Mike Kelly - Humanitarian Policy and Geopolitics

Welcome to Episode 44 of Good Will Hunters, with Mike Kelly MP, Member for Eden-Monaro. This episode is sponsored by SolarBuddy, the organisation bringing solar lights to children living in energy poverty all over the world. The future is brighter with SolarBuddy! Mike began his career fighting for the rights of injured workers and campaigning for those suffering from asbestos-related diseases in Sydney. In 1987 he joined the Army and had extensive military experience, serving in several international operational deployments including Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Somalia, East Timor and Iraq. Mike is a leading expert on peace and stabilisation operations, post-conflict reconstruction and counter-insurgency. He has a PhD in related fields, has published two books, and numerous articles. Mike is passionate about renewable energy and the need to act on climate change. He is a strong advocate for veterans and the interests of rural and regional Australia within the Labor Party and Parliament. In this episode, we discuss Australia's onshore and offshore humanitarian policy, coordination and outsourcing in humanitarian emergencies, the military-NGO nexus, AusAID and the aid budget, democracy and more. This is a big, important discussion - as always, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Enjoy, Rachel and the GWH Team