Sally Warhaft and Stephen Smith — Photo: Scott Limbrick

As we hurtle towards the end of 2018, it’s clear we’ve entered a period of increased volatility and uncertainty in global relations. The world's two major powers are locked in a trade war, the European Union is looking decidedly shaky and much of the Middle East is still mired in conflict, partly due to the interventions of powers outside the region. How can Australia negotiate this shifting and unpredictable landscape? And what's our place in it?

In this Fifth Estate conversation, Sally Warhaft discusses these questions with former Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith. During his political career, Smith has held a range of other portfolios that make him uniquely placed to comment on Australia’s strategic priorities and predicaments, including stints as Minister for Trade and Shadow Minister for Immigration. Today, he’s a professor of international law at University of Western Australia.

Together, they explore Australia’s place in a changing region and a changing world. What are the new security challenges? And how can we nurture friendships within the region, while staying on good terms with our increasingly erratic old allies?

Sally Warhaft and Greg Sheridan

In 1966, 88% of Australians identified as Christian in the census. By the 2016 census, the proportion had dipped to 52%. The number of Christians who attend church regularly is even lower. How has Christianity gone from being at the centre of Australian cultural and social life to something that's important to a dwindling number of Australians?

In this Fifth Estate conversation, host Sally Warhaft is joined by journalist and author Greg Sheridan, whose new book, God Is Good for You, makes a case for the achievements of Christianity. He argues that the Judeo-Christian tradition can offer a framework for tackling our increasingly complex and connected world.

Through their discussion, Warhaft and Sheridan talk morality, hope, disillusion and the changing shape of faith today.