes more contested and state-based threats intensify, Australia needs a military focused on deterrence, readiness and war-fighting, not one increasingly absorbed into domestic tasks.”

Read the full article in The Australian: Calling on ADF is a poor excuse for tackling national security