Aussie opposition keen to strengthen Asia ties
Aussie opposition keen to strengthen Asia ties
Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters, Sydney, Australia
Australia's new opposition leader, touted as the most serious
threat to the government in eight years, launched his bid for the
nation's top job on Thursday pledging to strengthen ties within
Asia.
With Labor's national conference pumped up by a rendition of
"New Sensation" by Australian rockers INXS, Mark Latham hammered
home the center-left party's core values, making education and
health top priorities in the battle to oust conservative Prime
Minister John Howard in elections later this year.
But Latham, 42, also urged his colleagues to unite after years
of infighting to capitalize on a lift in opinion polls since his
election eight weeks ago. The latest Newspoll survey shows Labor
support at 39 percent and the government 41 percent.
"Let's show the renewed determination of our party and our
movement to work together," Latham told a packed auditorium at
the start of the three-day conference.
With Labor's chances of winning power rising, observers from
eight Asian nations attended the conference where Latham is under
pressure to prove he can unite Labor's leftist union-loyal
factions and centrists.
Asian observers wanted to hear Latham's view on Australia's
role in Asia, with Howard often accused of overlooking the region
to play "deputy sheriff" to the United States.
Chinese Vice-Minister for the International Department, Zhang
Zhijun, said Latham was keen to build on the present relationship
with China, planning a visit there before the election which is
expected to be held in October or November.
"In my discussions with Labor party friends, they expressed
their determination to pursue this policy with a greater
strength," he told Reuters in the wings of the conference.
East timor, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Solomons
Islands and Fij also sent representatives to the conference.
Latham said the three pillars of his foreign policy would be
"comprehensive engagement with Asia", United Nations membership
and Australia's alliance with the United States.
"I believe in the American alliance but with Australia as an
equal partner, not a deputy," said Latham, who was blasted for
branding President George Bush "incompetent" over the Iraq war.
He has alienated some voters with blunt, often coarse
language, and a reported scuffle in which he broke a taxi
driver's arm.
But overall Latham has pushed the right buttons, depicting
himself as a new generation leader in touch with modern Australia
versus Howard, 64, a veteran with nearly 30 years in parliament.
Howard denied Latham's youthful appeal had him rattled.