Webdiary - Founded and Inspired by Margo Kingston

"He won't do any damage in his job as the Cyprus negotiator," according to Peter Galbraith. "Because one thing's for sure: if there were any serious chance of making progress between the Greeks and Turks on Cyprus, the UN would not have appointed Downer."

That's from the end of Hamish McDonald's opinion piece Downer diplomacy: if you don't succeed, bully again in today's smh.

Most of the article, though, is about East Timor. Downer's "adroit diplomacy" in precipitating the crisis, and then delaying intervention, and the negotiations over the Timor Gap oil and gas reserves, which is where Galbraith gained his appreciation of Downer's diplomatic skills.

The last dozen years has been a period of intense activity in Australian foreign policy. Some of it has been controversial; some of it has been unpopular; and sometimes the practitioners have had a moment of laughter and personal enjoyment. But always our policies have been considered, planned and founded on the principle of promoting Australia's national interests.

Downer's comments in the SMH today.

Alexander Downer is complaining of media bias - he says all his policies were considered and planned. I notice there is no mention of Iraq. I wonder just how much consideration and planning went into our role in the invasion of Iraq. This is the worst foreign policy decision made in Australia's history and he makes no mention of it.

Downer's role in the AWB wheat scandal while our troops were at war in Iraq made the Foreign Affairs department look like village idiots.

Without doubt, Downer was Australia's worst Minister for Foreign Affairs.

His legacy is a never ending war in Afghanistan. The likelihood of a war breaking out between Pakistan, Iran, India, Iraq, Israel, and the US all threatening to plunge Australia into the centre of it.

If this is what Downer calls planned and considered, give me the reasons that Australia is fighting Afghan peasants who have never be a threat to Australia.

Downer found moments of laughter and personal enjoyment. It a pity that young Australians have been killed and many families have been torn apart, no so much laughter and personal enjoyment there. How many more will be killed and for what? 

A new commission into the referendum massacre in East Timor shows forthrightly that it was Indonesia.

And which former foreign minister lied to everyone about who was doing this killing in Dili when 1500 people died?

In today’s Letters to the Ed (SMH):

Another excellent piece by Peter Hartcher ("Vale, Alexander the not-so-great", July 4), but I don't think some of Mr Downer's supporters enjoyed it. Following the article's publication, Mr Hartcher's Wikipedia entry was edited to describe him as "a staunch left-wing journalist … whose supposed 'neutral' stance is nothing more than the farce that is the man himself". Interestingly, the only other Wikipedia edits by the computer user who made the changes were for Alexander Downer's entry, often to clarify personal details and remove (well-founded) criticism.

Sean Gleeson Carlton North (Vic)

Well, Peter Hartcher’s Wiki entry has been amended (again) – but it’s a timely reminder of the reliability of that particular oracle.

Michael de Angelos, I've been trying to track down an incident involving a "late" collection of Mr Downer from the airport of a South American country, which I think led to the recall of our ambassador (or his 2ic). Can you give me any leads here?

The gall of him! Calling anyone a coward .

But it's what you expect from the pompous prat who (despite the continual moaning about the Gosford couple) was one of the worst at abusing staff at our international embassies and consulates when they didn't accord him due reverence – heaven help a driver who was late to collect his Lordship from an airport abroad. Junior consulate or embassy staff felt the full fury of this nitwit when things weren't up to scratch.

Rather than this bozo accusing anyone of cowardice, he should be apologising for sitting on the backbenches (when he bothered to turn up) and using his taxpayer funded job to seek out another position. There need to be new rules about MPs who seek election and then when finding they don't get the accolades they wish – such as another turn in government – resign. They should have to refund the cost of a new election.

Either that or hey serve out their term.

Let's see now. Dolly was attempting to beat Keating as leader of the Liberal party until he decided that their policy on domestic violence should be called 'the things that batter". He doesn't "do" cables, so much hard work adjusting the fishnets perhaps.

He still believes the massacres in Iraq were a great thing and too bad about the human beings slaughtered, homeless or destitute. I don't think he knows what an Iraq actually is and thinks it is some kind of exotic guppy.

He didn't have the guts to tell Honest John to rack off because he was destroying the party.

So when the party lose government Dolly lunches a lot, plays golf a lot, wines and whines with Greg Sheridan and Janet A. about being so hard done by.

Takes up a radio spot with the wife on redneck radio, sits on the back bench, starts a business then resigns weeks later.

And he calls Rudd a coward?

