When interviewing Bob Carr via telephone from his office in Sydney, he kept citing his book Run For Your Life. Published in 2018, I had not heard of it. However, before even reading it I was taken aback by this former foreign minister who was … Continue readingIN NEED OF GREATER PRAGMATISM AND OPEN DIALOGUE: INTERVIEW WITH BOB CARR
Known for his term as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, Michael Kirby has immense experience in practicing international law. Serving in positions such as the UN Special Representative for Human Rights in Cambodia (1993-96) and Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry … Continue readingNUCLEAR WEAPONS, THE VATICAN AND THE FUTURE: ONE ON ONE WITH THE HON. MICHAEL KIRBY
For women attempting to follow the path of representing Australia in diplomatic roles, the choice is not expected to be an easy one. Much like other high ranking public service positions, diplomacy is a career that has been traditionally dominated by men. In recent years, … Continue readingWOMEN IN DIPLOMACY: HARNESSING THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN FOR AUSTRALIA
EDITORIAL – Today, the 46th Parliament of Australia will open. But yesterday, can you name what major event happened in Australia? If you said celebrities from the Logies awoke to massive migraines caused by hangovers, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong. Yet, you wouldn’t be entirely … Continue readingSO… DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
EDITORIAL – Pragmatism needs to take precedence in the myriad of politics and electioneering – opinion polls cannot be relied on. Last Wednesday, we published an analysis of the election looking at the state of the polls. We wrote the following: As Keating’s re-election in … Continue readingWE TOLD YOU SO – VICTORY IS NEVER A SURE THING
A man who cast a shadow above all those around him and has forever left a mark on Australia—our country would not be the same without his immense contribution. The 23rd and the longest serving Labor Prime Minister, from 1983 to 1991, Bob Hawke pioneered … Continue readingVALE BOB HAWKE: A TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIA’S 23RD PRIME MINISTER
EDITORIAL – “The gods may throw a dice Their minds as cold as ice And someone way down here Loses someone dear The winner takes it all The loser has to fall It’s simple and it’s plain Why should I complain” ABBA The Winner Takes … Continue readingTHE WINNER TAKES IT ALL… THE LOSER STANDING SMALL
At 1.40pm on the 15th of March, New Zealand saw one of its darkest days since 1990 when Brenton Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist, initiated twin shootings at Mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers. These devastating attacks resulted in fifty people losing their lives and … Continue readingFROM THE ASHES WE RISE, THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM NEW ZEALAND
The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation is not known for producing controversy. Former Australia Senator Gareth Evans neatly captured many people’s view of the multilateral forum in 1993 when he described APEC as ‘four adjectives in search of a noun.’ But as the sun set on this … Continue readingAPEC 2018: GREAT POWERS TRADE BLOWS AS EYES TURN TO G-20
Australia’s Federal Parliament has been plagued by a revolving door of prime ministers and the crumbling edifice of party unity. The last thing it needed was the section 44 dual citizenship crisis. It has truly been one of the most bizarre dilemmas to hit Canberra. … Continue reading15 REASONS WHY: AUSTRALIA’S DUAL CITIZENSHIP CRISIS AND ITS VAST RAMIFICATIONS