Labor needed for Asian ties: Keating
Labor needed for Asian ties: Keating
SYDNEY (AFP): Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating said yesterday Asian leaders such as Indonesian President Suharto would not take seriously a government led by his election rival, John Howard.
Southeast Asian nations did not believe Howard's conservative coalition was serious about forging close regional ties, he said. This was because the opposition still looked to the United States and Britain as Australia's main allies.
"President Soeharto will very properly meet the prime minister of Australia but he will not seriously negotiate with Mr Howard," Keating told reporters.
Jakarta would not have agreed to the bilateral security treaty signed in December if it had been proposed by a coalition government, he said.
Keating's Labor government is approaching a March 2 election lagging Howard's coalition of the Liberal and National parties in opinion polls.
The opposition leader reacted yesterday by questioning Keating's grip on reality.
"Is he going to say that (U.S. President) Bill Clinton will put a black ban on me, or will I not be allowed into certain Asian countries? Is he really saying that? Dear dear me, what next?" Howard told reporters.
"Perhaps I'm going to be declared a prohibited visitor to certain countries. The man is losing his grip," Howard said.
Engagement with Asia has been a prime foreign affairs focus for the Keating government, which believes closer regional ties promote Australia's trade as well as defense interests.
As well as the ground-breaking security agreement with Indonesia, the Labor government has promoted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) initiative which groups some of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Keating has also forged close personal relationships with regional leaders such as Soeharto and Singapore's Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Australian business said yesterday that these ties would not be endangered by a Howard government.
"Asians are very, very pragmatic people," said Paul Gallagher, the executive director of the South-East Asian Business Council, which is a branch of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"I'm sure John Howard is as capable as anybody of establishing personal relationships with the leaders of these countries."
Goh said last month he would be sorry if Keating lost the prime ministership.
"We have got the same vision for the region," he said then. "In a personal sense I would be sorry to see anybody go, and I know Paul Keating very well."