Category: Coalition

Is the Quad a Military Alliance? Should It Be?

Commentary The Quad is the Quadrilateral Security Dialog between the United States, Australia, Japan, and India. The group has been denounced by Beijing as “a sinister gang” and an incipient Asian NATO. The latter term has often been applied to it in the media. Is the Quad a military alliance in the making? Should it…


Israeli Government Dissolves Parliament, Calls New Elections

JERUSALEM—Israel’s weakened coalition government decided Monday to dissolve parliament and call a new election, the country’s fifth in three years. The vote, expected later this year, could bring about the return of a nationalist religious government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another prolonged period of political gridlock. In a nationally televised news…


Israel to Dissolve Parliament, Call New Election

JERUSALEM—Israel’s weakened coalition government decided Monday to dissolve parliament and call a new election, the country’s fifth in three years. The vote, expected later this year, could bring about the return of a nationalist religious government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another prolonged period of political gridlock. In a nationally televised news…


David Littleproud Becomes National Party Leader, Says Cutting Emissions Is ‘First Principles’

David Littleproud has been elected as the new leader of the conservative National party after a party room vote on Monday, ousting incumbent Barnaby Joyce and former minister Darren Chester. Senator Perin Davey from New South Wales will be the deputy leader. In his first press conference as leader, Littleproud said the Nationals, which is…


Campaign Promises to Replace Australia’s Chinese-Owned Port

Australia’s governing Liberal-National Party—currently in caretaker mode due to an election—plans to build a new $1.5 billion port facility in the country’s far north city of Darwin to replace an existing China-leased port, the country’s incumbent deputy prime minister has announced. On the campaign trail in Darwin on April 11, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby…


Prime Minister Has ‘Great Trust’ in Quiet Australians, Downplays Poor Polling Results

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is optimistic of his chances at the next federal election—which must be held before the end of May—while downplaying ongoing headlines and poor polling results regarding his government. In an address to the National Press Club on Feb. 1, the prime minister spruiked the government’s record on the economy, and…


Tax Comes to the Frontline of Australia’s Election Race

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has returned from sick leave after being diagnosed with COVID-19 to promote the coalition government’s record on tax cuts, highlighting the significant difference with Labour’s policies as the federal election is approaching. However, shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers has said that Frydenberg’s push for the liberal party was a scare campaign, reasoning that…


Domestic Violence Commissions Proposals by the Government and Labor

The federal government and the opposition have both promised to create a commissioner to oversee the prevention of domestic violence against women and children. The Coalition will spend $22.4 million (US$16.1 million) over the next five years on a commission to look at domestic, family and sexual violence under the next national plan to protect…


Australian PM Says Federal Government Not in Favour of States Vaccination Mandates

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that the Coalition government does not support vaccination mandates used by the Australian state governments to incentivise the uptake of the COVID-19 inoculations. The statement came while he was touring the Tooheys brewery in Sydney on Thursday. He had been speaking about the anti-vaccine-mandate protests in Melbourne, stressing the…


Germany’s SPD Wants to Start Coalition Talks This Week

BERLIN—Germany’s Social Democrats, who narrowly won Sunday’s national election ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, said on Tuesday they hoped to talk to the Greens and Free Democrats later this week about forming a three-way government. The Greens and the liberal FDP, who are far apart on many issues have said they will first consult…