Australian Perspective
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…
UN Climate Change Summit: A chance for Australia's environmental diplomacy
The UN Climate Change Summit is taking place in New York tomorrow, with attendance by several world leaders including US President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron…
The other humanitarian crisis
The ramping up of the international effort against ISIS has consumed much of the world media's attention in the last few weeks. However, there is another international crisis…
New Caledonia: Australia's benevolent disregard
Imagine that the most senior leader of one of Australia's neighbours resigns suddenly during a visit by a minister. And that this follows an election where the winners cannot…
Why America's Iraq strategy will work, and why Australia should take part
Here are three observations on Iraq:
1. Australia does have a core interest in Iraq
One of the arguments already used by opponents of any Australian participation in military…
Australia's Iraq deployment: Pragmatism over principle
The Prime Minister's unsurprising announcement of an Australian military commitment to the US-led anti-Islamic State (IS) coalition answered a few questions and raised others. I…
Is Abbott spreading Australia too thin?
Two months ago, as Prime Minister Abbott's globalist reflexes were becoming increasingly apparent, I offered a perspective from Washington that the US should welcome a more…
Fiji's election: More to do to restore democracy
After eight years of Voreqe Bainimarama's military rule in Fiji, there is much excitement about the prospects for Fiji's return to democracy with elections next week. Seven…
Fiji's election: Fair and free?
On 17 September, Fiji goes to the polls for the first time in eight years. This is a notable step forward given that, when I spoke to people in Suva a year ago, they were still…
Indian Ocean empowerment: Australia puts gender on the agenda
'Front and centre is the only woman, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.'
When ANU's Dr Katerina Teaiwa explained her heritage to the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)…