John Howard dragged his feet in sending troops into East Timor because he was more concerned about relations with Indonesia than he was about TNI sponsored militias killing independence supporters in revenge for voting against autonomy despite overt intimidation.
John Howard responded because of pressure exerted on him to intervene.
Regarding his actions on the boundary issue;
What do you expect from a man who has lied about such issues as the children overboard, about sending Australian troops to participate in an illegal invasion of a sovereign country on the pretext of them having weapons of mass destruction, and failed to act on behalf of Australian Citizens when arrested,tortured and incarcerated by a foreign government which denied them justice and who has treated refugees and asylum seekers in such an inhuman manner.The list is exhaustive.
What do you expect from a man who would steal from a poor nation and withdraw from an established International Court of Justice and conventions on issues as seabed boundaries to avoid International mediation. This action of the Australian Government brings Australia into international disrepute. The money stolen from the East Timorese will comprise a debt which future Governments are going to be bound to repay. There is no other word for it but Grand Larceny.
Wake up Australia, rid yourself from this usurer,reclaim our reputation as a nation.
Maracas

From a North American (Canadian)view, this is soo sad!

First these people had the Dutch take what they wanted for centuries. When they tired, the Japaness came and occupied in order to lay plans to invade Australia. Many East Timorese died trying to prevent the Japanese from doing this. Then, when independence looked possible, Indonesia decided to invade and to occupy - for 25 years. Finally, after an bloody independence vote, Australia came to the rescue and ended the bloodshed. By that time 90% of the buildings in Dili had been destroyed, and the economy destroyed.

But what now????

Instead of helping E.T. get on its own feet, to help operate its shaky and very basic economy, Australia is robbing it of resoucres valued at MORE than entire budget of East Timor. Australia won't even negotiate about this robbery. It continues, and no cessation is predicted.

International pressure will one day come upon Australia - the nation will be embarrased and shamed for being found by the world to be a robber of a weak nation - and will have to make reparations.

Why not wake up now - and do the right thing?

From any viewpoint this is a shameful act by our government and typical of their head kicking, chest beating, national interest agenda.

It makes one wonder where the generosity toward the tsunami victims came from and in what context one should consider that act. Do people have to be victims of a natural disaster to qualify for compassion from Howard and Downer to feel compassion.

Surely it would be in our national interest to provide the East Timorese with the capacity to build a decent economy and life for themselves.

We give on a personal level, eg tsunami appeals, but when it comes to a national response, we are very conservative.
"Don't want to go upsetting the economy now, do we?"
"Upset the economy and you know what happens, right back to the 18% interest rates of the Keating year!"

Perhaps the Liberals have succeeded in brainwashing our population to believe that ECONOMY is the province of politicians, so that they feel they have no right to a say in matters relating to our economy.

I believe that Australians are a contradictory people: majority vote labour state, but coalition national. We are generous but tight-fisted. Or else, we're just a helluva lot more comfortable giving on a personal level than the political.