Tanter argues that the acceptance of the US military presence has become so ingrained within the government and defence that unwinding Australia’s enmeshment within the world’s most powerful military is increasingly difficult.

“This is a massive institutional failure in Australia, a kind of learned incapacity at a political, parliamentary and bureaucratic level,” he says. “We’ve learned how not to ask those questions.”Shortis says Australia’s increasing integration with the US military has resulted in “an accelerating erosion of Australia’s independent, sovereign, decision-making power”.

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“Instead of having the option of saying ‘no’ to involvement in United States wars, involvement becomes the default position.”

She cites the March attack by a US nuclear-powered submarine on an Iranian frigate, sinking it and killing more than 100 people. Three Australian naval personnel were onboard, part of the submarine’s crew: the US did not forewarn Australia of the attack.