Duncan is exposing himself to his own perception, and may not be the reality.

If this Indozealander wants to be embarrassed, good on him, I really don't give a stuff.

I don't care too much more how the Indonesian or Chinese governments feel either. Making some other countries government, or our expats, feel good is a recipe for bad government in Oz.

And why the hell shouldn't Julia make some foreigners feel bad, she's made most of us feel bad, so why not them too?

Will this storm in a tea cup still be rocking boats, by the time the next one, full of boat people, arrives at Christmas Island

Trash the Lombok treaty by all means,when it succeeds in perpetuating Indonesia's oppression of West Papua and the West Papuan's desire for Independence.
What concerns me is the stationing of foreign troops and military bases on Australian soil without approval of the Australian people or Parliament.
In Darwin, we commemorate the bombing of our city on the 19th February 1942 as they Japanese chased the American fleet here from their bombing of Pearl Harbour on the 7th December 1941. This act of the Japanese on an unexpecting America prompted America's declaration of war against the Japanese on the 8th December 1941.
I am not in favour of supporting The US foreign policy towards our trading partner, China as I do not believe the move to station troops here has anything to do with our security. If anything, the US presence here makes us more likely to experience another terrorist attack here.

A lamb should never go places with a lion!

The lion may get hungry along the way.

The trouble with the Yanks (and Aussies) is they watched too much of 1960's American television, shows like The Lone Ranger and Superman. They really believe they are the good guys in the white hats. Like the mute sidekick Bernado, Australia goes along with whatever Zorro wants to do. Besides everybody loves us, well if they don't they should. We are just helping to spread truth, justice and the American way.