Funding Cuts to Think Tank Critical of Beijing a Sign of Appeasement: Senator

The Albanese government is cutting funding to an Australian think tank.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after attending the meeting on Sustainable Development and Energy Transition at the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 19, 2024. Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images

The Albanese government’s adoption of key recommendations from the Varghese Review, including the defunding of a prominent Australian think tank known for its critical stance towards Beijing, has sparked controversy.

The Varghese Review is named after Peter Varghese, the former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).