Australian Perspective
She'll be right: The Australian temperament and international affairs
I had reason recently to reflect on the role of national temperament in international affairs.
The Lowy Institute hosted a regional conference of the Council of Councils, an…
Did Australia really 'scuttle' New Zealand's nuclear-weapons diplomacy?
The nuclear-free antennae worn by many New Zealanders have been bristling at news of a counter-campaign by Australian diplomats at the UN.
At issue is a statement on the…
General Hurley previews the Defence White Paper
Twenty months ago the Chief of the Defence Force delivered a speech at the Lowy Institute outlining how he thought the 2013 White Paper would be developed. Today at the…
Australia's asylum-seeker obsession risks damaging PNG relations
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop believes PNG is one of Australia's highest foreign policy priorities and is committed to strengthening ties with PNG.
Australia's merchandise trade…
Australia-Indonesia relations: It's always personal
The men and women who operate the levers of power in Indonesia know us far better than we know them.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Cabinet contains several members with…
Incompetence: Australia's incursions into Indonesian waters
The Joint Review of the incursions by Australian vessels into Indonesian waters conducted by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and the Australian…
Spying row: Why Indonesia is tougher on Canberra than on Washington
Australia has copped the ire and sarcasm of Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa over fresh spying allegations reported in the New York Times last weekend. Meanwhile, the…
Australia-Fiji relations: Bishop's game-changer
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop sprang a surprise on Australia's Fiji watchers last Friday. She not only pulled off what looked like a friendly meeting with Fiji's…
Can Australia-India ties flourish if governments are asleep?
It is said that 'India grows at night while the government is asleep'. The message is that the economy would grow faster if government got out of the way.
This phrase was adapted…
Lessons for Australia from the Swiss referendum on immigration quotas
On Sunday, a referendum proposal to re-introduce strict quotas for immigration from European Union countries was passed in Switzerland by a tiny majority of 50.3% of voters. The…