As prime minister, Kevin Rudd was the de facto minister for foreign affairs. Stephen Smith was appointed to the job on the basis he would not challenge Rudd, and he did not.
Rudd cast Smith the crumbs and the crap and he became in effect the minister for consular affairs. Smith’s department is not enthralled with his grasp of complex issues nor his intellectual capacity, although he is regarded as decent, if not somewhat bad tempered from time to time, (who wouldn’t be having Rudd steal your oxygen)?
But Rudd’s foreign policy experience was limited and it showed. His Middle East policy was badly balanced. Israel offers little to Australia, except intelligence of dubious value, resting, as it does, within an ideological framework. The value of trade with the rest of the Middle East is $13.5 billion per annum. With a more balanced foreign policy this trade would rapidly increase.
When he should have been firm over Stern Hu, Rudd dived for cover, not a form of diplomacy that the Chinese respect.
Rudd was wrong over Afghanistan. He offended the Indonesian president with his clumsy request for intervention over the Sri Lankan asylum seeker vessel holed up in the port of Merak. The request exposed, for all to see, the limitations of prime ministerial power.
He visited China and not India and reacted poorly to attacks on Indian students, managing, as a result, to badly damage the relationship with an important trading and strategic partner.
He offended most South East Asian countries with his self-indulgent proposal for an Asia-Pacific community. The idea flew like a lead balloon and is now dead, some in ASEAN look askance at Australian diplomacy.
He pushed for a seat on the UN Security Council, spent a lot of money on the quest, when in light of Australia’s relations with the Middle East, Africa and India, there was little prospect of attracting even enough votes to save face.
Rudd was weak on human rights, ceasing the processing of Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers, on whaling and climate change.
He interfered in a senior diplomatic appointment, on the basis of a personal grudge. There are few in the department who respect him.
His foreign policy forays were not successful.
Julia Gillard has the opportunity to draw on considerable but hitherto unused or under-utilised talent in the form of Greg Combet, Maxine McKew, Gary Gray and Bill Shorten. Combet has the skill and intelligence to make a very good minister for foreign affairs.
*Bruce Haigh is a retired senior diplomat with 25 years experience.
Well done, Crikey and Bruce Haigh, for bringing this together, simply, in one place. I have not been a Rudd-basher, but this certainly rings true.
PM Gillard has decided all that. Smith retains Foreign Affairs and takes on Trade from the old warhorse Crean, who gets all of Gillards Ministries. Very safe and close to an election, very wise. As she has promised Rudd will get a senior position if Labor is re-elected, he has obviously been given time to reflect and also spend time with his family and in his electorate. Best move I suspect from the PM
I do wish Rudd all the best with repairing his work/life/sleep balances. All work and no play… etc.
OMG!!
No wonder we are a diplomatic laughing stock throughout the world.
With halfwitts like you Bruce, what chance OZ?
Greg Combet?, Maxine McKew?, Gary Gray? and Bill Shorten?
The sumtotal of incompetence between this gang of four would require a nano computer to calculate.
Australia? Laughing stock? Sez who?
Australia is so far out in front of most other countries, including Western countries, that we really are still the Lucky Country. At least all of our problems are manageable, unlike Greece and half of the rest of the EU. We aren’t saddled by a desire to be the world’s policeman and to carry the debt of USA. We have clean water and clear air, good health and education systems, safe communities, relatively low unemployment, loyal and high quality military, low public corruption, safe banking system and optimism.
They’re not laughing at Australia. They’re jealous.
When was the last time you heard of a boatload of Aussies travelling to Somalia or Pakistan to claim refugee status? What? Never? Thought so.
Be proud of Australia and its stability, its values and its people – even those who vote differently to you. They’re much better than some of the (overseas) alternatives.