'Rudd's Asia-Pacific EU falls through'

19th November 2008

Liberal Party Senator Helen Coonan writes:

Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate

Reports that regional nations are underwhelmed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan for an Asia-Pacific European Union style forum confirms the plan’s lack of forethought and prior consultation, Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesperson Helen Coonan said this morning.

“Mr Woolcott, who was asked to embark on the project as special envoy just a few hours before Mr Rudd’s announcement, has now unsurprisingly found that over half of APEC and East Asia Summit member nations simply do not agree with the need for such an overarching organisation.

“There appears to be a general consensus among neighbouring foreign leaders that an expansion of already existing regional groups would be far more effective and involve less bureaucratic effort.

“Mr Rudd consulted virtually no-one while formulating his plan for an Asia-Pacific Community and the case for yet another regional grouping has not been established,” Senator Coonan said.

“It was another case of ‘Mr Rudd-knows-best’ involving no talks with either the already stretched Department of Foreign Affairs or with other foreign leaders prior to its announcement.

“This proposal has been offset with $549,000.

“This plan of Mr Rudd’s was a clear case of policy on the run from the start, and the Prime Minister should now admit this and drop the idea, saving time and money for the Department and for Mr Woolcott,” Senator Coonan said.

“Mr Rudd needs to stop risking our reputation as a co-operative, constructive partner within the Asia-Pacific region, with activities our counterparts see as knee-jerk initiatives that deliver no discernable benefit.”

H/T: Australian Conservative

Not so fast with the celebrations Ms Coonan, Chairman Rudd is a true believer in regionalism (and then globalism). So don't think for one minute any of this will stop Rudd from opening up our borders to Asia. He believes Asia must be shown the way. If we open up, they will do the same. That's his suicidal belief.

Kevin Rudd can't get close enough to Obama

November 5, 2008

Ever the globalist, ready to use each new opportunity to push towards global goverance, the Age reports that Kevin Rudd can't get close enough to Obama:

"Australia looks forward to working in the closest possible way in the closest possible partnership with an Obama administration, acting together to deal with the great common global challenges we face as democracies," he said...

"Given the great challenges we face for the future the world even more relies on strong American leadership into the future.

"Australia looks forward to working closely, in close partnership, in close friendship, with an America under this new Obama administration."

Meanwhile Turnbull is worried Obama is a protectionist:

Mr Turnbull said he expected no change to Australia's free trade agreement with the United States, despite Senator Obama's protectionist leanings.

Senator Obama has attacked the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and has argued "free trade" agreements needed to incorporate protections for workers and the environment.

Rudd's language is always pushing towards global governance.

Secret plot to let 50 million African workers into EU

October 11,2008
The Daily Express reports:

MORE than 50 million African workers are to be invited to Europe in a far-reaching secretive migration deal, the Daily Express can reveal today. 

A controversial taxpayer-funded “job centre” opened in Mali this week is just the first step towards promoting “free movement of people in Africa and the EU”.

Brussels economists claim Britain and other EU states will “need” 56 million immigrant workers between them by 2050 to make up for the “demographic decline” due to falling birth rates and rising death rates across Europe...

Yeah that sounds like a good idea ...