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| Down Under |
| Carr tells Latham to toe US line |
| 2004-06-25 |
| LABOR’S longest-serving leader, NSW Premier Bob Carr, has warned Mark Latham to exercise the "utmost diplomacy" on withdrawing troops from Iraq and urged him to accept the US free trade deal "the sooner the better". Mr Carr, who has just returned from a two-week visit to the US, warned his federal counterparts Washington feels "wounded" and is sensitive "to any ally, any friend, turning their back on America". The NSW Premier said he had been told in Washington that Canberra should think "carefully about a premature withdrawal from Iraq" because helping the US in a "tough time" meant Australia could have an influence on US policies. Mr Carr’s comments, made in Canberra yesterday and to be broadcast on ABC radio this weekend, increase the pressure on federal Labor’s policy on two fronts - troop withdrawal by Christmas and opposition to the US trade agreement. In an interview with the ABC’s Sunday Profile radio program to be broadcast this weekend, Mr Carr said Australia was highly regarded in Washington because "we’ve got troops in Iraq". "I’m contemplating a change of government - if Labor is to be elected in the forthcoming elections, this will be a major diplomatic challenge," he said. In an apparent slight to Mr Latham, Mr Carr said "a lot of diplomacy and skill will be required" and suggested former Labor leader Kim Beazley and foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd and "other members of the Labor team, caucus and shadow cabinet" would be up to it. When asked by presenter Geraldine Doogue why he had not mentioned Mr Latham - who has described US President George W. Bush as incompetent and accused John Howard of "brown nosing" the President - Mr Carr responded: "Well, I think he’ll be leaving it to his foreign minister to implement this policy and I think he would accept that it’s a major challenge". "So the relationship has got to be handled with a lot of sensitivity and I know this is something that Kevin Rudd accepts as a major responsibility as foreign minister in a possible Labor Government." On Thursday night the Labor Party split in the House of Representatives when forced to a vote on the trade deal with 14 Labor MPs crossing the floor to vote with the Government and more than 40 abstaining. Mr Beazley told parliament on Thursday night that he supported the trade agreement and that the US concessions would eventually allow Australia to kick the trade door wide open. "Once we are in the door, it is an Australian Trojan horse that has just marched in," he said. At a joint press conference in Canberra yesterday for four premiers and two territory leaders, Mr Carr said all the state Labor leaders saw "huge benefits from Australia getting access to the dynamism of the North American economy". |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 The NSW Premier said he had been told in Washington that Canberra should think "carefully about a premature withdrawal from Iraq" because helping the US in a "tough time" meant Australia could have an influence on US policies. What?! You mean acting like an ally means you get treated like an ally? Shocking! |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-06-25 9:04:33 PM |