The Year in Review: Foreign affairs, cancel culture and how Labor governs

In this episode of the New Politics podcast – our final review of the events of 2025 – we look at the accelerating decay of US democracy under Donald Trump’s return to the White House and what it means for Australia’s foreign policy, sovereignty, AUKUS, and our increasingly fragile rules-based order. Trump’s sweeping authoritarianism, tariffs, mass deportations, human-rights rollbacks and erratic diplomacy have reshaped global politics – yet Australia spent most of 2025 obsessing over whether Anthony Albanese could secure a meeting with him, instead of confronting the deeper strategic question: how does Australia protect its national interest when the United States is in institutional freefall? We examine Australia’s continued dependence on US security guarantees, raising the fundamental question of whether Canberra has any real “sovereign choices” left. The government doubled down on the alliance just as US democracy faltered, failing to diversify towards Asia, Europe or the Global South.

We also look at the spiralling cost and secrecy of AUKUS, with Australia paying $1.3 billion in 2025 for submarines that may never arrive, while Defence Minister Richard Marles fuels outdated “China threat” rhetoric that keeps Australia locked between paranoia and dependency. Fear-based politics expanded into local politics, with NSW and Victoria pushing anti-protest and security-state legislation that erodes civil liberties and undermines democratic norms, backed by questionable ASIO briefings and sensationalist media reporting. Meanwhile, Australia’s mainstream media drifted further into PR-style stenography, illustrated by controversies at the National Press Club and fabricated or misleading reporting around Gaza, Hamas, and national security – deepening public mistrust and diminishing real accountability.

And with Labor still savouring its landslide 2025 federal election victory, we assess whether the government will use its overwhelming mandate to deliver bold reform in 2026, or continue relying on bipartisanship, caution and incrementalism. From climate to housing to integrity, progress has stalled; and Labor’s fraught relationship with the Australian Greens narrows the political imagination further.

Song listing:

1. ‘Let Me Entertain You’, Robbie Williams.

2. ‘Living In America’, James Brown (Mixerm8’s dub version).

3. ‘Swing For The Crime’, Ed Kuepper.

4. ‘Satellite Anthem Icarus’, Boards of Canada.

5. ‘Off The Grid’, Beastie Boys.

6. ‘Yesterday’s Gone’, Beth Orton & William Orbit.