When the Rudd Labor government was elected two years ago, there were high hopes that it would leave behind the more negative foreign policies of its predecessor Howard coalition government. What we have, though, is a foreign policy shambles.
Howard government
Climate change: the Coalition’s new Hansonism
There’s a number of similarities between Howard-era Hansonism and climate denialism, but the biggest similarity is that both mean big trouble for the Coalition.
Guy Rundle: The long, plodding March of Patriots
Guy Rundle reviews Paul Kelly’s new book, The March of Patriots: the literary equivalent of cleaning out the garage on a grey Saturday afternoon.
Let’s not abandon them to die at sea
Another boat has sunk, leaving desperate asylum seekers to drown in their attempts to get a better life. Amongst all the tough talking and negotiations with Indonesia, we mustn’t forget ourselves as a civilised nation, writes Tony Kevin.
Costello: I agree with Rudd on refugees, stand tough
It’s easy to criticise government policy on asylum seekers from the comfort of your middle class life, which will never see the inside of a leaky boat. We need to take a clear stand against people smugglers, says Peter Costello.
ASIO can’t be bothered: less accountable, less productive
Despite ASIO’s endlessly increasing budget, its latest annual report shows an organisation doing less work and being less accountable — even the report itself is lazily cobbled together.
My shovel’s better than yours: Rudd v Howard on infrastructure
Federal politicians are falling over themselves to claim credit for spending taxpayer’s money on infrastructure, writes Alan Moran. Too bad public projects are never judged with the same rigor as private projects.
Throwing Australian liberalism a lifeline
Liberalism in Australia stagnated under the Howard government, becoming a defender of the status-quo with a stance indistinguishable from conservatism, says Andrew Carr. Embracing a modern liberal revival could help the Libs reach the ever-elusive Gen-Y demographic.
Kevin Andrews: How many more people does Australia need?
Liberal MP and former Minister for Immigration, Kevin Andrews, writes about the need for clear population policy in Australia, in light of our inadequate water supply, congested roads and overcrowded public transport.
Singing from Howard’s hymn book no help to Libs
Opposition parties that have been in government for a long time often take just as long to realise that they are no longer in government and to start behaving accordingly, writes Dr Aron Paul.
The issue is refugees, not boats
If the Left really wants to re-fight and win the asylum seeker issue, they’ll leave the ranting and rhetoric to reactionaries and stop being so easily goaded into elevating the issue into a test of the national character
Guy Rundle: Asylum at last from the sado-conservatives
It’s a measure of how debased Australian politics became in the Tampa years that we can now be surprised that a government would confront its opponents with the fact that they imprisoned children, and score points from it.
Barns: The ALP can’t be trusted on asylum seekers
The ALP’s performance in opposition on the issue of asylum seekers was “weak, gutless and equally odious as that of the Liberal Party”, says Greg Barns — so why should we trust them to be any better now?
Possum: Coalition’s “economic legacy” in tatters
A new Essential Report has found the public have a favourable view of the Rudd government’s economic management, and they’re dismissing every single economic angle the Opposition has been raising as an attack for the past six months.
Meet Alex and Brindha: a media savvy bunch of boat people
The latest onset of asylum seekers isn’t Rudd’s Tampa, because this time the people aren’t out of sight and out of mind of the media. Will it make the public care?
Andrews: Rudd’s people-smuggling policy in tatters
Kevin Rudd was naive to think he could water down Australia’s immigration policies and still discourage people smugglers, says Howard government immigration minister Kevin Andrews. And it is “genuine refugees” who will suffer most as a result.
Bolt: Spin overboard
This is Kevin Rudd’s Tampa, says Andrew Bolt, so why isn’t the media treating him with the same outrage and indignation they did Howard?
Ghosts of SIEV X still shadow the corridors of power
John Howard was full of dark xenophobic attitudes which Kevin Rudd does not share, writes Tony Kevin. But concerned Australians will need to remain vigilant about the future of Australian immigration policies.
Rudd’s refugee solution feeds moral panic
It’s time Kevin Rudd showed some ethical courage by just bringing asylum seekers to the mainland and processing them normally, says Eva Cox.
Crikey Says: Why people smugglers are smug
Why are there suddenly an increase of boat people arriving on our shores? Because they’re all looking to exploit Labor’s bleeding heart and lax immigration laws. Right?
What happened to the NT intervention?
It’s been over two years since the NT intervention barged into indigenous communities with racist practises that wouldn’t be acceptable in non-indigenous Australia, says Alistair Nicholson.
Climate aid to developing nations: what’s in it for us?
In the lead-up to Copenhagen, watch for countries such as Australia to unveil big-dollar commitments of climate aid to developing countries, particularly by proposing a strong “mutual obligation” framework.
Grattan: The ETS boxing match of Turnbull vs. Rudd
The double dissolution ghost is still haunting Malcolm Turnbull, writes Michelle Grattan, even though an early election would mean a shortened second term for Kevin Rudd.
Rudd: Howard wasted his boom time wealth
In PM Kevin Rudd’s latest op-ed, he reaffirms his idea that the Howard Government “squandered” their chance to reform, but assures us his government won’t do the same.
