centre-heracles.s3.amazonaws.com/874/d1e/c34/874d1ec348630c94f7796a1d02c7f2ba2279d350e5b888c37f00fb8a5fa0/2018%2010%2016%20Fifth%20Estate%20Foreign%20Affairs%20Stephen%20Smith%20for%20Web%20(Photo%20by%20Scott%20Limbrick)%20for%20Web.jpg">

Sally Warhaft and Stephen Smith — Photo: Scott Limbrick

As we hurtle towards the end of 2018, it’s clear we’ve entered a period of increased volatility and uncertainty in global relations. The world's two major powers are locked in a trade war, the European Union is looking decidedly shaky and much of the Middle East is still mired in conflict, partly due to the interventions of powers outside the region. How can Australia negotiate this shifting and unpredictable landscape? And what's our place in it?

In this Fifth Estate conversation, Sally Warhaft discusses these questions with former Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith. During his political career, Smith has held a range of other portfolios that make him uniquely placed to comment on Australia’s strategic priorities and predicaments, including stints as Minister for Trade and Shadow Minister for Immigration. Today, he’s a professor of international law at University of Western Australia.

Together, they explore Australia’s place in a changing region and a changing world. What are the new security challenges? And how can we nurture friendships within the region, while staying on good terms with our increasingly erratic old allies?