Newton Cain, Tess (2018) Walking the talk: is Australia's engagement with the Pacific a 'step up' or a stumble? Report. James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia.

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Abstract

The release of Australia's Foreign Policy White Paper late last year had been much anticipated, not least because it was the first such paper in over a decade. Notable was that the Pacific island region (including Timor-Leste) had been accorded a chapter of its own. Responses to this chapter have been mixed. Here, I present my analysis. However, I have extended the lens beyond the 'Pacific chapter' to a consideration of some of the material that appears in other parts of this document. Given that the White Paper is now approaching its first birthday, I have also been able to examine the nature of Australia's engagement with our region since its publication to see what its impact may have been so far. There are two primary aspects to this analysis. The first is that an entrenched approach of Pacific exceptionalism leads to engagement that is of a secondary and, often, inferior nature. Secondly, I identify two assumptions that appear to underpin the 'Pacific chapter' of the White Paper, which may prove to be flawed. If this proves to be the case, they may be a cause for more missteps for Australia, in a region where political and diplomatic performance are already often lacking.

Item ID:	55672
Item Type:	Report (Report)
ISBN:	978-0-9954471-3-4
Keywords:	Pacific Islands; Foreign Policy White Paper; governance; policy; development
Copyright Information:	Walking the Talk is licenced by James Cook University for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence. For licence conditions see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Date Deposited:	22 Oct 2018 23:51
FoR Codes:	16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1606 Political Science > 160606 Government and Politics of Asia and the Pacific @ 90% 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1699 Other Studies in Human Society > 169905 Studies of Pacific Peoples Societies @ 10%
SEO Codes:	94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9402 Government and Politics > 940299 Government and Politics not elsewhere classified @ 30% 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9403 International Relations > 940304 International Political Economy (excl. International Trade) @ 20% 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9401 Community Service (excl. Work) > 940115 Pacific Peoples Development and Welfare @ 50%
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