Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Foreign and defence policy
suggests that the ‘dramatic shift from state-centric diplomacy and the rise of nonstate
challenges has meant foreign policy must be dealt with thematically’. 5
The 10 themes treated here are grouped under four sections. The first section,
‘contexts’, looks at: foreign and defence policy machinery, Labor versus Liberal
Party policy traditions, and liberal internationalism; all of which set the stage for
Australian policy engagement. The second section investigates three core platforms
of foreign policy engagement: economic diplomacy, defence strategy and nontraditional
security. The following section concentrates on Australia’s regionalist
policies through Asian engagement and foreign aid. The final section considers
Australia’s relations with the two superpowers in the Asia-Pacific: China and the
USA, before offering conclusions. These themes interrelate and overlap, and should
be considered as such – they are presented separately for analytical convenience
and do not reflect any order of priority.
Section 1: Contexts
Australia’s foreign and defence policy machinery
Australian foreign and defence policy making primarily resides within three major
organs: the Prime Minster and Cabinet (PM&C), the Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Defence (DoD). At the apex of policy
making, the government, headed by the prime minster and their foreign and
defence ministers, as well as other portfolios, will normally play a significant role
in shaping policy directions. Indeed, with the ongoing trend towards a more
‘presidential’ system of government, power has become more concentrated in the
PM&C. Yet prime ministers have varied in their inclination and ability to put their
stamp on foreign and defence issues. For example, at one end of the spectrum was
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who effectively usurped the role of his foreign minister
during his tenure, while his successor Julia Gillard, who had scant interest or
experience in foreign affairs, found herself substantially delegating to her ministers
(including her foreign minster: Kevin Rudd!). Indeed, the relationship between the
prime minister and their foreign ministers has been a key aspect in executing a
harmonious and cohesive foreign policy posture, with great combinations such as
Prime Minister Paul Keating and Foreign Minister Gareth Evans juxtaposed with
highly fractious ones such as Prime Minister Gillard and Foreign Minister Rudd.
The National Security Committee of Cabinet (NSC) is the peak decision and
policy-making body for security. It conducts high-level consultations aimed at
shaping and implementing broader security policy and brings together the prime
minister, relevant ministers, PM&C, heads of the Australian Defence Force (ADF)
and key national intelligence organisations (Office of National Intelligence [ONI],
5 Beazley 2017, vii (emphasis added).
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