Carr sanction threat showed inexperience: Pala
21 March 2012
AAP / NINE MSN
AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER Bob Carr's threats of sanctions against Papua New Guinea show his inexperience, his PNG counterpart Ano Pala says.
Mr Pala was responding to a question in parliament from former attorney general Sir Arnold Amet, who wanted to know how Senator Carr explained away last week's comment on Sky News to "organise the world" into sanctions against the Pacific nation if it delayed the 2012 poll.
"We both understand that he made the comment," Mr Pala said today.
"But I understand that he made it from a place of inexperience."
The comment was met with laughs of approval from the government side.
"Inexperienced; he's inexperienced," shouted deputy prime minister Belden Namah.
Mr Pala assured parliament that Australia and PNG's relationship remained intact.
Peter - You’re dead right about the need to apply a discriminating attitude to news releases.
On the local news today, the ABC when reporting of the capture of Malcom Naden a fugitive wanted by the NSW Police for past alleged crimes and who had eluded capture for the past 6 years had the following Headline “ NSW’s most wanted man arrested” whilst the local 7 news not to be outdone went with the headline “Australia’s most wanted man captured”.
Considering this mans elusiveness and bush craft I am now waiting to see the following grab inserted.
Australia’s most wanted modern day bushranger finally captured.
Posted by: Harry Topham | 22 March 2012 at 08:50 AM
Bob Carr seems to have done it again in his maiden speech in the Australian Senate. Or is it a matter of which media report you listen to?
The SMH reports -
__________
Foreign Minister Bob Carr has revived the threat of a "clash of civilisations" in his maiden speech to the Senate this afternoon.
Senator Carr said the recent incidents such as US soldiers burning copies of the Koran and young people desecrating Commonwealth war graves in Libya could look like "cultures at war".
He said that at "times like this", people might subscribe to the notion that we were being ''tugged toward the nightmare'' that US political scientist Samuel Huntington wrote about in his 1996 "The Clash of Civilisations".
___________
On the other hand the ABC report of the same speech says - __________
"Running foreign policy is about protecting our national interest... but it is also about being an exemplary global citizen when it comes to protecting human rights and protecting the world's oceans," he said.
"To this I would like to add that in foreign policy we may also promote and defend cultural diversity - the idea of a planet of seven billion that celebrates and does not deny its contradictions."
He says Australia can do more to encourage dialogue between faiths in the region and work with Indonesia, which is the largest Islamic nation in the world.
"We can make sure that our multicultural society continues to tick over," he said.
___________
Moral - don't trust the media reports. Find out the truth for yourself. Especially in PNG and Australia.
Posted by: Peter Kranz | 21 March 2012 at 07:36 PM
Well lets put it this way, Mr Ano Pala, Sir Arnold Amet, and the $800,000 wasting buffon, Belden Namah.
The Hon. Bob Carr is no idiot. He has already stated that he will take advice and counsel from all previous Foreign Ministers and PM's of Australia on the matter of PNG.
Let's await the report from the Hon. Julie Bishop of her visit!
Then the three PNG politicans might have to sit on the streets and chew on "buai", of course not forgetting that bank accounts and real estate are not awaiting at "safe" overseas destinations.
Wake up B. Namah.
Posted by: Colin Huggins | 21 March 2012 at 06:11 PM
Inexperienced? That's a safe bet for any gambling happy Deputy PM. Better than losing money in a casino.
Posted by: Charlie Sampson | 21 March 2012 at 04:05 PM