PM Albanese recently travelled to Solomon Islands for the Pacific Islands Forum as well as Vanuatu and PNG. The headlines focused on what didn’t happen – neither an ambitious deal with Vanuatu (Nakamal Agreement) nor a security agreement with PNG were finalised (though the PNG seems close). Today’s episode (recorded 18 Sep) considers these and other stories through the dual lenses of development policy and foreign policy with Bridi Rice, CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab, returning as guest. Development isn’t just isolated acts like building schools and hospitals but is very wide range of actions that are inevitably nested in a strategic context. How do we fit those things together?

Australia in the World is written, hosted, and produced by Darren Lim, with research and editing this episode by Hannah Nelson and theme music composed by Rory Stenning.

Relevant links

Examining 25 years of Australian international spending:

https://www.devintelligencelab.com/budget-lines

On Australian public perception of aid and development:

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australians-ahead-game-aid-debate-mps-should-follow

ANU DevPol Analysis on budget implications:

https://devpolicy.org/burden-shedding-the-unravelling-of-the-oecd-aid-consensus-20250307/

Lydia Khalil et al on democratic erosion:

https://interactives.lowyinstitute.org/features/democratic-erosion/

The FT on AI as the new foreign aid: https://www.ft.com/content/d02eb244-8b48-48b1-bd17-f5e48677e22b

Ezra Klein interviews Ben Shapiro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAqG00FUOK8

“Leave me lonely” by Hilltop Hoods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vak9wUPkL3Q