Where has the Asian Century gone?

The Abbott government appears to have mothballed the Asian Century, removing all material from government department websites.

Anyone looking to download a copy of the Gillard government’s Australia in the Asian Century white paper will have to hunt it down on Trove, the National Library of Australia’s excellent archive library.

A change of federal government in Australia doesn’t usually result in such an extensive overhaul of departmental websites. It’s perplexing, because some departmental websites – like the department of environment – have barely altered. All the old favourites are there – the draft heritage strategy, the long list of referrals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, maps of marine protected areas, etc. Environment minister Greg Hunt seems to have opted for a reassuring continuity.