Australian foreign policy under the Albanese government

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.