Conscription in Australia: Security expert calls for mandatory drafting amid ... trends now
Defence experts are calling for a form of conscription involving all ages to be considered in the event of a future war - as tensions with China and the West bubble.
Five leading analysts warned about the threat China posed, how that threat could blow up to a full-scale war and how the government had not adequately informed the public about the seriousness of that threat, in a panel hosted by Nine's newspapers.
Conscription and acquiring nuclear weapons were flagged as two serious options for the government to consider by the panel.
They agreed that a form of conscription had to be given seriously thought, which could take both civil and military forms.
'Australia should consider some variety of this option using the strength and energy of Australians to build national resilience in our economy, society and critical infrastructure,' the panel said in a statement.
A panel of defence experts have called for a form of national service to be considered by the government to ready Australia for war (pictured, members of the 2nd Calvary Regiment patrol in Townsville)
They also said that conscription should 'need not be limited to young people'.
France, Sweden and Latvia have either recently reintroduced or expected to introduce some form of conscription.
National service in France is voluntary but will be made compulsory for people aged 16 to 25 by 2026.
Sweden is working to reintroduce conscription of civilians for its emergency services.
Australia currently recruits its defence force on a completely voluntary basis and has not conscripted soldiers since World War II.
The panel - which consists of former senior Defence official Peter Jennings, foreign policy expert Lavina Lee, former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, National Institute of Strategic Resilience chair Lesley Seebeck and retired Army major general Mick Ryan - said Australia had to ready itself for war within the next three years.
It was suggested that conscription should 'need not be limited to young people' during the panel's discussion (stock image)
China's President Xi Jinping (pictured) could be prompted to carry out his threat of 're-unifying' with
