It would be a mistake to dismiss senator Sam Dastyari’s fall from grace as merely the consequence of one politician’s lack of judgment or character. Dastyari’s behaviour illuminates the risk to our democracy of allowing China to exert undue influence over our institutions, society and policies. The problem is that we don’t have a strategy for managing this risk and, until we do, its absence only invites more Chinese interference.
“Engage and hedge” captures the sense of what we should do. But a headline is not a strategy. Malcolm Turnbull needs to develop a fleshed-out strategy with Bill Shorten’s support, otherwise China will exploit any partisan gaps that open up between the Coalition and Labor.