Extract from The Guardian
Labor has signalled explicitly Australia is now at a “change point”
in its post-war alliance with the US because of the election of Donald Trump as president.
In a column written for Fairfax Media, the opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has argued Australia needs to define a more independent foreign policy within the established alliance framework, and needs “a better road map in Asia”.
Wong’s rhetorical distancing on the US relationship follows a call last week by the former prime minister Paul Keating for Australia to develop a “more independent, balanced foreign policy”, particularly towards China and Indonesia, following Trump’s election.
Keating told the ABC Trump had signalled he was a “big power guy” with little regard for alliances. Australia should, consequently, take the hint that it was on its own and develop an independent policy rather than regard the US alliance with religious reverence.
Wong’s commentary picks up the Keating theme and also builds on the hedged stance the opposition has taken since Trump’s election.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has argued Australia cannot trade away core values just to preserve the primacy of the alliance.
Labor’s commentary post election has been similar to the stance taken by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Merkel issued a statement after Trump’s victory saying close cooperation was conditional on the continuation of shared values between the two democracies.
“Germany and America are connected by values of democracy, freedom and respect for the law and the dignity of man, independent of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views,” Merkel said in a statement.
Merkel added: “I offer the next president of the United States close cooperation on the basis of these values.”
The Turnbull government – while shocked at the result in the US which many pundits failed to see coming – has made a priority of establishing a rapport with the new administration.
The government has also been critical of Shorten’s negative commentary about Trump.
Wong in the new opinion piece, published late on Tuesday, said courtesy of recent events: “We are at a change point, and face the possibility of a very different world and a very different America.”
“Our collective task now is to carefully and dispassionately consider Australia’s foreign policy and global interests over coming months, and how best to effect these within the alliance framework.”
“First, we must acknowledge that Trump’s campaign rhetoric expressed views that run counter to what are core values for most Australians. The bipartisan criticism of some of his comments reflects this fact.”
“For Labor, the fact that the alliance with the US is central to Australia’s foreign and security policy has never meant that we trade away our values – values like respect and equality for women, racial and religious tolerance, and economic and social openness.”
The shadow foreign minister said Trump was likely to be unorthodox as president, which means “defining an independent foreign policy within an alliance framework is now a more complex task”.
“It is one for which we need to consider a broader range of scenarios than was previously within contemplation.”
She said Australia needed to look to the region. “Put simply, Australia needs a better roadmap in Asia, and the foreign affairs minister’s forthcoming foreign policy white paper should urgently seek to provide that frame.”
In a column written for Fairfax Media, the opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has argued Australia needs to define a more independent foreign policy within the established alliance framework, and needs “a better road map in Asia”.
Wong’s rhetorical distancing on the US relationship follows a call last week by the former prime minister Paul Keating for Australia to develop a “more independent, balanced foreign policy”, particularly towards China and Indonesia, following Trump’s election.
Keating told the ABC Trump had signalled he was a “big power guy” with little regard for alliances. Australia should, consequently, take the hint that it was on its own and develop an independent policy rather than regard the US alliance with religious reverence.
Wong’s commentary picks up the Keating theme and also builds on the hedged stance the opposition has taken since Trump’s election.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has argued Australia cannot trade away core values just to preserve the primacy of the alliance.
Labor’s commentary post election has been similar to the stance taken by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Merkel issued a statement after Trump’s victory saying close cooperation was conditional on the continuation of shared values between the two democracies.
“Germany and America are connected by values of democracy, freedom and respect for the law and the dignity of man, independent of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political views,” Merkel said in a statement.
Merkel added: “I offer the next president of the United States close cooperation on the basis of these values.”
The Turnbull government – while shocked at the result in the US which many pundits failed to see coming – has made a priority of establishing a rapport with the new administration.
The government has also been critical of Shorten’s negative commentary about Trump.
Wong in the new opinion piece, published late on Tuesday, said courtesy of recent events: “We are at a change point, and face the possibility of a very different world and a very different America.”
“Our collective task now is to carefully and dispassionately consider Australia’s foreign policy and global interests over coming months, and how best to effect these within the alliance framework.”
“First, we must acknowledge that Trump’s campaign rhetoric expressed views that run counter to what are core values for most Australians. The bipartisan criticism of some of his comments reflects this fact.”
“For Labor, the fact that the alliance with the US is central to Australia’s foreign and security policy has never meant that we trade away our values – values like respect and equality for women, racial and religious tolerance, and economic and social openness.”
The shadow foreign minister said Trump was likely to be unorthodox as president, which means “defining an independent foreign policy within an alliance framework is now a more complex task”.
“It is one for which we need to consider a broader range of scenarios than was previously within contemplation.”
She said Australia needed to look to the region. “Put simply, Australia needs a better roadmap in Asia, and the foreign affairs minister’s forthcoming foreign policy white paper should urgently seek to provide that frame.”
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