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The Forum > Article Comments > Keep Rudd away from foreign policy > Comments

Keep Rudd away from foreign policy : Comments

By Graham Cooke, published 2/7/2010

There are mixed messages for Australia’s foreign policy with the advent of the new Gillard Government.

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Keep Rudd away from Foreign Affairs portfolio?
NO
Make him the ambassador extraordinaire to China.
Throw in Chad,Botswana, Eritrea, Rwanda
the maladives and the Andaman Islands for good measure.

socratease
Posted by socratease, Friday, 2 July 2010 2:41:46 PM
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Socratease, I disagree about China.
My preference for Big-Australia Kevin would be aligned to offering him postings in countries which are getting bigger at a similar, or greater, rate to that of Australia during his term (2%).
With his demonstrated enthusiasm for the issue of growth he should be in his element as roving ambassador through nations such as: Ethiopia (3.2% annual increase of population), Chad (2.9%), Rwanda (2.76%), Eritrea (2.6%), Yemen (2.3%), Sudan (2.2%). Botswana at 1.9% is a bit borderline, but throw it in anyway for a man of his competence.
Maybe toss Switzerland (0.3%) on the list for a bit of contrast
Posted by colinsett, Friday, 2 July 2010 5:46:52 PM
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A good, highly informed article - but I disagree about its emphasis in some places, which I'll detail in an artcle in around 2-3 weeks time.

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Saturday, 3 July 2010 11:39:55 AM
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Keep Rudd away from foreign policy?

Yes.

Stephen Smith is doing an excellent job. No matter how well Rudd might do, he wouldn’t do any better, and probably end up making a meal of it sooner or later.

As undesirable as it is for a minister to have two portfolios, it was much better for Gillard to give Smith trade as well as foreign affairs than to move Smith to trade and put Rudd in foreign affairs…. or put Rudd in any ministry!
Posted by Ludwig, Sunday, 4 July 2010 9:01:37 AM
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Good points colinsett. One of the reasons for keeping Rudd right out of it is his horribly flawed rapid growth philosophy.

We absolutely need some semblance of sustainability and population stabilisation to enter our political fraternity at the top level. Gillard has made a nice start by renaming the ministry for population the ministry for sustainable population and by rejecting Rudd’s big Australia diatribe.

I hope to goodness that her leadership now takes us strongly in direction suggested by these initial changes.
Posted by Ludwig, Sunday, 4 July 2010 9:09:21 AM
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Ludwig, good assessment of Smith’s performance so far. With Rudd it would have been difficult to progress anything. But in spite of that, opposing Rudd, Smith reversed the Harradine imposition.
He dropped the religious bigotry which prevented Australia from providing the assistance, which we committed to in 1994, in relation to maternal health of women in the developing world.
Yes, with Mister Big gone, there is a chink of hope for eventual progress. For Australia, and a better example to the world.
Posted by colinsett, Sunday, 4 July 2010 10:57:53 AM
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