With the passing of Malcolm Fraser, herewith some highlights of his recent appearances and interactions with the Lowy Institute. More coverage to come of Mr Fraser's legacy for Australian foreign policy.
In July last year, Fraser appeared with Lowy Institute Executive Director to talk about his book Dangerous Allies. I also interviewed Mr Fraser by phone about his book:
Fraser had a longstanding commitment to nuclear non-proliferation, and in 2009 he delivered the annual John Gee lecture, sponsored by the Lowy Institute and the Australian National University:
We have perhaps the best opportunity ever to abolish nuclear weapons. The current crises in disarmament, non-proliferation, the rule of law and risks of use of nuclear weapons have spawned a widespread realisation that nuclear business as usual is in fact an inexorable slide towards nuclear anarchy and eventual disaster, and that nuclear weapons undermine the security of all.
Fraser also spoke at the Lowy Institute in 2010 to mark the launch of his memoirs. You can listen to the speech here, and I recorded an interview with him after his speech.
Fraser's memoir also led to an exchange on The Interpreter with Margaret Simons, who co-authored the book. I questioned an anecdote in the book relating to Fraser's role in convincing the Reagan Administration to back the Thatcher Government in the lead-up to the Falklands War, and Simons responded in detail.
Fraser was an Interpreter reader, and he wrote to us in response to a piece highlighting the tough anti-China comments of a senior US Navy intelligence official.