Goodmorning everybody
Juliesaid
Our Graziers are being paid well for live exports that is why the coalition must continue with this trading for the benefit revenue.
Julie your great george bush the good christian is reasonsible for Live Exports pushing his trade dollars. Thats how they make their money didnt you know that. If he really cared about Australia and its future he would have invested interests with the Australian Government and farmers operating Abattoirs here. Having pursed at lenght the grave implications the diversion of livestock to the cruel live trade has on Australian meat processing, its important we remember the impact on other industries. Apart from the abattoirs and meat industry there are enormous numbers of business reliant on supply of coproducts such as small goods producers, pet food, manufactuers of industrial products and veterinary, pharmaceutical and thats just a couple.
by exporting Australian livestock to be slaughtered overseas we are eroding the supply of coproducts available to by-product manufactuers.
In 1998/1999 West Australia hide and skin exports was 7%[ A53m] of national exports A 4810m
Every feedlot the Government spends our taxes on that our ownded by off shore is another blow to tax payers and employment not to mention the barbaric treatment of the animals.

PALE... ok, far starters, is this about security or live exports? They're separate issues, with only the most tenuous ties.

On security - the simplicity of your initial post does the situation no justice whatsoever. It' infinitely more nuanced and it's not going to be thrown into disarray by the election of Rudd.

Cardinal rule of international diplomacy: countries act in their own national interest. Sometimes that interest is in maintaining allies.

Whether Australia withdraws from Iraq or not, Australia and the US will remain allies. It's a pretty minor thing in terms of a long relationship. Neither Rudd nor Howard have suggested yanking troops out on a sudden basis.

As for the close relationship between Howard and Bush - it doesn't make a whole lot of difference, and besides, Bush is departing. The two nations have close ties for numerous reasons, largely because they share a similar culture.

The other issue to consider is the fact that as long as Australia remains friendly to the US, the US would rather see a friendly power here than a hostile one. And as it stands, we share common enemies.

Outright invasion is unlikely. Besides, other powers can buy up our interests with other means. Whilst casting no aspersions on Singapore, to highlight my point, their government owns more Australian assets than ours does. Buying assets is cheaper than war.

An outright invasion is pretty unlikely. If it were to occur, do you honestly think the Americans wouldn't do their best to prevent a hostile power from taking control of Australian assets, which includes the world's largest reserves of uranium?

Sure, we remain friendly to the US. But there are degrees of friendliness. Now and then our interests differ and we can quite safely go our own way in these instances. Often, that would do our security good in fact, as if we weren't so close to the US, we'd be less likely to antagonise militant groups.

Honestly, the idea that we have to follow the US policy that closely is based on a woefully simplistic impression of international politics.

Good to see so many sensible responses to this.

But nobody has yet mentioned the COST.

With the fall of Singapore at the start of WW-II, Australia realised its mistake of relaying on some foreign superpower. Australia had to fight its own way out of that war, the U.S. was not fighting Japan and Java's invasion of our northern borders because they like us, but because the U.S. saw it as in its own military interests to fight Japan here rather than in Hawaii or San Francisco.

After the two bombs were used, Australia began deals with both Britain and the U.S. hoping to share that nuclear weapons technology. And that was Australia's great defense plan until 1971 when it realised neither UK or US would ever share this technology. It was from that point that Australia has adopted the stupid idea that getting into bed with the U.S. would be in Australia's national security interests. America on the other hand does what is best for America.

The COST of getting into somebody else' bed is that you pick up their diseases and you are expected to share their burdens to prove you are still their friend in the hope that one day they may use friendship instead of national interest to make decisions.

36 years of subjugating Australian interests in the name of false friendship is not a good price.

Ah yes but the reality is that we are a small and insignificant nation and, if we want to do business with the rest of the world, then we have to abide by what they want, not what we might like.
Our economy is miniscule against the might of North America, China and EU.
As for the idea that noone would want to invade us unless we upset them - utter nonsense. Asia has already invaded us in the sense that we have lost so many jobs to them.
Anyone who believes we can 'become part of the Asian region' is talking nonsense too. Whether we like it or not we need the US simply because consecutive governments have been too afraid to acknowledge that we are never going to be part of the Asian region and have thus lost opportunity after opportunity to trade with the rest of the world while we were trying to butt in where we are not wanted. Asia will accept us a neighbour but not as part of the family. It is time we recognised that - indeed it is probably too late for trade purposes. So yes, Rudd is risking everything because he thinks he can do it because he speaks Chinese rather badly.

Turnrightleft.
You cant seperate economy from sercurity.
Communicat-
At last someone who gets it.
Agree with you` regarding Australia being so small that we do what they want.
However its because our leaders are lacking any motivation, guts and for-sight.
There`s opportunity considering the interest in our clean green agriculture business.
I can’t see that Rudd has been smart enough to grab these opportunities and run them as new Australian Policies.

Wish he had. He’s young and probably an OK guy but not leadership material.

I also agree with you about Australia being invaded.

I call it cow Karma buts that are another subject. I hope we are not too late for trade purposes but it’s getting that way.

Wendy our President has held some fantastic meetings with Malaysian Government reps. However you would appreciate when dealing on that level the partners or investors like to think it has the backing of the Government which ever country you are dealing with.

Australian Governments fall over badly here. Partly their corrupt set ups and part stupidity ,lazy, disinterested. Control of Austrade MLA etc not to mention control of media and the media`s control of what’s communicated to the public.

Rudd fancies he can do business with China. Sure China will do business with him. I betting they would love! to! Have you ever dealt with china businesmen?
China is icy cold to Australia and its going to get worse. [Just in case Rudd has not noticed.]

Howard the old fox is fully aware of China’s feelings but pretty much thinks- stuff em. That’s the difference.

Hey I am no fan of Howard either given his appalling lack of action towards Australian Animals and shipping out our jobs.

After saying that leaving Animal Welfare out of it and `just` addressing sercurity I know we are better off with the experienced old fox Howard.
I mean its not as if we have many choices is it?
Perhaps that’s what we need to address in the next few years asap.

Is it pale the group[ all 3 of you]or this poster who is so out of touch with Australia?
Howard the old fox! is that the same old fella who,s party is planning his removal?
China? dealing with Rudd? can it be you are not aware right now like it or not the world wide boom is driven by China?
Currently on tour in our country Americas Bush has to contend with the fact only one in three Americans trust him.
Howard or Rudd must be aware the next American leader is going to get out of Iraq.
Australia, my country must always have a will of its own, never out of fear drop to its knees before any country.
Sorry but as you post as pale I must think you speak for pale if you fail to understand these issues do you best represent anything??
How many of us think our ties to America are so fragile we must adopt a down on our knees diplomacy stance?