Greg Earl

Feb 27, 2025 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

Taking a sliceJust over a century ago the classic Australian children’s book The Magic Pudding was published reputedly as an antidote to both conventional fairy tales and the Great War food shortages. But the story of a pudding that renews itself after each slice is carved off has over time also become an allegory for the risks of relying on one funding source for multiple government ambitions.

Nov 14, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

Teams apartTreasurer Jim Chalmers says economic policy and foreign policy is now a team effort in the Albanese government, to the point that “they’re almost indistinguishable”. Chalmers’ speech to the Australian Institute of International Affairs annual outlook conference this week arguably marked the rhetorical high point of the government’s embrace of statecraft joining up these policy arms, which has flowed through development aid, renewable energy, and defence policy shifts, among others.

Nov 13, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

Teams apartTreasurer Jim Chalmers says economic policy and foreign policy is now a team effort in the Albanese government, to the point that “they’re almost indistinguishable”. Chalmers’ speech to the Australian Institute of International Affairs annual outlook conference this week arguably marked the rhetorical high point of the government’s embrace of statecraft joining up these policy arms, which has flowed through development aid, renewable energy, and defence policy shifts, among others.

Oct 30, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

OutmodedWith the US presidential election sparking all sorts of debate about the future of the erstwhile bastion of global democracy, it is little appreciated what a bad year it has been for old guard forces in the region closer to Australia. Sheikh Hasina might have scripted yet another victory against a largely non-competing opposition in Bangladesh in January. But the frustration and ill-feeling that this left behind meant she had to abandon the country within seven months.

Oct 22, 2024 | publicaccountant.com.au | Greg Earl

The Asian Development Bank has certainly not chosen a TikTok-grabbing theme for its latest bout of navel gazing by committing to “Solving challenges together, connecting the region, and empowering people for dynamic economies and a healthy planet.” However, the recently released mid-term review of the ADB’s Strategy 2030 – which was unveiled in rosier global times in 2018 – provides a good summary of how things have changed across all international development agencies after Covid and...