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A lost opportunity on Asia

By Julie Bishop - posted Thursday, 1 November 2012


To take advantage of the rapid economic growth in Asia, Australia must ensure that our nation is regarded as a secure and reliable trading partner.

The Government's decision to unilaterally ban the live cattle trade to Indonesia sent shockwaves around the region, as other nations began to reassess Australia's reliability as a supplier of food and other commodities.

Rising union militancy was raised with me in Japan recently by business leaders who have long memories of the disruption caused to iron ore exports from the Pilbara in the 1970s and 1980s.

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The Prime Minister must accept responsibility for the shortcomings in the White Paper.

It is widely believed that was only commissioned by the Prime Minister to undermine then Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd.

Ken Henry, appointed by the Prime Minister to her staff within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, was tasked by the Prime Minister to produce the report while many senior staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs with long experience of working in Asia were overlooked for the role.

The genesis of the report was political and it is not surprising that the final report is a political rather than a policy document.

While the White Paper will make a contribution to an important debate about Australia's future, it is a wasted opportunity.

It is likely to suffer the same fate as the 2009 Defence White Paper launched with great fanfare, with its recommendations subsequently ignored.

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About the Author

Julie Bishop is the Federal Member for Curtin, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.

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