Ep. 4: Change at the top; Huawei and 5G, PM Morrison to Indonesia

In this fourth episode, Allan and Darren discuss how the chaos that led to Scott Morrison replacing Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister may affect Australian foreign policy, both in terms of overall policy direction and how Australia is perceived abroad. They also discuss the impact of leadership change on Australia’s foreign policy bureaucracy, before reflecting on Julie Bishop’s legacy as foreign minister. The other major event from the past few weeks was the Australian government’s effective ban of Chinese company Huawei from participating in the construction of the forthcoming 5G telecommunications network. Allan and Darren discuss the processes and inputs to this decision, including the role of the National Security Committee of Cabinet, as well as the Chinese reaction.  The two then discuss new Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s trip to Indonesia, in particular why he would have chosen to travel so soon after becoming Prime Minister, and then finally they cover the White House’s decision for Donald Trump not to attend upcoming regional summits in Asia.  As always, our thanks go to AIIA interns Stephanie Rowell and Mani Bovell, Martyn Pearce of the ANU’s Crawford School, Rory Stenning for composing our theme music, and AIIA CEO Melissa Conley-Tyler.