Malcolm Turnbull has been urged to set out a fresh foreign policy agenda, particularly in relation to the Middle East, that would do more to address the key question of a "political endgame" in Syria.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's director of national security, Tobias Feakin, says while there is unlikely to be any immediate radical shift in Australia's national security strategy under the new prime minister, he predicts significant change in the language out of Canberra.
And Dr Feakin says, in terms of the Middle East, the issue of what to do with Syria's beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad must be part of Mr Turnbull's equation.
"I'd be interested to see what kind of approach he'll take in a foreign policy sense and to ultimate solutions in the Middle East, certainly in relation to Syria and Iraq," Dr Feakin told AAP on Monday.
"It would be good to hear his opinion about how he views, not so much the endgame, but the pathway to that endgame.
"We didn't really hear that vocalised from Abbott apart from the killing of the death cult," he said, in reference to deposed prime minister Tony Abbott's description of Islamic State.
The comments come before an address by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the United Nations next week, which will provide a glimpse of Australia's foreign policy direction under Mr Turnbull.
Two weeks ago, Ms Bishop said discussions among international partners around a transition away from Mr Assad were "ongoing" but that Australia's expanded air campaign in Syria and Iraq was focused on defeating Islamic State and protecting the Iraqi government.
Dr Feakin said the ongoing presence of Mr Assad is "one of the taps that is flowing into ISIL's recruitment drive".
"You need to address Syria and you need to be talking now about some sort of political endgame. And there needs to be some sort of discussion about Assad because you can't leave all of this out of the equation," he said.
The ministry reshuffle announced on Sunday - which dumped Kevin Andrews as defence minister in favour of the more moderate Liberal Marise Payne - and Mr Turnbull's presence as prime minister, also mean the balance of cabinet's National Security Committee has significantly shifted.
Ms Bishop and Attorney-General George Brandis - also on the NSC - are, like Mr Turnbull, regarded as being moderate Liberals.
Still, Dr Feakin says it's unlikely there will be "wholesale changes" to policy and strategy.
"I don't think you'll see a radical shift from Abbott but you will, I think, in terms of the rhetoric. That certainly will change," Dr Feakin said.
"You'll certainly see a difference in language and it will be interesting to see how that reflects through the cabinet and the National Security Committee process."
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