Plan B: insulating ourselves from the US
P&I today begins a major new series - rethinking Australia's foreign policy. The United States is becoming more erratic and less reliable, and Australia must respond by insulating itself – strengthening regional ties, rethinking defence settings, and reducing strategic dependence, according to John Menadue.
Recent articles in Politics
20 April 2026
AUKUS and the sunk cost trap beneath the surface
As warfare shifts decisively toward autonomous and distributed systems, Australia’s massive investment in nuclear submarines risks locking in a costly and inflexible strategy.
20 April 2026
Albanese and Anwar align behind Pope’s call for peace
Australia and Malaysia have signalled support for a diplomatic path through escalating global tensions, backing Pope Leo’s call for peace and restraint.
20 April 2026
Can the US public service survive the Trump era?
Public administrators in the United States are exploring how to reshape the civil service as a pillar of American democracy.
20 April 2026
How China really works – rules from above, reality from below
The Chinese Government is often described as ruling with an iron fist, but the way rules and policy are interpreted on the ground can be quite different.
20 April 2026
Women are reshaping the workforce – but power hasn’t followed
Women are increasingly dominant across education and the workforce, but leadership, workplace structures and social attitudes have failed to keep pace.
19 April 2026
How the Greens could win 25 per cent of the vote
The Greens need to get out of their own bubble and do some very serious soul searching if they are ever to have broad appeal, argues a co-founder of the Queensland and Australian Greens, Drew Hutton.
19 April 2026
Cricket has survived every crisis – but this one may be different
Cricket has adapted and survived for centuries, but a new struggle over control – combined with climate pressures – may test the game in ways it has not faced before.
19 April 2026
Environment: Class and race fuel climate collapse in Northern Territory
From devastating floods in the Northern Territory to the global failure to curb fossil fuels and the human cost of shipbreaking, environmental damage is accelerating – and hitting the most vulnerable hardest.
19 April 2026
From feminism to the manosphere – where to now?
Patricia Edgar reflects on a lifetime shaped by feminism – and asks why, despite its gains, relationships between men and women now feel more fractured than ever.
18 April 2026
The bad, the worse, and the need for glee – Message from the Editor
It has been a week where a number of world ‘leaders’ have exceeded even the lowest of expectations. Clearly the lion in this fight is Donald Trump as Jesus, but there are some other really notable, local contenders.
18 April 2026
Chasing ghosts, losing votes
New research shows immigration is not driving voter anger, yet the Coalition is targeting it anyway – risking further losses in the diverse, urban seats it must win back.
18 April 2026
Another interest rate rise will tip Australia into a recession we don’t have to have
A sharp fall in confidence and rising fuel prices point to a potential downturn, but traditional policy responses risk making the situation worse.
