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Lowy Institute Poll 2025: Sydney Launch — Australia and the new world disorder
The global order is changing — and Australians are taking notice.
In this Sydney discussion, four leading voices examined how Australians are grappling with seismic shifts in the international landscape. Drawing on the findings of the Lowy Institute Poll and a breadth of expertise across diplomacy, journalism, and regional affairs, the panel explored Australian attitudes towards the United States and China, perceptions of security threats, the conflict in Ukraine, Australia's influence in the Pacific, and views on foreign aid and democracy.
The conversation brought together Shadow Assistant Minister and former ambassador Dave Sharma, ABC senior journalist Isabella Higgins, Southeast Asia Program Director Susannah Patton, and Lowy Institute Poll author and Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program Director Ryan Neelam — offering a rare blend of political, media, analytical, and public opinion perspectives on Australia's place in a world in flux.
Dave Sharma is Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and a former Australian Ambassador to Israel. He brings extensive diplomatic experience to debates on Australia's international relationships and strategic outlook.
Isabella Higgins is a senior journalist with the ABC, with extensive experience covering Australian foreign policy, Asia, and international affairs.
Susannah Patton is Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute and Project Lead for the Asia Power Index, with a research focus on Southeast Asia and Australian foreign policy.
Ryan Neelam is Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute, author of the annual Lowy Institute Poll, and a former Australian diplomat who served in Hong Kong and at the United Nations in New York.
Featuring
Dave Sharma
Dave Sharma was a federal member of parliament for the seat of Wentworth from 2019 to 2022 and served as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2017.
Ryan Neelam
Ryan Neelam was Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute. He led the flagship annual Lowy Institute Poll, was project director for the Global Diplomacy Index, and wrote about climate diplomacy and multilateral policy.
Susannah Patton
Susannah Patton is Director, Asia Engagement at RMIT and a Nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute.
