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Engaging an Elephant in the Room? Locating Africa in Australian Foreign Policy
Author(s) -
Mickler David,
Pijovic Nikola
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australian journal of politics and history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 23
eISSN - 1467-8497
pISSN - 0004-9522
DOI - 10.1111/ajph.12089
Subject(s) - commonwealth , democratization , political science , politics , boom , foreign policy , government (linguistics) , corporate governance , political economy , aside , colonialism , stalemate , development economics , democracy , public administration , economics , law , management , linguistics , philosophy , environmental engineering , engineering , art , literature
Africa has traditionally been marginal to the Australian foreign policy agenda, aside from British colonial and Commonwealth ties and later efforts to end minority rule in southern Africa. Yet a resources boom, strong economic growth, increasing democratisation and reformed governance institutions have created new international interests in engaging with Africa and made it difficult for aspiring global players like Australia to ignore the continent's opportunities and challenges. Under Labor (2007–13), Canberra pursued substantial “new engagement” with this “new Africa”, enhancing political and diplomatic relations, supporting major Australian commercial interests and quadrupling the Africa aid budget. Following the election of the Abbott Coalition government in September 2013, the article argues that while commercial opportunities and some specific security and humanitarian concerns will keep the Coalition interested in Africa, the enhanced level of engagement with the continent pursued under Labor is unlikely to be sustained.