Interpreter | The Interpreter

20 Jul 2017 16:53

A Home Affairs Ministry: Details to follow

By Ric Smith

While responses to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement on 18 July about the creation in 2018 of a Home Affairs Ministry ranged widely, the fact is that the decision has been made. But the announcement was short on detail and unclear in some areas, and the challenge now is to understand...

20 Jul 2017 15:25

New Zealand and fighting the nuclear threat: More effort required

By ML Cavanaugh

The recent news that two-thirds of United Nations member states negotiated a treaty that bans nuclear weapons was undoubtedly met with enthusiasm in much of New Zealand, which reportedly had a leading role in shepherding the talks to success. Alongside the Kiwis, 121 other non-nuclear UN member...

20 Jul 2017 14:34

Migration and border policy links: UNHCR tents, Home Affairs, infrastructure and more

By Charlotte Warden, an intern with the Lowy Institute's West Asia Program. As the United States reaches its annual refugee admissions cap (the Trump administration has cut the intake by more than half, to 50,000), Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has reassured those on...

20 Jul 2017 12:34

Our parliamentarians should be Australian-only

By Rodger Shanahan

The resignation of Greens senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters this week has highlighted the role of Section 44 of the Constitution, which precludes dual citizens from running for parliament. Of course, one feels sorry for the senators in question – Waters left Canada before she was one year...

20 Jul 2017 9:43

Macron puts his stamp on French foreign policy

By Lisa Louis

French President Emmanuel Macron is striking a new, pragmatic and self-confident tone in the country's foreign policy, for which he's received a lot of kudos. The recent reception for US President Donald Trump in France is a perfect illustration of this new approach. Macron invited Trump to attend...

19 Jul 2017 17:40

Pacific links: PNG’s O’Neill keeps his seat, Mr Tomato, the Cook Islands budget and more

By Jonathan Pryke

Dysfunction in the Papua New Guinea election continues, with claims of suspicious ghost voters turning up on the electoral roll and the resignation of the recently formed Election Advisory Committee. As always, Bill Standish provides an excellent overview. The elections have also taken a...

19 Jul 2017 15:58

Why Mahathir is at the centre of Malaysia’s opposition power play

By James Chin

Last week marked a milestone in Malaysian politics. After nearly a year of sometimes acrimonious negotiations, the opposition alliance, Pakatan Harapan (PH), finally announced its top three office holders. Anwar Ibrahim was made ketua umum (de facto leader), the former Malayasian Prime Minister Dr...

19 Jul 2017 11:32

Indonesia’s new North Natuna Sea: What’s in a name?

By Aaron L Connelly

On Friday, Indonesian officials announced that they had renamed the waters northeast of the Natuna Islands, at the far southern end of the South China Sea, the 'North Natuna Sea'. Indonesian officials were quick to emphasise that they were not renaming the entire South China Sea, only the...

19 Jul 2017 10:45

How the IMF evaluates the Asian financial crisis

By Stephen Grenville

With this month marking the 20th anniversary of the forced floating of the Thai baht, the IMF has joined the numerous commentaries looking back on the Asian crisis and the lessons learned. The tone of a recently published blog post by IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa is one...

In conversation: Dennis Richardson

'The G20 is dead. Long live the G20'

Thailand’s triple threat

Australian intelligence reforms: ‘Ain’t broke’ can still be improved

A Home Affairs Ministry: Details to follow

Our parliamentarians should be Australian-only

Let’s be clear: China would call America’s bluff in the South China Sea

Australian intelligence reforms: ‘Ain’t broke’ can still be improved

Doklam: Paths ahead for India and China

Why Indonesian extremists are gaining ground

Naypidaw: A city looking for a purpose

Why South Korea is so obsessed with Japan

The G20 Hamburg riots and the German election

Winding back the China Solution

Rising interest rates and the RBA

The G20 Hamburg riots and the German election

A Home Affairs Ministry: Details to follow

New Zealand and fighting the nuclear threat: More effort required

Migration and border policy links: UNHCR tents, Home Affairs, infrastructure and more

Our parliamentarians should be Australian-only

Macron puts his stamp on French foreign policy

Pacific links: PNG’s O’Neill keeps his seat, Mr Tomato, the Cook Islands budget and more

Why Mahathir is at the centre of Malaysia’s opposition power play

Indonesia’s new North Natuna Sea: What’s in a name?

How the IMF evaluates the Asian financial crisis

A Wary Embrace