The essays in this publication address contemporary developments in public sector financial management in Australia and overseas, changing political processes in Queensland and the Commonwealth, and public governance and administration reform trajectories in Australia and internationally.

The 2021 Lowy Institute Poll, conducted at this remarkable moment, captures unprecedented shifts in Australian views of the world around us, including about the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States, China and climate change.

The Sustainable Development Report 2021 presents the SDG Index and Dashboards for all UN member states, outlines the short-term impacts of COVID-19 on the SDGs, and describes how the SDGs can frame the recovery.

This paper examines some of the measures that countries are taking to reduce their ties to China. It argues that China is becoming increasingly isolated from developed countries, which places its economy at further risk, and has the potential to derail Xi Jinping plans to rejuvenate China.

China’s aggressive and confrontational policies have seen many countries come together to counter its mercenary expansionism in terms of territory, trade and commerce, military capacity and political influence, writes Lindsay Hughes.