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Benjamin Netanyahu isn't much of a fan of Anthony Albanese. In the grand scheme of things, you doubt either man is losing sleep over that.
It's also unlikely to be changing anytime soon, as Australia inches closer to officially recognising a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu hasn't been shy in offering his criticism of the Albanese government's handling of antisemitism within Australia in recent years. Albanese too has been increasingly forceful criticising Netanyahu's government's role in blocking humanitarian aid getting to starving children in Gaza.
You can only imagine what a call between the two men would be like; you could almost hear Albanese asking: "Bibi, you still there?"
That Australia is telegraphing that it wants a call with Netanyahu helps to explain this moment.
Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are getting their ducks in a row. They're telegraphing what's coming and preparing the nation for what will be a historic moment when Australia joins the vast majority of nations in recognising Palestine.
This week they were particularly keen to be seen to be responding, announcing another $20 million in humanitarian aid a day after hundreds of thousands of people took part in pro-Palestine protests across the country.
They were also keen to push back against backbencher Ed Husic's suggestion that the political class had failed to recognise the deep-seated feeling in "middle Australia" about the plight of Gaza.
In recent days, Albanese has spoken with the head of the UN, the French president and the Palestinian Authority leader.
In all calls, recognition was discussed and the leaders agreed to meet on the sidelines of a UN meeting next month, where France, Canada and the UK will recognise Palestine. Australia is all but certain to be alongside them.
Albanese believes in institutions and conventions. He likely views it as his responsibility to raise Palestinian recognition directly with Netanyahu before making the public commitment.
The Coalition insists it should come at the end of the peace process, Labor says recognition delivers peace. Wong goes further and argues there will soon be no Palestine left to recognise if things continue as they are.
As Netanyahu plots his next moves, children in Gaza continue to starve, something even Opposition Leader Sussan Ley was willing to recognise this week
, having tied herself in knots over it last week.
Ultimately, it's a matter for Netanyahu if he takes a call from Australia or not. But call or not, this train is in motion. Albanese is headed to Recognitionville and it's a one-way trip.
The only question that remains is the train's ETA.
A frigate of a task to defy history
It takes a bold minister to claim any project will be delivered on time and on budget.
When it's the defence minister, it takes boldness to new levels. Just look at the
basket case that is the Hunter frigate project that Labor inherited.
Ordered in 2018, the first of the warships won't be operational until at least 2034, and are likely to cost $7 billion each.
That brings us to this week and the announcement that Japan beat Germany to supply 11 warships
under a $10 billion defence contract, which came about after a review recommended reducing the number of Hunter frigates Australia intended to buy. While not Hunter level expensive, the Mogami was more expensive that the German option.
Defence Minister Richard Marles repeatedly argued the Japanese version, a stealthy frigate with greater firepower and smaller crewing requirements, was the ideal fit for Australia's needs.
It's certainly not without risks though.
The next generation version that Australia will acquire is yet to be in the water. There are 11 earlier models that are operational and these are around 90 per cent like the ones Australia will get.
To mitigate delays, the government has specified that there be no changes to the design. Except there will be translations into English for the combat system, which seems wise.
Such was the competition for the contract, Japan allocated vessels from its production line to go to Australia that were otherwise earmarked for its own military.
That production schedule gives the government confidence that the first of the ships will arrive in Australia in 2029.
Hearing that the first of those ships will be delivered this decade almost induced whiplash. The deal sees Japan construct the first three before production switches to Western Australia for the rest.
It could well prove that the greater risk is on Australia's side, with the government recognising the scale of work needed to get the Henderson shipyards ready
for the build.
If it's not ready in time, Japan seems on board to continue supplying warships to Australia. But given how much the government has framed this contract around domestic manufacturing and sovereign capability, being unable to meet the local build commitment would be no small failure.
It would also be very on brand for defence procurement.
A curious case of the commissioner in the night
As the typical Canberra evening winter chill was setting in on Friday, speculation was in overdrive, so much so that even a senator was posting a cryptic message.
"I can feel the cool, cleansing, winds of change blowing down Kings Ave, Canberra tonight," David Shoebridge posted at 6:10pm.
Kings Avenue in Canberra is home to the Australian Federal Police.
In the hours before his post, phones in the capital were abuzz amid speculation the nation's top cop would be soon leaving his post. You could sense the glee in Shoebridge's fingers as he tapped out his post, eager to see the back of a man he has
repeatedly clashed with in recent years.
By 6:31pm, the AFP issued a statement to the ABC that only fuelled speculation about Reece Kershaw's future.
"Commissioner Kershaw has not submitted his resignation and the AFP has no further comment at this stage," the statement read.
The word "submitted" was doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Efforts to rouse a response from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were futile, with no replies forthcoming. By Monday, it was one big happy family as Albanese, Burke, Kershaw and deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett were all smiles as they appeared at a press conference in the PM's courtyard.
We're told that "some weeks earlier" Kershaw requested a meeting with Burke without staff present, during which he told the minister of his plans to retire early.
It's curious timing since it was only last year that the government extended Kershaw's tenure for another two years, which would have seen him remain with the AFP until October next year
.
But on Monday he told reporters he needed to spend more time with his family.
Kershaw's time at the head of the AFP has not been without controversy, including his handling of the Dural caravan saga. He's also faced criticism for evidence he has given to Senate estimates
and faced questions about the culture within NT Police, which he led before being appointed to the AFP in 2019.
Little time has been spent on why the commissioner is suddenly retiring from the AFP with the focus instead on Barrett's appointment as his replacement in October
.
Barrett's story is the thing of dreams for a government. Having started as an admin assistant in Melbourne at 21, she has risen the ranks and will become the 9th AFP commissioner.
Lauded for her work in the Bali Bombing investigations and for work in the Solomon Islands, the PM and Burke said she was the only contender for the top job.
Being the first woman, she will spend the next five years walking along a high wire, facing greater scrutiny than any of the men who came before her.
But two things can be true at once.
Questions can continue to be asked about why a change at the top has suddenly occurred, without taking away from her deserved and historic appointment. |
