Blog
Oceania
Australia Day, Invasion Day: Evolving the Idea of Australia
By Grant Wyeth
There is no way to undo past wrongs, but there is an opportunity to evolve the idea of Australia. To the country’s credit, Australia Day has become a day of national self-scrutiny.
Australia Day Focuses Attention on Indigenous Recognition in Constitution
By Rod McGuirk
A referendum due later this year would create an Indigenous body known as the Voice to address Parliament on Indigenous issues.
Chris Hipkins Confirmed as New Zealand Leader, Picks Deputy
By Nick Perry
Hipkins has less than nine months before a general election, which may be difficult for the sitting government.
Jacinda Ardern’s Outsized Foreign Policy Legacy
By Geoffrey Miller
The New Zealand PM has announced her resignation, but her impact on the country’s diplomacy will continue to resonate.
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, an Icon to Many, to Step Down
By Nick Perry
"I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice," she said. "It is that simple."
What Japan’s Foreign Policy Shifts Mean for New Zealand
By Geoffrey Miller
Tokyo’s dramatic shifts on defense and China policy are likely to have ramifications for New Zealand.
The Fight to Raise Australia’s Age of Criminal Responsibility
By Dechlan Brennan
At 12, an Australian child “cannot lawfully sign onto Facebook but can be questioned, arrested, detained, and imprisoned.”
Australia Is Finalizing a New Security Pact With Papua New Guinea
By Nick Perry
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he expected negotiations to conclude in April and the treaty to be signed in June.
Australia’s Population Dilemma
By Grant Wyeth
How Australia approaches migration is one of the central pillars of its overall national strategy.
Under New Leadership, What’s Next for Fiji?
By Dechlan Brennan
After 16 years with Frank Bainimarama at the helm, Fiji faces myriad challenges as Sitiveni Rabuka takes over.
Australia: The Complacent Country?
By Grant Wyeth
The country’s unique resource curse and self-image as a "lifestyle superpower” make it difficult for Canberra to change trajectories, to embrace new ideas.
Moral Authority: Australia at a Crossroads
By Grant Wyeth
Entrenched interests and orthodoxies will inhibit the new Australian government’s ability to significantly enhance the country’s moral authority.