Why is the 2024 election so important for the Solomon Islands and what is the future of democracy in the country? What is the state of the Australia-Solomon Islands relationship in a post-RAMSI era? Can Australia be more ambitious in its provision of development assistance to the Solomon Islands?   In this episode, Edward Cavanough joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the upcoming Solomon Islands election, the future of Australia’s relationship with the Solomon Islands and Edward’s new book Divided Isles: Solomon Islands and the China Switch.   Edward Cavanough is the Chief Executive Officer at The McKell Institute, an Australian think-tank. He is also an experienced analyst and journalist. Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of ANU National Security College (NSC). His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.   Show notes: ·      Securing our Future – national security conference, 9–10 April, 2024: find out more [DA1]  ·      Divided Isles: Solomon Islands and the China Switch: find out more ·      Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI): find out more   We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   Are we still selling tickets? [DA1] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.