Australian foreign policy under the Albanese government

The first anniversary of the Albanese Government in office provides an opportunity for a critical assessment of its foreign policy direction and impact from a community perspective.

Australia’s multicultural communities and diasporas are watching carefully and hoping that positive change is possible in a deliberative democracy.

The first conclusion is that we have a new Australian government but the foreign and defence policies and ideology remain unchanged and elitist in a post-truth age in global politics.

The foreign policy priority of the Albanese Government has been on maintaining so called ‘genuine partnerships’ in the Indo-Pacific. In particular, continuation without scrutiny of the foreign policy priorities of the Morrison government including AUKUS and the Quad and the deadly proxy war in Ukraine. Strong emphasis has been placed on strengthening security ties with the Anglo-American empire to exclusion of all other legitimate options.

A positive development has been the warming of ties with our biggest trading partner China and the expansion of links with India and the Pacific.

Australia paid a huge price for the reckless anti-China policies and rhetoric of the Morrison Government working under instructions from war hawks in Washington D.C.   The short, medium and long term impact of these policies have yet to be measured rigorously from an economic and strategic perspective.

Our reputation, soft power and image as a ‘good international citizen’ has suffered as a result of arrogance of power by the Coalition and now by Albanese government.  There is something Orwellian with the Albanese Government which treats new despots unequally. American, UK, EU and Indian leaders are never questioned whereas others receive harsh sanctions, boycotts and war.

Foreign Minister Wong has been given more power, energy and prestige than her predecessor Senator Payne. 

After a Capability Review, DFAT has been given more resources to partly make up for the drastic funding and policy cuts of the previous regime. It has also become more integrated with the Department of Defence.  

Effort is underway by talented foreign policy experts like Melissa Conley Tyler to reimagine a new Australian foreign policy that integrates all the arms of statecraft including foreign affairs, defence and international development assistance.

Academics and some think tanks are busy trying to assist the Albanese Government to develop robust and coherent foreign policy. Sadly, the perfidious military-industrial complex from the US and  the UK have way too much influence over Australian foreign policy. Every foreign policy problem has a defence solution which costs staggering amounts of money for dubious projects.

How many times does Australia need to raise its debt ceiling and avoid becoming an unsustainable and bankrupt country like the US especially with the ever expanding de-dollarisation?

The Australian media has deteriorated further by not asking difficult foreign policy and defence questions. Even our ABC has been transformed into a propaganda arm of government, the defence industry profiteers and unelected warmongering oligarchs who use propaganda to defocus our critical thinking capabilities and rising debts.

The Australian Parliament has also failed in its duty to properly scrutinise, debate and assess whether the old foreign policy strategy and behaviour is fit for purpose in a fast changing multipolar, digital world?  Nothing should be off the table for democratic debate. Resources must be devoted towards reassessing our foreign policies.

Sadly, there is an absence of debate on what role has the Biden Administration had in setting Ukraine up for a war with Russia via neglect of Minsk Agreements in 2014; the blowing up of the North Stream Pipeline by the US and the prevention of Ukraine from considering peace proposals from China or anyone else.

Australian foreign policy fails the good policy evidence test due to lack or transparency and rigor in public decision making. Australian foreign policy is rarely based on reliable evidence and consultations with all key stakeholders.  Australian foreign policy making can benefit from the benchmarking criteria developed by Ken Wiltshire from the University of Queensland.  In particular, he asks: Was there a need and what factual evidence existed for the policy? What public interest objectives is the policy serving? What alternative solutions were considered and what were the advantages and disadvantages? What stakeholders were consulted before making the policy? Was the legislation adequately debated before it got passed? Is there sufficient official information online about the policy?  Australian citizens have a right to know how our foreign policies are made and who benefits?  Citizens will reject foreign policy decisions made secretly and without due democratic processes and accountability.

Australian Macedonians expect the Albanese Government to do a better foreign policy development and implementation job.  The Macedonian community is deeply alarmed that since 1994, Australia has failed to develop a fair, just, ethical, evidence based and sustainable policy towards the Republic of  Macedonia and the Macedonian people. Instead, it has blindly followed the instructions and anti-Macedonian policies of reckless Western elites. Macedonia and its people must enjoy equal rights to freedom, democracy, human rights, non-coercion, non-discrimination and pride in their distinct identity and nationhood.