Defence Minister Richard Marles says Australia has largely neglected questions around national resilience for decades. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n
A new federal inquiry will assess how Australia can prepare for the impacts of war, identifying strengths and gaps.<\/p>\n
It reflects a growing concern among senior ministers about the risk of conflict breaking out in the region.<\/p>\n
The committee will accept submissions until November before filing its report.<\/p>\n
Federal MPs have been asked to look at how Australia can prepare for the impacts of war as officials and government ministers become increasingly worried about the risk of conflict breaking out in the region.<\/p>\n
The new parliamentary committee on defence has been asked to examine how businesses and the broader community can contribute to national defence, and help keep essential goods and services flowing in the case of a crisis.<\/p>\n
One federal government source stressed that the government did not believe that war was inevitable, but said parliament had to do more to prepare the nation for the catastrophic consequences that could flow from a conflict in Asia, or even on the Australian mainland.<\/p>\n
Australia faces the most threatening strategic circumstances since World War II, according to the defence minister.\u00a0 (ABC News: Keana Naughton)<\/p>\n
Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters that Australia had largely neglected questions around national resilience for decades because it had enjoyed the fruits of a long period of peace.<\/p>\n
"In any contingency, the way in which the civil economy operates and interacts with the defence force is fundamental to a society, to us as a country, being able to manage that."<\/p>\n
"Now, it is important that we are able to prepare for that, that we're able to exercise those muscles, if I could put it that way."<\/p>\n
The bipartisan committee \u2014 which excludes crossbench and minor party MPs \u2014 said it would examine "strengths and gaps in Australia's national civil preparedness and resilience" as well as considering "whole-of-nation support for national defence, continuity of government, and the availability of essential goods and services during times of crisis or conflict".<\/p>\n
Senator Deborah O'Neill is the committee chair. (AAP: Lukas Coch)<\/p>\n
The committee chair, Labor Senator Deb O'Neill, said the "task of defending the nation and deterring assaults on our sovereignty" falls "not only to armed service men and women but to every Australian, and engages every sector of the economy and our civil society".<\/p>\n
The committee's deputy chair, Liberal Senator Dave Sharma, told Channel 9 that Australia needed to take out "insurance policies" to help it prepare for the risk of conflict.<\/p>\n