It would be misleading to say Marise Payne and Penny Wong squared off at the National Press Club this afternoon. The foreign policy debate between the foreign minister and her Labor counterpart was by far the most civil, constructive exchange we’ve seen during the campaign.
A coincidence, perhaps, that this is the first major debate featuring two (or any) female politicians so far.
But it’s also a reflection that beneath the sometimes hairy-chested rhetoric on China — where the government has absurdly accused Labor of playing “appeasement politics,” labelled Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles a “Manchurian Candidate,” and called Anthony Albanese Beijing’s preferred pick for prime minister) — the two parties are pretty much in lockstep when it comes to foreign policy.
Some of those attacks were made most vocally by Defence Minister Peter Dutton at a similar press club debate against his Labor counterpart Brendan O’Connor last week.
“We are all patriots,” Wong said early in the piece today. “Mr Morrison and the Liberal Party do not have a monopoly on patriotism.”
Key areas of difference emerged, unsurprisingly, on the Solomon Islands, where Wong tried to push Payne on inconsistency within the government on the country, and the meaning of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s comments that a Chinese base would be a “red line” for Australia.
Shockingly, we still don’t know what the “red line” actually means.
“It means that there are certain key security issues such as the presence of a Chinese military base in our region, which would be of deep and fundamental concern to Australia,” Payne said.
Wong also opened with a promise to appoint an ambassador for First Nations peoples.
“We will ensure First Nations peoples have a stronger voice in our engagement with the world, deepening their long-held ties across countries of the Indo-Pacific,” she said.
But not long after Payne and Wong had wound up, Dutton popped up with a national security update of his own: a Chinese surveillance ship had been spotted off West Australian waters.
Impeccable timing, although the defence minister fudged questions about whether the election had anything to do with things.
“I think it is an act of aggression,” Dutton said.
Every chance then that today’s civility could go out the window in the final week, as a desperate Coalition escalates its attack on Labor over defence and national security.
There was also a whiff of desperation around Morrison’s press conference this morning (which was later hijacked by a man dressed as Kim Jong-un) where he promised voters, just a week out for the election, that he would change if returned to office.
“I know Australians know that I can be a bit of a bulldozer when it comes to issues and I suspect you guys know that too,” the prime minister said.
“As we go into this next period on the other side of this election, I know there are things that are going to have to change with the way I do things.”
It was a rare moment of contrition from Morrison. But it could well be too late.
“It was a rare moment of contrition from Morrison.”
Sorry to make a negative comment on your otherwise excellent article Kishor, but it most definitely wasn’t a moment of contrition; it was desperate play acting because he thinks that it might work with the electorate.
Yes, it reminds me of an abusive man who promises to reform after he’s beaten his partner up. No credibility at all.
Special pork barrel funding for flowers and chocolates to every voter? LNP and marginal seats only, of course.
Everyone else gets a backhander and a “See what you made me do?!”
That’s exactly what it reminds me of.
Can someone please ask Dutton just how far off the WA coast that PRC warship was “loitering” and for how long? Both China and Australia are signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which permits peaceful passage of military vessels through other countries territorial waters.
I understand the vessel was 250 nautical miles off the coastline, so in International Waters, and being monitored by Defence who issued a much less inflammatory statement. The same vessel did the same thing last year to a great deal less fanfare.
A quick count and I came up with at well over 100 ships in that area of description. WA has a long N-S coastline. I am open to correction but the Australian Naval facilities are in Cockburn Sound (Freemantle for Border Farce) in the south. North West Cape in the north is an American Base. Educate me if I am wrong.
No lie To Lo for Sco Mo
It was the real deal. We know that because reports say it was flying a flag that said “I’m over here!”
ha ha ha..yes. Hardly skulking about hiding behind the odd sandhill on an island. Cunning, these commie asians. Does our bird brain defence minister really need to keep up his impression of an imbecile?? We know, already.
If we had those nuclear subs already, they would frighten it away.
I suspect a Chinese Sub was nearby – but a Dutton couldn’t spot it in his binoculars. I think he’s just panicking as he sees his prospects submerging.?
If in fact, it was 250 nautical miles off the WA coast it is not even within the Australian Economic Zone and frankly I’m surprised that Dutton didn’t say, the vessel was also engaged in people smuggling. you know, going for the double whammy.
This election has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Sounds like advice from the second-worst PM .Find your self a Tampa you can call them “Boat People ” .You can then milk the public purse for years as you persecute them at a cost of a $1 million a year each as you manipulate the racists and count their votes.
“I know Australians know that I can be a bit of a bulldozer when it comes to issues and I suspect you guys know that too”
Scott, I don’t think we know that at all! Another piece of self-positioning – I struggle to find any significant example of a bulldozer mentality in a follower who tries desperately to position himself as a leader.
I suspect he may have meant to say “bullsh*tter” which I’m sure we could all agree with!
A bulldozer on the vaccine rollout and the RAT acquisition would have been nice. Instead we got a horse and cart, but the horse was already at the knacker’s yard.
And the wheels had fallen off the cart, to complete the metaphor!
“a Chinese surveillance ship had been spotted off West Australian waters” So what? Crikey never mentioned when our troups went for an escorted sail up the China Sea. Their equivalent to a trip on a cruise ship and one enjoyed by all. This is Dutton just playing with himself like a little schoolboy down the back oval before running to the teacher and screaming “Miss, Freddy called me a w#@$%.”
“It was a rare moment of contrition from Morrison.” Contrition, Kishor? Contrition? From the man who says he doesn’t believe he’s ever told a lie in public life? Are you trying for an award for the saddest joke of the year? Or is it the most unobservant. This bloke has never done contrition I’ll bet since the day he was born. It’s not in his psyche. Greasing, faking and otherwise pulling the wool playacting is what it really is. Crawling by any other name. Total deceptiveness. This Leopards spots are tattooed on.