The rhetoric between Australia and China is reaching a fever pitch in the media, with less room for journalists to take a more nuanced, objective viewpoint.
The fine distinction between expanding ASD powers but it not collecting intelligence on Australians is where the confusion lies, and that will need to be carefully laid out.
The closest idea to an actual plan in the white paper seems to be to double-down on the US relationship, and trust that the Trump administration is a blip.
A northern New South Wales bookmaker has got it about right on the New England byelection. “Barnaby will be a shorter price than Winx,” he told a National. “And the only one who could beat Barnaby is Winx…
Australia’s Human Rights Council election provides an ideal opportunity for it to show leadership and commitment on issues such as refugee flows and the death penalty.
With much attention focused on military might and economic sanctions, there has been little focus on calls for a diplomatic solution to the North Korean crisis.
The lack of moderates in the Liberals’ succession list is notable, given Christopher Pyne’s ill-judged boast to the faction that it was in the ‘winners’ circle’.
Let’s get one point straight. The crisis around Barnaby Joyce has been caused by one simple oversight by one person. Joyce was careless in not properly checking whether he complied with the citizenship…
The fracas between the United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) and the government over whether Australia agreed to settle a handful of the Manus Island/Nauru boat people with family here…
Julie Bishop has refused to sack Yassmin Abdel-Magied from the board of the Council for Australian-Arab Relations, resisting pressure from some in government ranks.
What vastly complicates Western policy in Syria is how to sanction Assad on one hand and deal with Islamic State on the other, without the country unravelling completely.
The US alliance will remain the cornerstone of Australian security, but regional partnerships will become more important and exploitable - sentimental ties aside.