Q+A: July 14

David Speers hosts Q+A live from Melbourne this week, as an international focus as the world reels from an assassination and a resignation, while Australia’s focus turns firmly to China and the Pacific.

The shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a towering figure on the international stage, has sent shockwaves around the globe. World leaders have been paying tribute to the politician, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister hailed as one of the country’s most powerful post-war leaders, while Japan is in mourning and trying to determine how such a killing could have happened.

In the UK, an embattled and scandal-plagued Boris Johnson finally resigned as Conservative Party leader but will remain as PM until a successor is chosen. That process appears to be turning increasingly acrimonious, as at least 10 MPs vie for the job, with more challengers expected to emerge. Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considered a front-runner but faces strong opposition in other high-profile candidates including former Health Secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Closer to home, China says the Coalition government was the “root cause” for the spectacular breakdown in relations between Canberra and Beijing and has issued a list of four proposals to get the relationship back on track. Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with her Chinese counterpart on Friday, the first formal meeting between the countries’ foreign ministers since September 2019. The AUKUS deal has been called a “sore point” for China, while some critics say the pact gives Australia a false sense of security. How will Australia manage the competing interests of an increasingly divided global community? Will the new government’s efforts to push back on global superpowers make an impact?

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will fly to Suva for the Pacific Islands forum, expected to focus on China’s increasingly ambitious push to expand ties with the Pacific nations. But the high-stakes meeting comes amid signs of strain within the forum, which has been rocked by the late withdrawal of Kiribati in protest over a leadership tussle in the group.

It’s been a busy few months for Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong, travelling to all corners of the globe since Labor’s election victory in May, signalling a new era in Australia’s foreign relations. How successful will they be in resetting fractured relationships? And just what role will Australia play in our region?

During Anthony Albanese’s recent trip to Europe, he met with French president Emmanuel Macron to repair the damage done over the submarine deal. In Ukraine, he visited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and toured war-torn cities, pledging more financial support for the country’s fight against Russia. But back home, the Prime Minister has been criticised by the Opposition for spending too much time away from Australia.

On the panel are:

Vasyl Myroshnychenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia
Peter Khalil, Labor Member for Wills
George Brandis, Former High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, Academic and author
Hugh White, Professor of Strategic Studies, ANU

8:30pm Thursday on ABC.