Governor General demoted to Lobbyist

Quentin Bryce will leave Australia next week for a nine-nation African visit during which she will canvass support for Australia’s bid for a Security Council seat. She will visit Mauritius, Namibia, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles from next Monday to April 3. During her meetings with heads of state of each country, the Governor-General will stress the Rudd Government’s goal of forging closer links with Africa and mention the Security Council bid. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith yesterday strongly defended Ms Bryce’s African trip and her promotion of Australia’s UN Security Council credentials.

“When the Governor-General is travelling in foreign countries, of course from time to time, as appropriate, she will make statements that reflect government policy,” he told ABC TV’s Insiders program. “Australian government policy is that we want to make a substantial engagement with Africa. We see that as being very importantly in our economic and social and foreign policy interests and we reflect our commitment to multilateralism by running for the Security Council. And she will make that point appropriately when she meets with the African leadership.”

What an unmitigated piece of rubbish…Engagement with Africa being very important [to] our economic and social and foreign policy interests. Since when? The trip is for one reason and one reason only, the ALP’s desire to have seat on the UN Security Council. Coalition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said yesterday the Opposition had growing concerns at the strategy Kevin Rudd was pursuing for Security Council membership. Julie Bishop says;

“Libya and Cuba and Iran are guiding the development of the agenda, which thus far names only Israel, alone among the nations of the world, as guilty of racism,”

If Australia attends the conference, one can only assume it does so to gain votes for the coveted seat on the UN and if that turns out to be the case then how much will we have compromised our reputation. How could we fly our flag at any conference where Libya, Cuba and Iran have a say in setting the agenda when we know the chances are, once again, Israel will be lambasted as racist and all Arabs as victims.