Pride and the alliance: Alan Joyce and Ambassador John Berry (ret'd) in conversation with Annabel Crabb

03/03/23 • 60 min

The United States and Australia both followed circuitous routes to marriage equality. When US Ambassador to Australia John Berry (ret'd) first arrived in Australia in 2013, he was the first openly-gay US ambassador to a G20 country. However, not only was same-sex marriage not legal in Australia, it was not yet legal in all of the United States. In Australia, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce AC was one of the most influential voices in the marriage equality campaign. How have these influential leaders seen LGBTQ+ rights advance in their lifetimes? How did the journey to marriage equality compare between the United States and Australia? What work still needs to be done, and what role can the close US-Australia relationship play?

As Sydney welcomes WorldPride 2023, the United States Studies Centre was honoured to welcome Qantas CEO Alan Joyce AC and former US Ambassador to Australia John Berry in conversation with the ABC’s political commentator Annabel Crabb.

Alan Joyce AC was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Qantas in 2008. Most recently he has led the Group’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, which had a devastating impact on the global aviation industry. As a senior business figure in Australia, Alan is well known for championing inclusion and diversity. He was named a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the Queen’s Birthday 2017 Honours List for his contributions to gender equity, inclusion and diversity, and a supporter of Indigenous education, as well as for his contribution to tourism and aviation. He is a Patron of the Pinnacle Foundation, providing educational scholarships, mentoring and opportunities for young LGBTQ+ people, and is a founding member of Pride in Diversity.

Ambassador John Berry is President of the American Australian Association. He served as United States Ambassador to Australia under President Obama from 2013 to 2016, the first openly-gay person to be appointed and confirmed as US Ambassador to a G20 Nation. Berry led former President Obama’s successful LGBT strategy and was the first openly-gay person confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate as well as the highest-ranking openly-gay person in US history at the time when he was confirmed as Director of the Office of Personnel Management in 2009.

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A conversation with Walter Russell Mead

At his inauguration more than two years ago, President Biden promised that America was back, ready to resume its leadership role in world affairs. But, as a multitude of crises present increasingly complicated policy problems for world leaders, how can the Biden administration hope to manage these tumultuous international relations? What is the United States trying to accomplish in its foreign policy? And why is it that the world seems so constantly unstable and in flux? Understanding US foreign policy and strategy has never been more important.

To discuss these questions the United States Studies Centre was delighted to host foreign policy expert and esteemed academic, Walter Russell Mead in conversation with USSC Professor of US Politics and US Foreign Relations, Brendon O’Connor.

Walter Russell Mead is the Ravenel B. Curry III distinguished fellow in strategy and statesmanship at Hudson Institute, the James Clarke Chace professor of foreign affairs and humanities at Bard College, and the "Global View" columnist at the Wall Street Journal. From 1997 to 2010, Mr Mead was a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, serving as the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for US foreign policy from 2003 until his departure. He is a member of Aspen Institute Italy. Mr Mead writes on a wide variety of subjects ranging from international affairs to religion, politics, culture, education and the media. He has contributed to a wide variety of leading American journals ranging from Mother Jones to GQ and frequently appears on national and international radio and television programs.

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AUKUS briefing: What you need to know about the AUKUS report

With the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines through AUKUS, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia is on the cusp of “the single biggest leap in our defence capability in our history.”

Now, 18 months since the original surprise announcement, the highly-anticipated AUKUS report shares the “optimal pathway” to acquire the nuclear-powered submarines. But the pathway is fraught with challenges and aligned intentions do not guarantee delivery. Where is the greatest daylight between the three countries in terms of the nuclear submarine production? What role will the advanced capabilities pillar play during the long lead-up to acquisition of the submarines? How should, or shouldn’t, we read the AUKUS report?

To discuss these issues, USSC hosted a webinar discussion with United States Studies Centre CEO Dr Michael Green, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence, and lead author of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, Professor Peter Dean and Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer.