It may be that the letter sent by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesias President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will start to calm diplomatic tensions between the two countries. Given political sensitivities in Jakarta, it also may be that tensions will continue in any case, particularly if the letter is deemed inadequate. But what is becoming […]
Tag Archives: Tony Abbott
The current breakdown in diplomatic relations between Australia and Indonesia is close to — or is — the worst the relationship has been. There has been nothing of such damage to the relationship since Australias intervention in East Timor in 1999, when Australia sent in troops with the permission of the Indonesian government to address […]
The two trips by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to Indonesia have started to give a distinctive shape to a shift in Australian foreign policy. In keeping with Abbott’s assertive political style, Australia is on the diplomatic front foot, promoting his pro-Asia policy agenda. But the forcefulness of the way in which this agenda is being […]
West Papuan activists are testing Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s statements in relation to his asylum-seeker boat turnback policy, that he has “total respect for Indonesia’s sovereignty, total respect for Indonesia’s territorial integrity”. So far, they are having little luck. As Abbott was preparing to leave for Bali, three West Papuan activists scaled the wall of […]
Tony Abbott’s first international test as prime minister is also likely to be his toughest, when he meets with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today. It will be a remarkable feat if he can pull the policy fat from the diplomatic fire. In the balance lies Australias critical relationship with Indonesia. Not only has Abbotts […]
When great political change transforms a nation, there is often a defining image that comes to symbolise it. The iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster from the 2008 US presidential campaign, for instance, embodied the spirit of a nation that was seeking social change and to make history with its first African-American president. One of the […]
Women’s bodies have long been a site for politics, but over the past few months political games and posturing have put issues like misogyny, sexism, rape and gender in the headlines. Whether it’s American Senate Candidate Richard Mourdock’s comments about rape and pregnancy or Julia Gilliard’s address to Tony Abbott, from Australia to America politicians are […]
Politics is a tricky business. Being in government is even trickier. But it should be pretty simple. It’s like any other business, isn’t it? It’s all just marketing. You find out what they want, you tell them what you’re going to do, and then you give it to them. So is it […]