Federal-State Relations in Australian External Affairs: A New Co-operative Era?

External affairs have intruded on relations between the states and the Commonwealth (federal) government in Australia in the last three decades, principally through two sets of issues. The first is the international diplomatic activities conducted by the states. The second is the impact that the Commonwealth government's negotiation and entry into international treaties has had on the division of powers established by the constitution. Both dimensions have caused considerable tension between the states and the Commonwealth. This article reviews how, in the 1990s, collaborative relations on both sets of issues have emerged as the states and the Commonwealth reached a new modus vivendi.