Australia in the World
Commentary
Chinese-Australian shouldn’t be limited to tick-box of citizenship
A commentary first published in the The Australian on 9 May 2023.
Biden’s trip cancellations reveal pitfalls of a crowded diplomatic calendar
Leave aside what Joe Biden’s absence means for the commitment to the Quad or the relative importance of Asia and the Pacific to the United States. Because if the US economy…
Indigenous Voice: Getting ready to explain to the world if Australia votes “No”
Later this year, Australians will vote on whether an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice should be enshrined in the Constitution. “The Voice” would represent the interests…
Life in Australia’s aid program - but not as we know it
Something else was going on with the release last week of the Albanese government’s first full-year budget. There was not a lot for the traditional development program. Yet…
Australia’s future security: Where the Defence Strategic Review falls short
Australia’s recent Defence Strategic Review (DSR) was described by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles as “the blueprint for defence thinking for decades to…
Economic diplomacy: Paying for a new security era
Jobplomacy
For all the fine words in recent years about integrating the official arms of international relations policymaking in diplomacy, development and defence (the so…
Australia: The lynchpin of a modernised Commonwealth
From glittering pageantry to a nationwide preponderance of underwhelming quiches, Saturday’s Coronation was a thoroughly British affair. It was, counterintuitively, also the most…
DFAT: Show me the money
No one sets out to spoil the party. So let’s celebrate the frosty cake and delicious treats reportedly on offer in the latest budget after the Albanese government commissioned a…
Curiosity and openness: Allan Gyngell’s light touch in the early days at the Lowy Institute
There is a nice little scene near the start of David Lean’s cinematic masterpiece, Lawrence of Arabia. General Allenby, the former commander of British forces in the Middle East…
Budget time: Will Labor rebuild Australia’s aid program, and how?
Labor came to office promising to rebuild Australia’s development program. In government, it has commissioned a new international development policy and a review into the use of…