Australian Perspective
Pacific Island links: AFP in PNG, female MPs, Vanuatu election, remittances and more
A former AFP officer posted in PNG has made a number of allegations about the conduct of local police and the AFP presence in PNG, claiming the AFP's actions are constrained by…
Much at stake for Turnbull and the region at East Asia Summit
The 10th East Asia Summit this weekend promises to be one of the most interesting bits of summitry in some time. This, the last stop on Malcolm Turnbull’s five-nation tour which…
The shocking truth: A Trump presidency could be good for ANZUS
'Should Donald Trump be elected US President, Australia should tear up the ANZUS alliance', leads this article by veteran analyst and political reporter, Daniel Flitton.
He doesn…
All change: Election result may see another round of the Burma/Myanmar name game
Shortly after the Abbott Government took office in September 2013, it overturned the decision by Labor Foreign Minister Bob Carr in 2012 to recognise Burma’s new official name,…
Turnbull in Jakarta: Relationship reheat
Malcolm Turnbull's visit to Jakarta this week did not signal any drastic changes for the direction of the Australia-Indonesia relationship, but it did leave relations considerably…
India's interests are aligning with Australia's; now Modi must grasp the opportunity
As the fastest growing economy in Asia, many countries are vying for India's attention. India's understaffed Ministry of External Affairs is constantly grappling with the demands…
Innocent passage: Did the US just fumble its South China Sea strategy?
The difference between freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) and warships transiting under 'innocent passage' sounds arcane and legalistic. But this wonkish distinction…
Why no tears will be shed for Australia's knights and dames
So Tony Abbott's revival of knights and dames has proved a short lived thing, with newly installed PM Malcolm Turnbull moving quickly to axe the contentious honours.
It's a move…
As RAN prepares to exercise with China's navy, Australia risks a PR disaster
Australia and its Navy are in an awkward spot, caught between China and the US in the full glare of a global media spotlight shone on the South China Sea.
Two Royal Australian…
The Turnbull era: Eight ideas for fine-tuning Australian foreign policy
In his recent Boyer Lectures, the Lowy Institute's Michael Fullilove notes that the old world had gone, and that the rise of China calls for a serious re-examination of…