Regardless of how long US President Donald Trump’s ill-advised war and today’s stagflationary conditions last, the long-run consequences will be profound. Fancying himself an absolute monarch, Trump has broken something he cannot fix and unleashed forces he cannot control. (more…)
Category: Top 5
Used for weekly email
-
Modi’s power grip, Japan’s regional pitch, Suu Kyi’s house arrest – Asian Media Report
BJP’s historic state dominance, Takaichi’s ‘proactive’ Indo-Pacific role, AI’s emerging role in diplomacy, Pyongyang’s ‘normal nation’ push, Myanmar’s change without change, Taiwan’s national happiness win. (more…)
-
Reclaiming democracy: join the conversation
Democracy is faltering. Elected government action is increasingly constrained by the preferences of powerful industrial, commercial and financial interests. To counter this trend, an ambitious initiative, Reclaiming Democracy Together, is being launched in Melbourne on 9 May. (more…)
-
Could the government have blocked return of Australian women and children from Syria?
The Australian Government has to manage the return of its citizens, except in very particular circumstances when citizenship can be cancelled, a passport denied or a temporary exclusion order issued.
(more…) -
The PM is wrong: gas exports can and should be taxed
A 25 per cent on LNG exports will not affect either the volume or price of LNG exports. Customers therefore have nothing to fear, and the Prime Minister was wrong to stop the tax. (more…)
-
A decade of dog-whistles and a decade of lost voters
The Coalition’s path back to government runs through roughly 25 seats. The overwhelming majority of them sit in greater Sydney and greater Melbourne where the combined Indian and Chinese population is already large and still growing fast. These diaspora hear the Coalition talk about out-of-control migration and vote accordingly.
(more…) -
The BYD ‘spy car’ narrative misses Australia’s real transport risk
Australian politicians, in the reasonable pursuit of fleet efficiency, have approved Chinese-made EVs for ministerial use. According to a Sky News commentator, however, these cars are not merely transport, they are “rolling microphones”. In fact, they are the vehicles that will keep moving when the next fuel shock arrives. (more…)
-
Charles is not my King
Our media has been full of praise for King Charles and his handling of President Trump on the recent state visit. His mention of AUKUS has been hailed as a great moment for Australia. (more…)
-
Australia has waited 21 years for a Human Rights Act – what is Albanese waiting for?
The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission this week renewed the call for national human rights legislation. The parliamentary committee report has been gathering dust since 2024. The Senate numbers exist. The only thing missing is political will. (more…)
-
Antisemitism inquiry interim report: we don’t need more terror laws – we need gun reform
The antisemitism inquiry interim report finds Australia already has extensive terrorism laws, while urging governments to move faster on long-delayed national gun reform.
-
A $25 billion offer? Inside Trump’s push to end the Hormuz crisis
Reports from Israeli sources suggest Donald Trump is considering a multibillion-dollar payment to Iran to end the Strait of Hormuz blockade, exposing divisions within the US administration and tensions with Israel.
(more…) -
Why a 73 year old Jew had himself arrested
After being arrested in Brisbane for wearing a T-shirt that read ‘Jews for a free Palestine from the river to the sea’, a 73-year-old Jewish protester writes that the law is suppressing dissent and targeting supporters of human rights. (more…)
-
Rethinking Australia’s place in the world in an era of fracture
As part of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Joseph Camilleri sets out the case for breaking with a militarised, US-aligned mindset and building a more independent, cooperative approach to security and global engagement. (more…)
-
Iran is holding the line – and the US strategy is unlikely to break it
Sixty days into the conflict, Iran has held its ground in the Strait of Hormuz, while US pressure has failed to force concessions – raising the risk of escalation, oil disruption and wider global instability.
-
Contracting strategy to think tanks: catering to America’s fantasies of even more war
US think tanks play a central role in shaping military strategy and future conflicts, embedding a long-standing logic of war that allies are expected to support.
-
Multiculturalism should shape Australia’s foreign policy
In the latest of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Jocelyn Chey argues that Australia’s foreign policy must better reflect its multicultural society and leverage its diversity in international engagement. (more…)
-
Virtue, not values, defines who we are
In debates over repatriation, protest and politics, the real test is not what we say we value, but the virtues we are willing to uphold as a society.
-
Recapturing the decency dimension of Australian foreign policy
In the latest of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Gareth Evans argues that Australia’s foreign policy must give greater weight to being, and being seen as, a good international citizen. (more…)
-
It’s time to tax gas exports in the national interest
The best way to stop the massive under-taxation of Australian LNG would be to fix the petroleum resource rent tax, but a quick second best would be a tax on export revenue. (more…)
-
Australia’s foreign policy needs renovation, not demolition
In the latest of our Foreign Policy Rethink series, Peter Varghese outlines how alliance, region and multilateralism must be recalibrated for a more contested and uncertain global order. (more…)
-
Japan’s arms sales, fatal law, and the K-pop community – Asian Media Report
Tokyo’s new weapons export rules, the never-ending China-Japan rift, Thucydides Trap’s historical flaw, Global South’s central ceasefire role, Asian fossil-fuels fall, and BTS manager’s arrest warrant. (more…)
-
The Anzac story is bigger than we remember
The Anzac tradition honours sacrifice, but the broader, global contribution to the war effort remains under-recognised in Australia’s national memory.
-
Turning waste into wealth
A vast “circularity gap” is driving resource depletion and risk, but closing it could unlock trillions in value and reduce pressure on the planet.
-
Poorly designed campaign finance laws weaken our democracy
The High Court’s ruling on Victoria’s electoral laws shows how poorly designed campaign finance rules can undermine both fairness and the reforms they were meant to achieve.
-
The return of great power relations: What can middle powers do? Part 1
As part of the Foreign Policy Rethink series, Geoff Raby examines how Trump’s shift to great power politics is reshaping the global order and forcing middle powers to rethink their strategy. (more…)
-
A prime-time hit job on renewables falls apart under basic facts
Spotlight’s TV report on renewables and EVs collapses under basic fact-checking, highlighting how misinformation is shaping Australia’s energy debate. (more…)
-
Labor’s foreign policy no longer matches the world it faces
In the second on our Rethinking Foreign Policy series Kym Davey says Labor’s foreign policy platform is out of step with current realities – clinging to US alliance settings while ignoring its own commitment to self-reliance and the opportunities of the Asia-Pacific. (more…)
-
You can’t rush peace: the fatal flaws in the US–Iran talks
The collapse of recent US–Iran talks highlights how flawed negotiation design – not just substance – can doom peace efforts from the start.
-
Plan B: insulating ourselves from the US
P&I today begins a major new series – rethinking Australia’s foreign policy. The United States is becoming more erratic and less reliable, and Australia must respond by insulating itself – strengthening regional ties, rethinking defence settings, and reducing strategic dependence, according to John Menadue.
-
AUKUS and the sunk cost trap beneath the surface
As warfare shifts decisively toward autonomous and distributed systems, Australia’s massive investment in nuclear submarines risks locking in a costly and inflexible strategy. (more…)