Foreign Policy
Whitlam's Indonesia leadership was far from 'visionary'
It is certainly fitting to examine Gough Whitlam's foreign policy record and considerable achievements. However, in seeking to whitewash the controversy over Whitlam's role…
Whitlam's visionary leadership on Indonesia
As commentators rightly eulogise Gough Whitlam's foreign policy achievements, most of the attention has focused on his grand outreach to communist China and the independence of…
Can Australia remain a top 20 nation?
A few times over the past year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has referred to Australia as a 'top 20 nation' or a 'top 20 country'. She prefers this to the standard…
Ebola: Lessons from earlier pandemic scares
In July 2014, Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Chris Baggoley, assured us that the risk of the deadly Ebola virus spreading to Australia from West Africa was very low. At…
Ebola: It is time for Australia to act
By Catherine King MP, Federal Shadow Minister For Health and the Member for Ballarat.
The Ebola crisis is no longer a humanitarian crisis for West Africa; it now poses a direct…
Australian public diplomacy the real loser in ABC cuts
Journalists are often advised to report the story, not become part of it, but Australia's coverage of and broadcasting to Asia have been making headlines for years.
In 2014, the…
ABC bureaux closures: Sacrificing the bang for the bucks?
The latest news from the ABC bunker is that while Lateline may survive the latest round of cuts, the bureaux in Tokyo and Delhi may be shut down.
The ABC Board met yesterday,…
Terrorism at home: The law cannot save us
I picked up my tickets for tomorrow's AFL Grand Final the other day. My team, the Sydney Swans, is playing and I should be excited to be going. Instead, I have been infected by…
Why Australia should join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
At the upcoming APEC Summit in Beijing, China is hoping to announce a formal MoU for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Offers to join the Bank have been sent around…
Fiji's elections: Four lessons for Australian diplomacy
Now that Fiji has held its first elections in eight years, it is time to take stock of the lessons for Australian diplomacy. These lessons should inform Australia's approach to…