On Monday, Q+A will air live from Sydney, with world-renowned physicist Brian Greene and former Hypotheticals host Geoffrey Robertson on the panel, discussing the meaning of life, the cosmos, and everything.
As Australia has pledged $368 billion over the next three decades to AUKUS, the two countries will be inexorably linked economically and militarily in the future. While thirty years is an eternity in politics, it is but a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things. What wlli the long-term returns of this investment will be? Which technologies will be more ground-breaking than the submarine bargain? Have submarines become obsolete?
Greene says that “future of our species relies upon the depth and nuance of our engagement with the world” … Is Australia’s world getting smaller or bigger as a result of this agreement? Is there anything other than increasing the defence budget that may better prepare the next generation for the challenging times ahead?
Meanwhile, lawmakers are back in session for another week, where they’ll have to make some difficult budgetary calls. Where could we make cuts to save money for the subs deal? Meanwhile in New South Wales, residents are being geared up to cast ballots in the state election… Is there any way to predict the results of Dominic Perrottet’s nationwide campaign for cashless poker machines?
Panellists:
Brian Greene, Physicist and best-selling author;
Geoffrey Robertson, Human Rights lawyer, academic and author;
Matt Keogh, Minister for Defence Personnel;
Dai Le, Independent MP for Fowler;
and Kirsten Banks, Science communicator.
Airdate: Monday 20 March 2023 at 9.35pm on ABC TV.