Diplomacy

The case for rejuvenating DFAT
The case for rejuvenating DFAT
A number of experts have argued for change at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to ensure it is match fit for the major geopolitical challenges facing the country. Some…
The second age of globalisation is beginning to buckle
Commentary
The second age of globalisation is beginning to buckle
The ripple effects of the Russo-Ukrainian war are spreading and intensifying. Deglobalisation will jeopardise the prosperity and welfare of millions. Originally published in The…
Scott Morrison wins. So where to next for Australia in the world?
Scott Morrison wins. So where to next for Australia in the world?
A returned Morrison government will see a Prime Minister at the height of his political powers, being just the second Australian leader this century to win two elections…
Imagining Labor’s first 100 days in foreign policy
Imagining Labor’s first 100 days in foreign policy
With new leadership and a fresh mandate, a Labor government could take significant steps in foreign policy in its first hundred days in office under the leadership of Prime…
War represents a failure of diplomacy. It pays to read past page one.
War represents a failure of diplomacy. It pays to read past page one.
It was a surprise to see Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya attending a meeting of the Security Council on 29 March holding up a copy of a small book I…
A silver lining to DFAT’s budgetary woes
A silver lining to DFAT’s budgetary woes
The 2022 federal budget was handed down on Tuesday night, and it appeared mostly bad news for Australian foreign policy. Amid all the talk of an international order deteriorating…
Madeleine Albright: “I have come a long way, so I must be frank”
Madeleine Albright: “I have come a long way, so I must be frank”
The essence of diplomacy is communication. Madeleine Albright excelled at delivering a message. And as a woman of firsts, she encountered the all-too-typical obstacles of a male…
Australia was quick to sanction Moscow. Why not Myanmar?
Australia was quick to sanction Moscow. Why not Myanmar?
“Australians always stand up to bullies, and we will be standing up to Russia”, declared Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week, announcing a suite of…
Why was it left to Kenya to speak up for multilateralism?
Why was it left to Kenya to speak up for multilateralism?
In a long speech this week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin crossed the Rubicon by recognising the “independent” republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, creating…
Settling in for long, fruitful innings with new partner India
Commentary
Settling in for long, fruitful innings with new partner India
Originally published in The Australian.