The response of the Left seems to be nothing but Racist and Culturalist hate mongering. What do they want seems to be a war where as usual the Left will sit and decry what real people would then have to do. Well NO WAR for LEFTY VANITY.

AN Ambassadorial response was proportionate, within precedent and effective.

McCackie, your hysterical content-free comment contrasts markedly with the article's measured tone and good sense.

I would be strongly supportive of the idea of a scholarship scheme. The sordid episode needs to be remembered.

The heartening reaction to the execution of Andrew Chan, Myurna Sukamaran and seven others in Indonesia, demonstrates Australians are capable of recognising right from wrong, without the opportunistic grandstanding of Bill Shorten and Tanya Plibersek. Certainly we heard from the Prime Minister, who is genuinely opposed to the death penalty, from the womb to the tomb, a position for which he has been vilified often by the same people who now lament Indonesia’s death penalty. Along his way to the top, Bill Shorten recanted his opposition to abortion and Tanya Plibersek is passionately committed to Australia's abortion toll. Where has she, as Tony Abbott has, ever lamented it ? Australia's recall of its ambassadors won't affect Indonesia, who knows that every year, Australia kills 100,000 of its own. Innocent unborn children. Just think, if we hadn’t been doing
this for decades, we might have some clout, as a just nation with a population they couldn’t dismiss. Instead of a nation lead by people who can’t recognise the ranks of their so called “pro choice” supporters are thinning and greying, while those opposed to all capital punishment, for the innocent and the guilty, are expanding and vibrant.

I say thank goodness the author is a "Retired" diplomat. The thought of this idiot being let out of Australia is worrying though.

Denny,

"... Certainly we heard from the Prime Minister, who is genuinely opposed to the death penalty, from the womb to the tomb, a position for which he has been vilified often by the same people who now lament Indonesia’s death penalty..."

Oh really?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bali-9-executions-abbott-government-backflipped-on-afp-death-penalty-directive-20150429-1mwh1t.html

"The Abbott government quietly scrapped an instruction to the Australian Federal Police last year requiring it to take Australia's opposition to the death penalty into account when co-operating with overseas law enforcement agencies."

"In 2010, Labor's then minister for home affairs, Brendan O'Connor, included Australia's opposition to the death penalty in his official ministerial direction to the AFP.

The 2010 ministerial direction said the minister expected the AFP to "take account of the government's long-standing opposition to the application of the death penalty, in performing its international liaison functions".

This was the first time such an instruction had been included in a ministerial direction to the AFP.

In May 2014, Justice Minister Michael Keenan issued a new ministerial direction that removed the instruction. The 2014 ministerial direction includes no reference to the death penalty."

I am glad that the embarrasing media spectacle is over.

Australians with a convict complex, and Ned Kelly admirers, naively screeching for Abbott do 'do something for our boys'.

'Our boys" were drug smugglers and dealers in death before they were finally caught and dealt with once and for all. They were always going to be shot, they deserved to be shot, and Abbott and Bishop had no hope at all of interferring in their fate - ever.

The inevitable didn't stop Abbott and Bishop making idiots of themselves, however, and kidding themselves and naive Australians - giving the appearance that 'talking tough' to Indonesia would make a difference. I see Indonesia as a potential enemy of Australia, but good on them for ignoring our leading blabbermouths, who can't even run Australia, let alone other countries.

I hope that decent, level headed Australians will not be tainted by the ludicrous behaviour - aired world-wide - of the few jerks and idiots who failed to recognise that the two people they were trying to save were nasty criminals dealing in substances which have caused the deaths of who knows how many people.

There should be no sympathy for them. Keep the sympathy for the families who have been wrecked by the tragedy wreaked on them by these two rotten drug dealers.

Goodbye and good riddance. The ambassador will be redeployed to Indonesia when the fuss dies down in about 10 days, and perhaps - perhaps - our PM might start concentrating on law-abiding Australias.