Short Answer Critical Reviews

Assessment Task 2
Short Answer Critical Reviews
You are required to complete five short answer critical reviews of the news items provided from week 2 to
week 7. An example for week 3 has been provided as a guide. Each short answer critical review should
relate to the news item and required reading for the appropriate week and should consist of around 200 words.
The total words for the completed task should not exceed 1000 words.
The recommended structure is:
 The main topic - what is this news article about?
 The speaker’s thesis - what is the public figure’s position on the main topic?
 The author’s argument - what is the author of this week’s required reading’s main point on this topic?
 Evidence and examples provided to support the author’s argument
 Author’s conclusion on the topic.
You are required to include a reference list and cite in the text of the short answer critical reviews the author,
year and page number/s where your information and ideas come from using the APA (in-text) referencing
system
Week 2 Critical Review
Abbott, T. (2014) Address to the Sydney Institute, 14 November 2014.
Gammage, B. (2011). Fire in 1788: The closest ally. Australian Historical Studies 42(2), 277-288.
In the news article entitled “Address to the Sydney Institute” by (2014), the then prime
minister of Australia has been observed to be discussing on the ways in which the
sustainability can be maintained within the country. The national leader focusses on the
ways and factors that were followed by the indigenous communities that were living in
the country. The leader focusses on the implementation of a sustainable budget in order
to maintain the existence of the indigenous people within Australia. Gammage (2011)
highlights the various disastrous fires that were faced by the residents of Australia had
helped in shaping the future of the country. The author highlights the fact that the year
1788 signified the initial interaction between the indigenous population of Australia and
the other people who had been residing in the country. The article discusses the fact that
the indigenous population within the country had survived the incidents of bushfires by
aligning the vegetation of the country with the direction of the bushfires. This helped
them to forge an alliance with the natural calamity as well (Gammage, 2011, p. 278). This
in turn helped the indigenous communities survive the natural calamity and implement
sustainable growth within the area.
Week 4 Critical Review
Morrison, S. (2018) On The Australia Day Debate, Sunrise, Channel 7, 24 September 2018.
Grehan, H. (2018) First Nations Politics in a Climate of Refusal, Performance Research, 23:3, pp. 7-12.
In a discussion on the Sunrise program of Channel Seven, Scott Morrison (2018) stated
that the Australians should spend a day for the celebration of the indigenous
communities that have been living within the Australian territories. The then Prime
Minister of the country states that it is necessary to recognise the contribution of the
indigenous communities to the development of the nation. The prime minister further
opines that the Australian Day celebrations need not be discontinued in order to dedicate
a day towards the indigenous people who have been living within the country and have
contributed towards the development of the country. Grehan (2018) states that the
people living in the country of Australia tend to put forth a celebration of their cultural
heritage through the purchase of the artwork composed by the members of the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The author however states that
despite the overall progress of the nation, the people of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities are still found to be powerless and at a disadvantageous position as
compared to the other residents of the country. Grehan (2018) highlights the fact that
the leaders of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities should contribute
towards the overall educational development of the country.
Week 5 Critical Review

Morrison, S. (2018) Response to Richard Di Natale question without notice, Question Time, Parliament of Australia, 26
November 2018.
Carson, L. (2011) Dilemmas, disasters and deliberative democracy, Griffith Review Edition 32: Wicked Problems, Exquisite
Dilemmas, May 2011
In the given news article, Morrison (2018) highlights the fact that the kids who have been
living in the country of Australia should be advised to be attending their concerned
schools on a regular basis. The then Prime Minister of the country, Toni Morrison states
that schools should not discriminate among the children while granting them admission.
The prime minister further states that the schools should maintain their status as
educational institutions and should not tend to develop into an institution that resembles
the Parliament of the country. This view is supported by Carson (2011) in his article
entitled “Dilemmas, disasters and deliberative democracy”. In this article the author
highlights the fact that the decision-making on the part of a certain leader depends on
the ability of the person in developing a comparison between the agreement and the
disagreements on a given situation. The author highlights the fact that the Australian
democracy is one of the largest deliberative democracies (Carson, 2011). The
deliberative democracy on the part of the Australian citizens help them to have the rights
of public judgment. The skill of deliberative democracy is built through the development
of the educational backgrounds that are formed through proper education.
Week 6 Critical Review
Turnbull, M and May, T. (2017) Turnbull and May confident of free trade deal, The Guardian, 11 July 2017.
Derek McDougall (2016) Australia and Brexit: Déjà Vu All Over Again? The Round Table, 105:5, 557-572.
In the speech on the trade policies, Turnbull and May (2017) discusses the importance of
the trade relations among Australia and Brexit. Theresa May stated the fact that the
trade relations between Brexit and Australia would tend to help the economic
development of Brexit as a nation altogether. The political leader further stated that this
merger with the EU might seem to be a repeat of the trade relation that led to the
colonization of Australia. McDoughall (2016) argued on the fact that the concerned
activity of maintaining a close relationship with both the EU and the post-Brexit EU would
help the Australian economy. The author tends to argue on the fact that the
implementation of the trade policy might lead to the development of the issues that are
presented due to the incorporation of neoliberalism and globalization within the given
organization. The article further highlights the importance of the maintenance of the
trade relations that need to be maintained by the Australian government in order to deal
with the issues of political-security and economic relations that are maintained by the
organization (McDoughall, 2016, p. 570). The Australian government might further need
to look out for the development of the trade relations with both EU and UK for the
development of the economy of the country.
Week 7 Critical Review
Gillard, J. (2012) In Conversation: Australia in Asian Century White Paper, The Lowy Institute. 21 November 2012.
Johnson, C. et.al. (2010) Australia's Ambivalent Re-imagining of Asia, Australian Journal of Political Science, 45:1, 59-74.
In the discussion with the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute Michael Fullilove, Gillard (2012)
states that the Asian century tends to put forth a high opportunity for the Australian economy. The
Australian politician states that the Asian century is capable of bringing in huge opportunities for the
high amount of economic growth within the country thereby assisting in the overall growth of the
company. The majority of the foreign policies that have been implemented by the Australian
government tends to face a great growth due to the high presence of the scope of growth within the
Asian century. Johnson et.al. (2010) argues that the Australian relations with Asia has resulted in the
discussion on the debates that have been taking place over the factors like the immigration, the national
identity and the economy of the Australian government. The incorporation of the Whitlam government
has led to the constructive nature of the engagement of Australia with the nations of Asia (Johnson
et.al., 2010, p. 71). The attitude that is demonstrated by Australia towards the Asian nations is that of
ambivalence and stems from the historical conditions of the nations. However, Johnson et al. (2010)