Publication

Australia and India are natural partners. It is therefore baffling, frustrating and worrying that the relationship continues to fall short of a truly strategic partnership – by which I mean a relationship in which each country contributes greatly to the other’s resilience and strength. Our nations are multicultural democracies facing shared hopes and challenges in the Asian century. The new India’s human capital, growth and buzzing spirit of enterprise is a perfect match for Australia’s unique combination of resources, development and proximity. We are neighbours in the Indian Ocean. What keeps us apart? In recent years it has been a mixture of flawed policy and flawed perception, especially on the vexed issues of student welfare and uranium, that have stood in the way.