Australia's middle power diplomacy matters
Middle powers may lack the economic and military weight to coerce others, but they can still shape outcomes through coalition-building, credibility and sustained diplomatic effort.
Recent articles in Politics
4 February 2026
Abbott, Boyce and Trump – three ways to deny a warming world
Prominent political figures continue to dismiss or distort the evidence on climate change. Their claims collapse under even basic scrutiny, revealing resistance rooted not in science but in ideology and self-interest.
4 February 2026
AUKUS from where we are – and why that’s the problem
Australia’s AUKUS submarine program is tied to struggling US and UK shipbuilding systems, escalating costs and political whim, raising questions about whether the right defence choices were ever properly debated.
4 February 2026
Allegations, immunity, and a test of character
Australia’s migration law allows entry to be refused on character grounds including genocide, war crimes and incitement. How that discretion is exercised speaks directly to Australia’s commitment to international law.
4 February 2026
The smouldering wreckage on Capital Hill – part 2
The Liberal Party faces a structural dilemma – it cannot govern without the Nationals, yet governing with them pushes it further from the voters it needs. As support for the major parties erodes, Australia is edging towards a more fragmented political future.
4 February 2026
Education savings plans and the quiet erosion of public schooling
Education savings schemes appear sensible and responsible. But their quiet rise reflects a deeper failure – a loss of confidence in Australia’s commitment to properly fund public education as a shared civic good.
4 February 2026
China pushes ahead in 2026 as Trump plays catch-up
China entered Donald Trump’s second presidency wary but prepared. Experience has taught Beijing to expect volatility, but also negotiation, shaping a strategy of caution, leverage and long-term planning.
4 February 2026
Israel and the return of settler politics in a lawless international system
Zionism emerged at the height of European settler colonialism and was realised just as the world turned toward decolonisation. Today, as international law loses force, Israel’s actions are again enabled by the prevailing global order.
4 February 2026
Trump, Afghanistan and the songs that tell a different story
Donald Trump should have listened to Australian songwriter Fred Smith before he spoke ignorantly about the sacrifices of soldiers in Afghanistan.
3 February 2026
Making polluters pay could fix Australia’s climate problem – and its budget
A new report shows how making polluters pay will not only diminish the threat from climate change, but it can also help restore the budget and the economy.
3 February 2026
The smouldering wreckage on Capital Hill – part 1
The Coalition’s implosion after the Bondi sitting was not a sudden accident. It exposed long-running tensions between the Liberals and Nationals, intensified by polling anxiety, One Nation’s rise and the limits of Australia’s Westminster conventions.
3 February 2026
Trump’s tariffs and threats are pushing the world to look elsewhere
The EU–India trade deal marks more than a commercial agreement. It signals a growing willingness among major economies to reduce their exposure to US coercion and to build new trade frameworks beyond Washington’s reach.
3 February 2026
Why the Voice referendum failed – and what the government hasn’t learned from it
The defeat of the Voice referendum was not preordained. It reflected political misjudgement, inadequate preparation and a failure to treat constitutional reform as the serious democratic work it requires.
