In this special episode of Relative Return Unplugged, we are sharing a discussion between Momentum Media's Steve Kuper, Major General (Ret'd) Marcus Thompson and AMP chief economist Shane Oliver on the latest economic data and what it means for Australia's economy and national security.

There are a range of complexities impacting Australia's economic landscape amid rising geopolitical tensions, and there is a dire need for strategies to bolster the nation's defence capabilities in the face of potential threats.

The trio take a look at the challenges facing the nation, such as stagnant productivity and a significant slowdown in GDP growth, highlighting the importance of balancing economic and national security priorities, particularly in the face of an increasingly complex and uncertain geopolitical landscape.

They also discuss:

• The need for a strategic approach to industrialisation, focusing on high-tech and automated manufacturing, to enhance Australia's defence capabilities while maintaining economic stability.
• The need to boost economic complexity and diversity to better prepare the nation to face the mounting geopolitical and "whole-of-nation" efforts being leveraged against Australia in this new multipolar world and how best to deliver such a monumental change.
• The urgent need for a serious national debate with the Australian public about the future of the country and its economic future and the intersection of national security.