Visiting the land down under just became easier for a number of American travelers. On November 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service announced a trial program extending Australia’s SmartGate program to U.S. Global Entry members.

As Arts and Regional Development Minister -- and first cab off the ministerial rank in India to spruik the government's new Asia white paper -- Crean is pursuing a softer diplomacy. His latest visit, as patron minister for Australia's four-month-long Oz Fest cultural festival in India, reads like a royal tour: museums, galleries, world heritage sites, private jets, civic awards for cricketers.

The recently tabled report on Australia's Overseas Representation – Punching below our weight? by the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee of the Australian Parliament confirmed what many concerned stakeholders such as the Lowy Institute, peak business groups, DFAT chiefs and operatives, aid organisations and diasporas have been saying for a long time.

Tune in to the main television channel of our national broadcaster on many nights of the week and you could be forgiven for thinking that you’re in the home counties of the United Kingdom. Sitting as I am, in the middle of a conference of Asia-Pacific arts centres in Taipei, it is encouraging for me and my Asian counterparts to see that the White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century recognises the value of cultural engagement in a comprehensive approach to our relations in the region.

Through generations, our great nation has been asked great questions -- and we have answered them. Could we feed a people on this driest of lands? Could we unite a nation on a continent without the pressures of revolution or war? Could we carry our weight in the world and fight for the freedom of our friends? Could we defend ourselves in our greatest hour of need? Could we rebuild after decades of Depression and war? Could we embrace change and find new sources of wealth in demanding new times? Could we say Sorry?

"The four month long Oz Fest will celebrate and promote these expanding links and foster a better understanding of culture," says Strahan. Incidentally, food has become the gastronomical tactic for cultural diplomacy, India's rise as a preferred destination for Australians could also be one of the reasons for unveiling this mega fest, that reportedly has a budget of three million dollars.

AS JULIA GILLARD has proved again, when it comes to the relationship between Australia and the subcontinent, there's no diplomatic tool more powerful than cricket. The Prime Minister was in India last week to talk trade and cultural ties but what hogged the headlines was her announcement that the Indian cricket great, Sachin Tendulkar, would be awarded membership of the Order of Australia.

Australia spent some $24 million directly and diverted hundreds of millions in foreign aid to gain the right to play in the same room with the five permanent members of the Security Council as a backward African nation with about half our population and a reputation for supporting a rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).