Each year we hear the West make grandiose promises to the poorer nations in health, education and agricultural development. Economic plans are developed by the two most hated Western institutions; the IMF and the World Bank who devise their plans without a single consideration to the country that they are working with. Subsidizes that made the difference between a family being able to eat or starve are axed rocking the foundations of the rule of law as the people demonstrate against their government and these two grubby shylocks.

During this period Australia could have taken a leadership role in its area of influence and helped its neighbors, maybe not to a great degree but enough to earn their thanks and given it some sound respect and gratitude which Australia could have bartered for a higher political profile. Australia as usual lost yet another important opportunity too busy like scrooge counting its money,

Mr. Jamieson must be the only person alive that believes these pipe dreams that are attributed to the G20 and the World Bank. There is not one example in a history of lies and deceit from the rich nations that would lead one to conclude such an enormously optimistic outcome as envisaged in this article.

Africa and other poor nations are getting poorer. No option exists to print money and spend its way out of a recession. This at a time when almost every one of its major companies failed due to the most breathtaking example of mismanagement ever witnessed anywhere. The global economy assured what had occurred in America would spread like a cancer through almost the entire economy of the world with few exceptions that include Australia.

Maybe it is time that younger nations such as Australia be given an opportunity of influencing outcomes in the poorer parts of the world. This is a good argument to allow Australia a seat in an expanded UN Security Council. Australia must first show that it is an independent country with an independent foreign policy and for that it must let go of America and Europe's coat tails.