Articles by: "Peter Jennings"
The tyranny of talking points

Here’s one suggestion that will sharply improve the performance of the Australian Government and Opposition. It’s a small step to make a big change and it doesn’t need a plebiscite (postal or otherwise), or even …

Trump: As the world turns

If you are having trouble keeping up with the story, here’s what happened since the last episode of White House Days of Our Lives: The Mooch lasted barely 10 days as White House communications director …

China: spy ships and shy generals

The most obvious response to the Chinese intelligence-gathering ship snooping around in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Coral Sea would have been to put a RAAF P-3 maritime patrol aircraft right over the top …

The good and not so good of policymaking

The most important point to make about the government’s proposed Home Affairs portfolio is that these new arrangements can be made to work. They will not harm our counterterrorism performance and could improve Australia’s underwhelming …

Turnbull, Trump and the Intrepid

I’ll defend to the death John McCarthy’s right, facilitated by The Strategist, to uphold the dignity of the Prime Minister in the face of insults from the American President. There’s no excuse for bad, belittling …

President Trump: four scenarios

At ASPI’s recent State of the Region Masterclass (PDF) I detailed some “alternate futures” for the Trump administration. In truth no-one, not even Trump himself, can be sure how his presidency will evolve. The future …

Finding the positives to fix the US alliance

It takes two people to make a phone call, but when it’s between Donald Trump and Malcolm Turnbull, the call doesn’t happen by accident. Usually when world leaders speak together, it’s only after advisers and …

Homeland security: if it ain’t broke…

Recent reporting in News Limited papers suggests that the government is considering reorganising several domestic security agencies into a super department like the UK Home Office. The aim would be to ‘bring together the AFP, …

ASPI at 15: 30 in 2031?

In a week where we’ve looked back at ASPI’s first 15 years it may be useful to contemplate what the next 15 years might look like for the Institute. Will ASPI survive to 2031? Will …

The South China Sea: how will this end?

The ruling delivered overnight by the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea under the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague is one that will deeply discomfort Beijing. Since the Philippines put its …