Australia is to have an Intelligence Czar. For the politicians, the Czar is the answer to the single phone call question: the Czar will be charged with giving the answers—and will be answerable. The …
Articles by: "Graeme Dobell"
Strange things happen in that dynamic space where politics and policy meet in Canberra. Part of the discipline is for all players to keep a straight face. No matter the impact of the strangeness, no …
The new normal of international affairs has lots of abnormalities. Not least is the way the norms of the system of states are being tested and stretched and pushed and punished. Along with all the …
To see Australia’s $2 billion intelligence community, come for a stroll around Canberra’s parliamentary triangle. The expansion of bureaucratic empires is always expressed in concrete and marble, so there’s much to observe. Your tour guide …
If Donald Trump can’t get a deal with North Korea, the only deal in town is with China. If not ‘fire and fury’ with Pyongyang, it must be a fix with Beijing. A president keen …
The snow on the Brindabella Range was icing Canberra’s wind as I slipped into Old Parliament House to take the temperature of Oz international policy and check the strategic weather forecasts. The prophets of the …
Donald Trump has caused a profound shift in the way Canberra thinks about a US leader, but not yet about US leadership. Call this The Donald dichotomy. Australia confronts an ‘America First’ president who is …
When a new institutional beast rises up in the Canberra jungle, peer at it through the usual lenses: people, policy, politics and power. Then ask the key questions: Who wins? Will it work? Can it …
The roller-coaster nature of Australia’s history with Indonesia—high moments of great optimism, low periods of clash and argument—means that Indonesia’s foreign policy elite is cautious when contemplating the idea of Australia joining ASEAN. But it’s …
An Australia seeking to join ASEAN is going to face tough questions about its interests and identity. Some in Southeast Asia think an Australian republic would be a more natural fit for ASEAN than an …
Q: Which neighbour is more different to Australia—Indonesia or Papua New Guinea? A: Impossible to say. As neighbours forever, Australia, PNG and Indonesia constitute an extraordinary triangle. The contrasts and clashes abound. Each neighbour is …
The evolution of Australia’s thinking about ASEAN has gathered enough pace that it’s now possible to propose a new Oz passion and purpose. Instead of constant pledges of engagement and partnership, Australia’s future in Southeast …