A former New Zealand diplomat says a new Australian foreign affairs white paper could foster instability in the Pacific.
Michael Powles, senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies Photo: Victoria University
But Michael Powles, who is a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University in Wellington, says this would amount to an attempt to recolonise the region, and would not be welcomed by many Pacific nations.
He says if the suggestions were implemented they could have a destabilising effect on the region.
"The anger on the part of many people in the region at being treated in this kind of way could lead to quite strong resistance and, as I say, it could be de-stabilising and so that would have an effect of adversely impacting on security rather than securing security, which is presumably the objective of the offer. "