Shevaun Grant

joined The Australia Times in 2013. She studied political science at the University of Melbourne and has political interest ranging from Australian politics and policy to international law and politics. Shevaun writes mainly about domestic political issues and along side working with The Australia Times is currently studying a Juris Doctor

The Sporadic US Nominee System: Part 1, Who Can Vote? By John Atherton

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Prior to the US presidential election are each party’s primaries, where candidates seek to become the Democratic or Republican nominee. These parties are able to choose their voting method within a broad legal framework varying it on a state by state basis. As a result the terminology surrounding elections and the variety of what that terminology means can become quickly confusing.

This article serves as a brief guide to the variety of these voting methods and their consequences, and their impact on a system seeking democratic representation. In brief there are four main considerations; delegates, the voting method, who can vote and how that vote is allocated.

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Bauxite could be Turnbull’s Chance to get Australia Back in the Saddle for Environment

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By Brandon Taylor

From anyone with a hint of environmentalism in their blood one could almost hear a collective sigh of relief when Tony Abbott stepped down from his post as Australian Prime Minister.  Hopes were lifted as climate change realist Malcolm Turnbull rose to the occasion, but are already fading to disappointment as he backpedals away from his former stance in opposition to climate change.

Having supported the feasibility of making Australia a 100% renewable energy nation in 2010 and decrying Australia’s Direct Action policy on climate change as “fiscal recklessness on a grand scale,” Turnbull is known as a champion for change.  He has, however, softened from advising a true transition away from fossil fuels to less holistic tactics like using clean coal and planting trees. Activists were aghast when they heard the new poster boy for fighting climate change chant that there is “a strong moral case” for supporting coal exports and the building of coal mines. The streak of pragmatic escapism may be a skin-deep effort to widen his appeal as PM, but it has cost him some public confidence and has cost the environment a staunch supporter.

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) coming up in November (and droughts hitting Australia harder than ever) it could easily be said that both Turnbull and Australia have some ground to make up on the climate change front.

This will require a two-pronged approach: on one hand, pushing for the full implementation of international environmental standards and increasing the share of renewables in the country’s power mix, but on the other hand, deploying foreign policy that convinces Australia’s neighbours to match its environmental efforts.

As editor for Malaysian environmental news website Clean Malaysia, I’ve been surprised at how strong the ties between Kuala Lumpur and Australia have become.  Malaysia is now Australia’s second-largest trading partner in ASEAN, and total merchandise trade between Australia and Malaysia in 2014 was A$17.5 billion.  A 2007 report by the Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade noted that the relationship between Australia and Malaysia has evolved from one of distant support to “one of wide-ranging and extensive collaboration across all fields” – fact laid bare by the joint efforts for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 and Australia’s push for prosecuting the parties responsible for the downing of MH17.

This burgeoning relationship offers great potential for joint progress on the environmental front as well.  Interestingly enough, that opportunity lies within an industry that has been a source of financial tension between the two countries – the bauxite trade. 

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