Perched high above Canberra stands a stylised American eagle statue on a towering column. Colloquially derided as the Phallus in Blunderland or the Chicken on a Stick, the Australian-American Memorial was paid for by mid-century Australians “to commemorate the service and sacrifice of American men and women in the defence of Australia” during the second world war. But there is perhaps another way to interpret an 80-metre statue high above Australia’s defence headquarters: that of a malevolent power monitoring a subordinate. For seven decades Australia has sought and found security…
Tag: Canberra
Chris Bowen defends Paul Keating’s meeting with Chinese foreign minister – video
Energy minister Chris Bowen has defended the former Labor prime minister’s plans to meet with China’s Wang Yi, saying it is ‘singularly unsurprising’ that a foreign minister would seek out a meeting with a former PM. ‘Former prime minister Keating is deeply respected across Asia as the man who first pointed out that Australia would seek its security in Asia, not from Asia,’ Bowen said The Guardian
Government ‘appalled’ by suspended death sentence for Australian academic, Penny Wong says – video
Foreign minister Penny Wong says Australian academic Yang Hengjun has received a suspended death sentence in China, an outcome that has ‘appalled’ the Australian government. ‘We understand that this can be committed to a life sentence following two years,’ Wong said. ‘We will be communicating our response in the strongest terms’ The Guardian