You neglect to point out that the "median line" option for delineating sea boundaries only applies in cases where there is not a defined edge to a continental shelf. For the record, the trough that marks the break between the two shelves is only 50km from Timor so the oil fields are clearly on the Australian continental shelf.

It is also worth noting that the Ashmore Islands (Australian Territory) are only 150km from Southern Timor and the mid point between these is also consistent with the edge of the continental shelf. The decision to seperate the oil from the boundary issue should be seen as a sign of goodwill towards the Timorese for they are getting much more than international law will give them under long established standards. But keep at it, if you repeat BS long enough you may convince someone.

Hear,hear,Perseus! Too many of these Australia-bashers rely on emotional hogwash and not facts to harangue us into thinking they might be right.

If the oil is closer to Timor - why don't we let them have it, God knows they need the money.

And it's not about Aussie bashing, it's about being fair and responsible first world nation. We've got plenty of milege out of our peacekeeping effort, but we've taken more in oil royalties than we've ever given in aid. Plain old fairness gets me before any of anyones' complicated continental shelf arguments!

Peace amongst the chaos.....

The economic policy of so many on the left seems to go no further than Mark chapter 10 verse 21: "Go, sell all you have, and give to the poor". That is why the religous right, who consider wealth a blessing from God, do not follow such a self-destructive policy. Unfortunately for the Timorese, the geography of the area means that most of the field is in our area. I think that Alexander Downer's solution of suspending judgement on sovereignty until the gas has been extracted in exchange for a cash payment is a brilliant solution. Why is it so hard for so many people to understand that people work to receive a benefit, and if there is no benefit there will be no work, and nothing to distribute?

The East Timor Deal is without doubt another example of the Howard Government's harsh treatment of the disadvantaged viz. the Timorese people

Australia will not allow the international court to rule on the boundry between East Timor and Australia. This is because there is a strong possibility that East Timor would end up with almost all of the oil.
I wonder if the real reason for going to the aid of East Timor (24 years late) was that it would be easier to bully them out of a fair share of the oil than it would be to bully Indonesia.