Tag: Scott Morrison

Aussie PM Scott Morrison Downplays Party Division on Net-Zero Targets

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has downplayed talk of division within the ranks of the coalition Liberal-National Party on the issue of net-zero carbon emissions commitments. The catalyst for the debate was the Coalition’s candidate for the Queensland seat of Flynn, Colin Boyce, who said on April 26 that there was “wiggle room” in the…


US to Bolster Security Ties With PNG Amid Concerns Over Beijing-Solomons Security Deal

The United States will be looking to increase security ties with Pacific nation Papua New Guinea (PNG)—Australia’s northern neighbour—amid the fallout of a freshly minted agreement between Beijing and the Solomon Islands that could see Chinese troops and weapons stationed in the region. Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state of East Asian and Pacific…


Who Are Australia’s Liberals?

Commentary The 1987 election was the first I took an interest in. Seeing two politicians of conviction, Bob Hawke and John Howard, lay out their vision for this country in a real contest of ideas and philosophies, I became “hooked” on politics. As time went on, I realised that the centre-right Liberal Party had the…


‘Bits and Bytes’: Australian PM Warns Conflict With Beijing Could Be Fought in Cyberspace

A conflict with Beijing will not be limited to tanks and weapons, and instead will encompass a wide array of domains including cyber, according to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The prime minister was responding to questions over Australia’s readiness to confront a more aggressive Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the region, saying the AUKUS…


Australian PM Dismisses Opposition’s Plan to Counter China’s Pacific Engagement

The incumbent Australian Coalition government has panned the opposition Labor Party’s newly released Pacific engagement policy, saying it added “nothing new” to existing initiatives to engage with nations in the region. The Labor Party, on April 26, released its alternative “whole of government effort” Pacific strategy amid ongoing concerns about a security deal between the…


‘Nothing New’: Australian PM Pans Opposition’s Pitch to Up Pacific Engagement

The incumbent Australian Coalition government has panned the opposition Labor Party’s newly released Pacific engagement policy, saying it added “nothing new” to existing initiatives to engage with nations in the region. The Labor Party, on April 26, released its alternative “whole of government effort” Pacific strategy amid ongoing concerns about a security deal between the…


Australian PM Says Chinese Military Base in the Solomons Would Cross ‘Red Line’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a military base in the Solomon Islands would be the “red line” for Australia following recent revelations that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had signed a security deal with Pacific nation that could open the door for Beijing to station troops and weapons in the region. Morrison’s comments comes after…


Federal Opposition Defends Political Attack Ads Called ‘Racist’ By Treasurer

The federal opposition of Australia is standing by a political attack ad targeting centre-right Coalition MP Gladys Liu amid campaigning for the marginal electorate of Chisholm in Melbourne. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg have criticised the campaign claiming it is “racist”—it comes as Australia-China relations and defence continue to feature heavily in…


Australian First Home Buyer Scheme Expanded With Bipartisan Support

The Australian federal government announced that tens of thousands more citizens would be able to buy a house under its expanded Home Guarantee Scheme. The scheme’s property price caps have been increased across all states and territories and the number of available guarantees has also been increased to a total of 50,000 places a year…


Albanese Fails to Deliver Coup de Grâce for Australian Labor Party

Commentary Australia’s 2022 federal election campaign has formally started. But if the truth be known, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has been running its election campaign for many, many months. To understand the opening gambits of the formal election campaign between the two main parties, it is worth unpacking what the ALP’s spin-team has been…