Australian Perspective
Australia and the AIIB: A lost opportunity
The debate about whether Australia should join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has gone beyond the realm of economic development and investment to hit at the core…
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 on the world stage: Courage, vision and wit
Gough Whitlam with the author in Manila, 1973.
Gough Whitlam had political courage and a vision for Australia. A forward-looking, pragmatic realist, he sought to reshape Australia…
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…
On Whitlam and the US alliance
The passing of Gough Whitlam was always going to be a seismic moment in Australian national life. As Paul Kelly writes in today's Australian, the former Labor leader lived 'long…
Quick Comment: Jokowi should enjoy the party while he can
As Catriona Croft-Cusworth’s commentary and photos showed, there is a celebratory mood in Jakarta this week with the inauguration of Jokowi as Indonesia’s new president. In the…
Jokowi's maritime inaugural address
The inauguration speech of Indonesia's 7th President, Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo, was powerful despite its brevity, or perhaps because of it. It contained a striking blend of personal…
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…