Say-nothing Bill Shorten doesn’t have the guts to stand up to Putin
CALL him Bill Shhh-orten. The Labor leader yesterday revealed his unusual method for dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the flight MH17 atrocity, which killed 38 Australians.
Mr Shorten’s gambit?
Absolute silence.
Asked at a Melbourne press conference what he would say to Mr Putin if he encountered the Russian leader at this weekend’s G20 summit in Brisbane, Mr Shorten replied: “Nothing.”
According to Mr Shorten, there is little point speaking to the Russian President.
Putin has massive popular support in his own country. He, I don’t think, frankly, cares about what Australia thinks,” Mr Shorten said.
A reporter then asked: “Just to clarify, you wouldn’t seek to talk to Mr Putin?”
“Not in the first instance,” Mr Shorten answered.
The Opposition Leader has previously supported the government’s strong stand over the MH17 disaster, even to the point of suggesting Mr Putin be banned from the G20 meeting.
“The seeking of justice, as the Prime Minister has indicated, cannot be shirked. So let me be very clear, I have the gravest reservations about welcoming to Australia anyone in the future who’s engaged in this act of terror,’’ Mr Shorten told parliament in August.
Mr Shorten’s vow of silence follows a meeting between Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Mr Putin during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders’ summit in Beijing, where Mr Abbott told the Russian President that “MH17 was destroyed by a missile from a launcher that had come out of Russia, was fired from inside eastern Ukraine and then returned to Russia”.
According to a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister, Mr Abbott told Mr Putin Russia should follow the example set when the US paid compensation after it accidentally shot down an Iranian civilian aircraft in 1988.
“The Prime Minister observed that when the United States had inadvertently shot down a civilian aircraft it had duly apologised and made appropriate restitution,” Mr Abbott’s spokeswoman said.
“He commended the precedent to President Putin.”
In Canberra a Russian official rejected any allegation of responsibility for the MH17 crash: “If the Prime Minister has any clear evidence he should bring it to the table. We haven’t seen it.”
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