By Peter Jennings*
After the publication of the 2016 defence white paper in February that year, I was approached by a senior politician who had been involved in the earlier stages of the white paper’s production wanting to ask a ‘couple of questions about Defence’. Started in early 2014, the white paper had the unique history of being developed under the direction of two prime ministers and three defence ministers.
We duly met at a Canberra institution, the Charcoal Restaurant.* Over blue steak and red wine, my friend’s puzzlement became clear: ‘Why didn’t we talk about nuclear propulsion for submarines during the white paper process?’
