Mr Abbott Firmly Grounded

[icyfroth]

Indonesians need to keep cool

• by: Editorial
• From: Herald Sun
• November 20, 2013 12:00AM

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has moved quickly to reassure Indonesia that information gathering by Australia poses no threat to a country he regards as one of Australia’s closest friends.

His response to mounting Indonesian anger at the monitoring of the phone conversations of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after the 2009 bombings of the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta came at a time when our security agencies were desperately trying to track down the terrorists responsible. Seven people were killed in the blasts, including three Australians.

The Indonesian Government is playing to a domestic audience before elections next year. But an overreaction to the intelligence gathering indulged in by most countries, including Indonesia, risks damaging the unique relationship the two countries enjoy.

It should also be remembered that Australia’s actions took place under Labor when Kevin Rudd was prime minister and it is Mr Abbott who has been left to deal with it.

Mr Abbott has preferred to co-operate with Sri Lanka rather than isolate it following its long civil war and is supported by former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr, who was concerned in office at the number of what he called economic refugees fleeing Sri Lanka to Australia.

The point can also be made that asylum seekers genuinely fearing reprisals in Sri Lanka might consider a short voyage to India rather than a risky passage across thousands of kilometres to Australia.

Mr Abbott has got his feet firmly grounded, if the Labor leadership and the opportunistic Greens and some quarters of the media do not.

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[***super_nova***]

Of-course, everybody is spying on everybody else, and everybody knows that everybody is spying.  But I have a feeling that trying to tap 1st lady's private conversations is just a step too far. 

And no, TA did not handle the situation well, he insulted the Indonesians yet again, and  it will cost us dearly.  USA is totally different, they can do anything they want, Australia cannot afford to just say "too bad, get over it". 

[freshwater-2]

I never thought I would utter these words, but......Bring back John Howard.

[azureline**]

what for??

[acacia_pycnantha]

Interestingly TA has not blamed it on the previous government.  Wonder why?  Up till now he has used every opportunity to say something critical of the Labor government.

Because his govt is was doing it too?

[i-need-a-martini]

The whole thing is getting ridiculous. Now Indonesia has ordered it's people to stop all co-operaion with Australia. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/indonesian-president-sby-orders-end-to-coopera...

It's like the expenses scandal - if Abbott had dealt with it swiftly and responsibly instead of denying wrongdoing then it would have faded away into nothing. Instead he defended himself and his ministers (weakly) and took too long to make any changes to the system. Ad then those changes were woefull anyway.

Same with this. he should have dealt with it properly to begin with.. Jesus, he even had a precedence to follow given how recent the US/Germany incident occurred. Here is Obama giving him the political and strategic example to follow.

Instead he behaves like a boofhead/

He is so out of his depth. No idea what the hell he is doing.

[*ibis]

Indonesia has ordered it's people to stop all co-operaion with Australia

does that mean they will stop taking aid money and block all tourists from entering the country?

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ya right

[freddie*rooster]

Indonesia, are playing the bluff game, they need to suck it up just like we did a decade ago when Howard let them off without rebuke for it's own intelligence gathering.

[freshwater-2]

I was interest when TA referred this week  to Indonesia being an 'emerging democracy'.

A nation of how many?  80% plus of them being a certain religion....and 86% of them wanting to introduce Sharia law as the national law.

An emerging democracy?  Gimmee a break.

[spotweldersfriend]

For a fair trial 🙂

[freshwater-2]

Oops, I stand corrected.  72% of the muslims in Indonesia want Sharia law.

It was 86% of the Malaysians who wanted Sharia Law.