Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has set an ambitious target to reduce the nation’s standing in the international community by almost a third over the next seven months. The Prime Minister hit back at critics who suggested the status abatement target is too high, saying much of the work is already underway. “In just nine … Continue reading
One of the Australian Government’s policies is an April Fools hoax, but they won’t say which one. The Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, made the announcement early this morning, describing the prank as a bit of lighthearted fun. But the news has already caused mass confusion. Many Coalition MPs were themselves caught unawares. “Just one?” one … Continue reading
New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will have to recruit a ministry short of critical experience as hostile ministers close to Julia Gillard refuse to serve under him. Treasurer Wayne Swan, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy have already stepped down, as have Climate Change Minister Greg Combet and Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig. Mr Rudd will have … Continue reading
Australia and the two great powers in Asia, China and Japan – the former already economically dominant, the latter enjoying an unexpected renaissance – depend on each other for their economic and strategic futures. Here the ambassadors of those countries, interviewed in their Canberra offices, speak with rare frankness about how they view the big … Continue reading
Julia Gillard‘s attack on foreign worker visa rorts is jeopardising Australia‘s global standing and risks reinforcing perceptions of racial and religious intolerance. Two of the nation’s most experienced diplomats have also warned Labor that the row over 457 temporary migration visas is undermining its Asian Century strategy. Former Australian ambassador to China Geoff Raby said … Continue reading
Kevin Rudd has been forced to publicly reiterate his support for Julia Gillard after the Prime Minister complained of a caucus whispering campaign against her. The move came as Tony Abbott flagged a change in parliamentary tactics, saying his team would look more like an “alternative government” than an opposition this year. Mr Rudd told … Continue reading
Julia Gillard has waved a final goodbye to the so-called “9/11 decade”, heralding a new age dominated by threats of cyber espionage and traditional great-power conflict. Like her centre-left contemporary Barack Obama, she is moving her party away from the preoccupations her predecessor – Middle Eastern conflicts, ballooning defence and intelligence budgets, an incessant focus … Continue reading
Julia Gillard has kept her lead over Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister in the first opinion poll of the year. The Essential poll, published on Monday, put Ms Gillard nine points ahead of the opposition leader who was rated preferred prime minister by 33 per cent of voters. The coalition’s two-party vote was down … Continue reading
AS Australians yesterday put the final touches on their New Year‘s Eve celebrations, Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott fired the first shots of the 2013 election campaign. In a sign of what is in store for voters this year, the leaders used their New Year messages to pitch their plans to the people. The Prime … Continue reading