Oceania

The last federal election was a vote against instability, not for any great positive vision. The public resistance to the proposed Voice to Parliament reflects that dynamic.

Whatever the results of the October 14 election, get ready for some new faces.

China obviously has concerns about the security pact, but so do some of Australia's friends and partners – and Australians themselves.

Seoul and Wellington were late to the Indo-Pacific party, but now have a chance to demonstrate middle power agency. 

Sato Kilman became Vanuatu's third prime minister in less than 10 months after the Supreme Court ruled that last month’s no-confidence motion had, indeed, passed.

New Zealand Trade Minister Damien O’Connor’s recent foray into the Middle East continues a surge of renewed interest in the region.

A new law allows children to be imprisoned in police watch houses, the equivalent of jails in the United States, as youth detention centers overflow. All while the number of youth offenders hits a decade low.

The Pacific Islands region is not immune to the scourge of gender-based violence, an insidious form of social instability with much wider implications.

With only minor attempts to address the Hague Convention’s flaws, Australia’s rhetoric on seriously addressing domestic abuse rings hollow. 

New Zealand’s opposition leader leaves the door open for joining the Belt and Road Initiative, despite China’s history of foreign interference.

West Papua’s independence movement again failed to obtain MSG membership, highlighting members’ competing strategic interests. 

Internationally, the decision to realign the definition is seen as very uncontroversial. But it does put Australia out of step with the United States.