In his election victory speech, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed, ‘in full’, to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The Statement proposes a suite of reforms, including the constitutional recognition and empowerment of Australia’s First Nations by allowing them to have a say in the … Continue readingWhat does a First Nations foreign policy really mean?
‘Until July this year, the Pacific Islands Forum was a little known intergovernmental organisation that advocated for cooperation between, and the interests of, its Pacific nation members. Yet with the Forum’s 2022 Meeting, held in the Fijian capital of Suva, having just concluded (its first in-person meeting since 2019), it has shed its tag of “little known”.’
Nicholas Butler discusses the achievements and controversies that defined this year’s especially significant Pacific Islands Forum. … Continue readingSuccess with some Setbacks: The 2022 Meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum
“Over the past two years, natural gas prices have more than doubled. Those of us who use gas every day, such as for cooking and heating our homes, have seen enormous cost increases but many are unsure why. So what has happened? Everything.”
Monique Westcott addresses this burning question. … Continue readingSurging Prices: The Reasons behind Increasing Global Gas Prices
Australia’s relationship to the Pacific has been a complicated one, to say the least. We are one of the largest powers in the region, with a huge landmass relative to our neighbours, a developed economy, and powerful allies in the U.S. and the U.K. Compared to some of our closest neighbours such as the Solomon Islands, we are a whale amongst minnows. Yet if we expand our view out from our “backyard” to the broader Indo-Pacific, we see Australia is dwarfed by some serious powers. India, Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.S. are all exerting influence in the region and Australia is doing its level best to maintain its own interests amongst these. … Continue readingKISSING UP AND KICKING DOWN: AUSTRALIA IN THE PACIFIC
Does India offer Australia’s greatest hope of secure diplomatic and economic integration in the Indo-Pacific?
In light of the recently signed Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, and both countries’ souring relationship with China, Nicholas Butler explores this fundamental question and its ongoing implications. … Continue readingAustralia-China Tensions: India to the Rescue?
At the close of 2020,the UNHCR predicted that the number of displaced persons would, for the first time in history, reach 82.4 million people. The twenty-first century has seen many factors that have contributed to the number of peoples displaced; a global pandemic, climate change, economic crises, a surge in nationalist foreign policies, harsher border policies and domestic as well as interstate conflict. Many people have been left uprooted and unable to stay in their own homes, sometimes even their own country. … Continue readingTHE WORST IS YET TO COME IF WE DON’T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY – AN UPDATE ON DISPLACEMENT CRISES AND ATTITUDES TO MIGRATION ACROSS THE WORLD
Today marks the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen’s accession to the Throne. Although not a time of celebration for the Queen as it also marks the anniversary of the death of her beloved father King George VI, this milestone will be celebrated across the Commonwealth with much fanfare in June. Every jubilee and significant royal event brings about questions regarding the monarchy’s future in Australia and other Commonwealth realms, including Canada and New Zealand. While it is important to have such discussions about the political structure of our country, there are other constitutional issues regarding the functionality of our governance which should be addressed more urgently. … Continue readingThe Platinum Jubilee and Constitutional Monarchy in the 21st Century
As we enter another year, it is imperative that we reflect on previous significant events in order to anticipate what the coming twelve months may bring. While much of 2021 has been overshadowed by COVID-19, the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants, and the rollout of various vaccines, significant geopolitical rumblings have brewed and will continue to rumble well into 2022. The following issues may define the upcoming year in international affairs and even have impacts into 2023 and beyond.
… Continue reading2021 – THE SEQUEL | WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2022
President Joe Biden has nominated Caroline Kennedy, former Ambassador to Japan and daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, as the next United States Ambassador to Australia. Recent headlines regarding Ambassador Kennedy’s appointment have fixated on her status as a member of the infamous Kennedy … Continue readingKennedy for Australia | The Importance of Caroline Kennedy’s Nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Australia
The 2019-2020 summer bushfires depicted the extreme and devastating impacts of climate change already here now. The subsequent toll on human and animal life generated public concern over the necessity to act early in order to prevent future consequences. This distress was largely pushed aside in the public sphere as the concern shifted to the more immediate issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in August the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) released a report predicting a global warming of 1.5oC as early as 2030. This landmark report reinforced the urgency of responding to the climate crisis. This is why COP26, held in Glasgow from early November will be critically important in preventing a runaway climate catastrophe. … Continue readingAUSTRALIA ISOLATED ON CLIMATE POLICIES IN THE LEAD UP TO COP26