Australia is spending less on diplomacy than ever before – and its influence is suffering as a result

Ten years ago, the Lowy Institute published a report on the state of Australia’s diplomatic capacity that painted a “sobering picture” of overstretched foreign missions and declining resources.

In the words of then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was quoted in the report:

Given the vast continent we occupy, the small population we have and our unique geo-strategic circumstances, our diplomacy must be the best in the world.

However, since then we haven’t put enough resources into our diplomacy as we should. New research by Asialink at the University of Melbourne published in Australian Foreign Affairs shows continuing under-investment in Australia’s diplomatic capacity, with funding for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) now at a new low of just 1.3% of the federal budget.

read more: http://theconversation.com/australia-is-spending-less-on-diplomacy-than-ever-before-and-its-influence-is-suffering-as-a-result-125722

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