It’s clear that Australian-based businesses have a vital contribution to make in sustaining Australia's defence forces. Now the Defence Force needs to ensure that businesses supplying it with goods and services have more clarity and certainty about what Defence intends to do and buy. This is a tough challenge in a world where Defence is now being asked to take on various roles in places from Afghanistan to the Solomon Islands. CEDA suggests that a high-level Defence Industry Council, similar to that in the UK, could play an important role in delivering this close yet transparent relationship at a strategic level.

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