'More than an Ally'?: Contemporary Australia-US Relations

With the ascendancy of the Coalition government in 1996 there was a marked shift of emphasis directed to deepening Australia's relations with America. Kelton argues that the Coalition government strategically linked security and economic well-being and that this linking was contextualized by threats both internal and external. It is argued that the government skillfully mediated between international and domestic threats in order to sustain electoral dominance. By deepening the relationship of the US alliance in foreign, trade and defence policies, the Australian government sought to resonate on inherited and conservative perceptions of threat in the domestic environment.In order to demonstrate why, how and with what effect, the book uses six specific cases to demonstrate both the intensity and complexity of dealing with the US. Through these empirical studies the government's approach is examined across trade, security and industry sectors. Though the Howard government adeptly managed the nature of the contribution to US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Australia's participation in Iraq has raised the international threat level for Australia. Further, the negotiations surrounding the Free Trade Agreement revealed the structural fragility of the Australian government's threat mediation choices.This book adds to the current debate as it provides an explanatory framework for understanding the Australian government's choices in its relations with the US across the broader spectrum of security issues.