{"id":8433,"date":"2013-08-15T13:00:11","date_gmt":"2013-08-15T03:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=8433"},"modified":"2013-08-16T09:17:43","modified_gmt":"2013-08-15T23:17:43","slug":"a-long-list-australias-future-foreign-policy-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/a-long-list-australias-future-foreign-policy-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"A lengthy list: Australia’s future foreign policy challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"dfat-countries-signpost\"<\/a>But for the attention certain to be given to the issue of asylum seekers, it is unlikely that foreign policy will play much of a role in the forthcoming election campaign. That\u2019s regrettable, as there are several international issues and relationships that could well be handled differently depending on who wins the approaching poll. The full extent of the differences is difficult to articulate as neither Labor nor the Coalition has yet released its policy platform, but already there\u2019s been enough in various statements by the leaders, ministers and shadow ministers to indicate that there\u2019s certain to be a measure of product differentiation.<\/p>\n

While policy change is likely, there\u2019s often strong continuity in the conduct of Australian foreign policy. Incoming governments inherit a policy legacy and are also successors to an Australian foreign policy tradition\u2014a national style of acting in international relations. The legacy and the style can change over time, but initially they can act as constraints on policy innovation and reform. The style is by definition more enduring, so we can expect the incoming government to act in some wholly familiar ways. For example, it will remain committed to Australia\u2019s strong tradition of alignment in international affairs; sustain a wide network of relationships across the globe and in multilateral organisations; emphasise the importance of engagement with the countries of the Asia\u2013Pacific; and seek to address global and regional problems practically as a contribution to problem solving. It will also demonstrate, in JDB Miller\u2019s rich morsel of a phrase, a certain \u2018dogged low\u2011gear idealism\u2019\u2014in more recent parlance, good international citizenship in the conduct of our foreign relations.<\/p>\n

My chapter in ASPI’s new Strategy paper Agenda for change<\/a><\/em>, however, is less about trying to predict the things an incoming government might do than seeking to explore the issues that arguably should receive priority on the foreign policy agenda. Central among them are:<\/p>\n