File(s) under permanent embargo
The Abbott government and the Islamic State: a securitised and elitist foreign policy discourse
journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-01, 00:00 authored by Peter Mulherin, Benjamin IsakhanBenjamin IsakhanThis article analyses the foreign policy discourse that surrounded the Abbott government’s 2014 decision to fight the Islamic State (IS). An analysis of parliamentary Hansard reveals that the debate featured three prominent axes: the legacy of the 2003 Iraq War; the strategies and objectives of the 2014 mission; and Australia’s domestic terror threat level. Throughout, the Abbott government not only marginalised dissenting views, but also justified its renewed engagement in the Middle East via a highly securitised and elitist foreign policy discourse. This finding has consequences beyond the battle against the IS. It reveals a deep-seated tension between the ideals of democratic pluralism and the reality that securitised and elitist foreign policy discourses protect governments from serious scrutiny.
History
Journal
Australian journal of political scienceVolume
54Issue
1Pagination
82 - 98Publisher
Taylor & FrancisLocation
Abingdon, Eng.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1036-1146eISSN
1363-030XLanguage
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2018, Australian Political Studies AssociationUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC