14. Australia in the world

Snapshot: The 2004 tsunami—aid responsibilities vs ‘national interests’
Continuity and change: Australia’s historical alliances—The Howard era: changing meanings of ‘national interest’?—Australia internationally

1. Discuss the expansion of foreign policy to include issues such as human rights and environmental concerns. What developments have contributed to this new understanding of foreign policy?

2. Discuss the Australian response to the 2004 tsunami crisis. What does this case study illustrate about the need to balance aid responsibilities with the so-called national interest in terms of foreign policy?

3. Discuss the reasons behind the shifts in Australia’s foreign policy alliances. What are some of the reasons for the increasingly close relationship between Australian and the US?

4. How have issues such as the David Hicks case influenced or been influenced by Howard Government foreign policy?

5. The authors suggest that the meaning of ‘national interest’ underwent a change under Howard. What are some examples of this?

6. Do you think that Australia’s international reputation has been bolstered or damaged by Howard-era foreign policies? What kind of departures do you see the new Rudd government making from these policies?

7. Discuss the response of the Howard government to the criticisms made of it by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Do you agree that the CERD should focus only on nations where ‘egregious breaches of human rights’ occur? Or do you think that all nations, including Australia, should be under scrutiny?

Resources

DFAT page on Australia and the United Nations: Human Rights

The Lowy Institute for International Policy

The Australian Institute of International Affairs