Downer stresses Australia's links with East Asia<\/p>\n
SYDNEY (AFP): Australia's new Foreign Minister, Alexander
\nDowner, vowed yesterday to reassure East Asian countries about
\nhis government's commitment to the region, accusing the former
\ngovernment of creating false impressions overseas.<\/p>\n
Downer, a former opposition leader, and Vietnam War veteran
\nTim Fischer, who becomes trade minister, were named by Prime
\nMinister-elect John Howard yesterday as the men who will present
\na new conservative face of Australia overseas.<\/p>\n
The two have also been handed responsibility for allaying the
\nconcern now evident in Asia about the election of a government
\nwhich, it is feared, may have less commitment to the region than
\nits predecessor.<\/p>\n
Reflecting this, Thailand's English language daily, The
\nNation, said Monday that after a \"golden era\" of Australian
\ndiplomacy in Asia it was now likely to see \"the hapless Alexander
\nDowner\" take over as foreign minister.<\/p>\n
Of the 24 men and four women who will form Australia's first
\nconservative ministry for 13 years, Howard is one of two with
\ngovernment experience. The other is John Moore, 59, who becomes
\nIndustry, Science and Tourism minister.<\/p>\n
Both served in the latter years of Malcolm Fraser's Liberal-
\nNational party government, Howard as Treasurer and Moore in
\nBusiness and Consumer Affairs.<\/p>\n
Of the 28 ministers, 12 have backgrounds in law, including
\nHoward and his Treasurer-elect Peter Costello and there is a
\nsprinkling of farmers, doctors, diplomats, stockbrokers, company
\ndirectors and small business people.<\/p>\n
Downer, 44, is a former diplomat who held the leadership for
\nonly eight months before he was forced to relinquish it 14 months
\nago amid a poll slump following a succession of gaffes.<\/p>\n
He handed power to Howard, who went on to a momentous and
\ncrushing victory over Prime Minister Paul Keating's Labor
\ngovernment at the weekend.<\/p>\n
However, Downer has had more luck as shadow foreign minister,
\nplaying a key role in forcing the government to adopt a tougher
\nstance against French nuclear testing in the Pacific.<\/p>\n
Downer said his priority would be to reassure East Asian
\nnations of the government's commitment to the region, conceding
\nthere had been damage to Australia's image but blaming comments
\nby the ousted Labor government.<\/p>\n
Downer said he would work \"to reverse any damage to
\nAustralia's image created by the Labor Party's persistent and
\nmalicious misrepresentations about the coalition's approach to
\nworking with our regional partners.\"<\/p>\n
Fischer also becomes Deputy Prime Minister by virtue of his
\nleadership of the rural-based National Party which is junior
\npartner in coalition with the Liberal Party which is led by
\nHoward.<\/p>\n
The 49-year-old Fisher, a former army officer who served 12
\nmonths in Vietnam, was described on Kerry Packer's Channel Nine
\nSunday program last month as \"the Forrest Gump of Australian
\npolitics\".<\/p>\n
Fischer, who has a tendency to speak in cliches, was the
\ntarget during the campaign of repeated personal attack by
\nKeating, who questioned his competence and his ability to act as
\nDeputy Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
Costello, who at 38 is one of the youngest ministers, becomes
\nthe new Treasurer, as expected. He made his name a right-wing
\nlawyer fighting militant trade unionism in industrial court cases
\nbefore entering politics.<\/p>\n
Another lawyer, Peter Reith, 45, was given the key industrial
\nrelations portfolio which is already emerging as the major area
\nof reform.<\/p>\n
It is also shaping as the government's first big battleground
\nas militant unions embark on a campaign for big pay rises
\nfollowing the scrapping of Australia's unique Accord wage system
\nunder which unions sought moderate wage claims in return for non-
\nwage benefits such as reduced taxation.<\/p>\n
The most senior woman is Amanda Vanstone, who distinguished
\nherself in the shadow portfolio of attorney general, but who was
\ngiven Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs ministry,
\nanother key area following Howard's commitment to reducing youth
\nunemployment.<\/p>\n
Wit -- Page 5<\/p>\n
Threat -- Page 11<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/downer-stresses-australias-links-with-east-asia-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }