Time for Foreign Minister Wong to put her foot down
In an ideal world, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) should be the government’s principal agency in seeing that relations with other countries best serve Australia’s interests.
Recent articles in Defence
18 July 2025
Despite denials, Australia has exported F-35 parts to Israel
Leaked documents show Canberra has been supplying Israel with the means to maintain F-35 fighter jets so it can continue its genocidal campaign in Gaza, Peter Cronau and Kellie Tranter report.
18 July 2025
A memo to Albo on nuclear weapons
Sent by People for Nuclear Disarmament and the Human Survival Project To Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, the Parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and Defence and DFAT.
17 July 2025
Donald Trump and his minions may yet do us a favour in ending AUKUS
The US must be told that we will not be involved in any way and at any time in a war with China over Taiwan.
17 July 2025
Trump wants us to spend a bomb on defence. We should think twice
While I was on holiday, I had a kind of nightmare: suddenly, every rich country in the world — including us — is vowing to spend many billions more on defence each year. This will cost taxpayers an absolute bomb. Why exactly are we doing this?
4 July 2025
The Western allies of the US as vassal states
A vassal state is one that retains some autonomy at home but is effectively dominated by another power in its foreign affairs.
2 July 2025
How spending more on defence harms the nation
Anthony Albanese is taking a battering from ill-informed commentators for thinking Australia can be defended by spending a little over 2% of GDP on its military forces.
1 July 2025
AUKUS project has worsened Australia’s ties with China
I have argued elsewhere (Asia Sentinel, 24/5/2025) that five factors could throw the US$245 billion AUKUS deal off balance following the recent decision by Washington to review the deal.
29 June 2025
Why Asia-Pacific should be rooting for Iran
Setting aside any thoughts I may have about theocratic rulers (whether they be in Tel Aviv or Tehran), I am personally glad that Iran was able to hold out against the US-Israeli attacks this month.
26 June 2025
Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet?
In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers — including mobile services — repeatedly going offline. Iran’s Government has cited cyber security concerns for ordering the shutdown.
24 June 2025
Is Albo reverting to compulsive secrecy?
Anthony Albanese is falling back into the sort of bad habits that could bring him down as Labor leader.
21 June 2025
AUKUS submarines would be obsolete before Australia gets them
Before the drawings have been completed, new detection technology has already made RN SSN AUKUS obsolete.
20 June 2025
Strategic security partnerships in the region
In reading analyses of how we can develop the seemingly logical argument by Paul Keating and others that Australia should be seeking its security in Asia rather than from Asia, the issue of official and personal contact in building such ties always seems to be neglected.
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More from Defence
27 April 2025
A minority Labor Government's policy agenda – Part 1
