At no time since World War II has Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and the free world been at more risk than we are now.

China is engaged in the most significant and most rapid expansion of military power in “peacetime” history, with the world’s largest navy and army, coupled with a formidable missile and air force.

DOMINANCE

In his recent Lowy Institute report Australia and the Growing Reach of China’s Military, Thomas Shugart noted: “Based on its scope, scale and the specific capabilities being developed, this build-up appears to be designed to, first, threaten the United States with ejection from the western Pacific, and then to achieve dominance in the Indo-Pacific.”

There will be no democracy to defend and pass on to our children if we don’t wake up and address the immediate danger, and that’s not climate change.

With all care and no responsibility, weakening Australia is precisely what Simon Holmes à Court, senior advisor to Melbourne University’s Energy Transition Hub, supports with his Climate 200 group.

The group has raised millions to fund the anti-AUKUS Greens Party and independent candidates like Zali Stegall.

But instead of supporting Australia, speaking out positively for initiatives like AUKUS, the defence of Taiwan and Australian security, Holmes à Court and people like him are criticising the government’s net-zero plan.

“We’re talking about it because Morrison is about to go to Glasgow with nothing more than Tony Abbott’s warmed-up homework from 2015. We’re going to be an absolute embarrassment when we get there,” Holmes à Court said on ABC Q&A.

But where was Holmes à Court when China built and militarised seven artificial islands in international waters, causing immense environmental damage to the marine ecosystem?

Unsurprisingly, according to research provider BloombergNEF, China dominates the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

China’s success results from its sizeable domestic battery demand, 72GWh, and control of 80 per cent of the world’s raw material refining, 77 per cent of the world’s cell capacity, and 60 per cent of the world’s component manufacturing.

CRITICAL

The renewable energy business case is reliant upon energy storage, primarily via batteries. But, unfortunately, it’s not always sunny or windy, so generators must store energy, which is where batteries are crucial.

But this also opens Australia up to continued reliance upon other countries, like China, for a critical component fundamental to the operation of our economy.

While Australia is at risk from our largest adversary, the Morrison government is looking to invest in and shore up sovereign control over our supply chains.

But over-reliance on high total cost renewables, electric vehicles and batteries undermines our sovereignty and makes us unnecessarily vulnerable to foreign countries supplying a critical supply chain component.

Prince Charles publicly urged Prime Minister Morrison to attend COP26 in Glasgow, calling it a “last chance saloon” to save the planet.

However, the Australian government’s first priority is the safety and continued sovereignty of our people, in our country, not the planet.