The Australian government’s senior bureaucrats have parachuted a former top public servant who was a key figure in the illegal debt recovery scheme Robodebt into a new job that comes with a $ 900,000-a-year salary. Top politicians managed to appoint Kathryn Campbell, former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades (DFAT), as an…
Australia’s Penny Wong Meets Beijing’s Wang Yi Over Trade, Security and Democracy Issues During ASEAN Meetings
Penny Wong, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, met with Wang Yi, Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, on July 13 and raised her concerns over various issues, including trade impediments, consular cases, human rights, and Hong Kong. During the meeting, which took place on the margins of ASEAN-related meetings in Jakarta,…
Australia Did Not Act in the ’Spirit of Friendship’ With Timor Leste
Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, has conceded that past government actions towards Timor Leste, particularly over the Greater Sunrise gas and oil project, were not accomplished“in the spirit of friendship.” Ms. Wong’s comments come days after former East Timor (Timor Leste) independence fighter Xanana Gusmao was sworn in as prime minister following his party’s election…
Australia, Canada, UK Call For Middle East Peace Amid Palestine-Beijing Talks
The foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, and the UK have issued a joint statement calling for the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Palestine and the creation of a Palestinian state. The leaders called on the Israeli government to reverse its approval of 5,700 new settlement units in the West Bank on June 26. “The…
Which Australian MP Does ChatGPT Consider ‘Controversial?’
Australian right-leaning politicians appear to fare poorly when put to the test under the AI-powered ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. The emergence of ChatGPT, a widely accessible AI-powered tool that can engage the public in all sorts of conversations, has spurred questions over the truthfulness and possible left or right-wing bias of chatbots. Chatbots work by trawling…
Australia Appoints Former Ambassador to Afghanistan for Counter-Terrorism
Australia has announced the appointment of the country’s next Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. “Today I announce the appointment of Mr. Richard Feakes as Australia’s next Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on May. 25. “Australia’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism is responsible for leading our international engagement on counter-terrorism, including at international…
Australia Providing Phillipines with Drones, Training, and Tech as China Belligerence Continues
Australia will provide the Philippines with drone equipment, training, and other technology to strengthen its Coast Guard maritime domain, awareness, and protection capabilities. The announcement follows a visit to the Philippines by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on May 18 and comes as the Southeast Asian nation is engaged in an increasingly hostile maritime dispute…
Around 36 Australians Evacuated Amid Sudan Civil Strife
Thirty-six Australians have been rescued by the Australian air force, along with dozens of citizens from 15 partner nations, as part of an international effort to evacuate citizens from Sudan. It comes after the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan warned that fighting between rival groups could spark a humanitarian catastrophe. The Minister for Foreign Affairs…
Rules, Bilateral Ties the Key to Dealing With Beijing Challenge: Australian Foreign Minister
A strong rules-based order bound by bilateral ties is key to dealing with challenges from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and North Korea, says Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Wong warned that the Indo-Pacific faced a critical test from powers wishing to create a “closed, hierarchical region where the rules are dictated by a single…
Shadow Indigenous Minister Quits Cabinet Over Liberal’s Voice Stance
An Australian Liberal shadow minister has resigned from his position to support The Voice referendum. On April 11, Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser announced that he had quit the shadow cabinet to campaign for a “yes” vote on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. This comes after the Opposition Leader Peter…
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