Retiring senior federal Liberal MP Alexander Downer says the Prime Minister would be cowardly if Labor does not contest the by-election in his electorate [Mayo, SA].

But Ruddy-duddy says his party-warty has "got to work these things out, and we'll sort it out in due course." So there!

Hohh! counters Magic Alex. Hohh hohh!

"If Mr Rudd doesn't run a candidate in Mayo, well then he's slinking away in a cowardly way and he should be prepared to face up to the judgement of the people..."

... times infinity! So there, Ruddy-duddy!

Only time will tell if Magic Alex lobs the most nasty, unanswerable insult of them all: "Ruddy-duddy is a just a Big Sissy-wissy...!"

Gough may have lost his memory on one cable. Poor Alexander Downer seems to have had a complete attack of temporary Alzheimers when it came to cables during the AWB investigation.

Or he caught that temporary brainstorm that affected Alan Bond.

They tell me that Nicosia has a thriving drag queen scene. It's going to be fascinating to see how much influence Alex has when his fishnet pics start to appear in the local press.

Eliot, which part of Gough was cleared of all knowledge of the Balibo 5 murder don't you get? The coroner said it in black and white so will you stop your pathetic drivel? In fact I have had a gutful of the maundering on about the Balibo 5. 183,000 East Timorese were slaughtered after Kissinger gave the nod to Suharto and Peacock said nothing because it was against the national interest.

The Balibo 5 are just five more people and not more important just because they were journalists.

And, for the record, Howard has always said he knew nothing about SIEVX – even when the evidence proved that his office knew everything there was to know including that it was overcrowded and in danger of sinking.

Marilyn Shepherd: "Whitlam was not the PM when Indonesia invaded East Timor. Full stop. Finished."

But he knew it was coming, didn't he?

Dorelle Pinch, the deputy coroner of New South Wales state, quizzed Whitlam about whether he had seen an Australian intelligence cable dated Oct. 13, 1975, indicating an Indonesian military operation was to start in East Timor on Oct. 15 and would include an attack on Balibo town, where the journalists died. Indonesia invaded on October 16.

"I do not recall reading that," Whitlam said.

Imagine if Johnny Howard said that about SIEV-X, Marilyn?

Whitlam's position was always that the East Timorese had to agree. 

Whitlam was not the PM when Indonesia invaded East Timor.   Full stop.   Finished.

And East Timor is worse off now than ever in it's history with 40% of the population still living on 60 cents a day so what did we actually achieve?

Not a lot really except to have a dependent satellite state for decades to come while we are ripping them off for gas and oil in the sea.

You can whine and blame Whitlam as much as you want but he has not been the PM since 11 November 1975 and there was no invasion of East Timor at the time.

As for the Balibo 5, the coroner cleared Whitlam of any knowledge, after all he had just been told that Fraser was blocking supply to bring down the government, hadn't he?

The following should be read in conjunction with Peter Hartcher’s fascinating analysis:

Alexander DOWNER: astrology and birth chart

Alexander DOWNER, the predominance of planets in the Northern hemisphere prompts you to reflect and imagine rather than to exteriorize your actions and to be at the forefront of the stage. So, should you wish to remedy this situation, it is up to you to force your nature to take action in broad daylight, to communicate and to assert yourself... then, you can move forward in this concrete life and enjoy your newly won situation.

…

The predominance of planets in the Western hemisphere of your chart means that you are quite flexible, empathetic, convivial and communicative. An excellent factor for many professional activities or for your social or sentimental life for example.

A definite asset... provided that you are not at the centre of the decisions you must take in your life : you may be tempted to listen to the last person who spoke and your flexibility won't always get you out of the tight spot. You are therefore advised to learn to decide alone and to cope with the consequences of your actions with courage and no regrets. This attitude will allow you to combine flexibility and action, adaptability and absence of hesitation.

…

Alexander DOWNER, the nocturnal North-western quadrant, consisting of the 4th, 5th and 6th houses, prevails in your chart : this sector favours creativity, conception and some sort of specialization or training, with helpfulness and relations as strong components. You need others' cooperation in order to work properly, although you are not very expansive : creating, innovating and thinking are what matter most to you because this self-expression enriches you and totally satisfies you.

…

Like the majority of Earth signs, Alexander DOWNER, you are efficient, concrete and not too emotional. What matters to you is what you see: you judge the tree by its fruits. Your ideas keep changing, words disappear, but actions and their consequences are visible and remain. Express your sensitivity, even if it means revealing your vulnerability. Emotions, energy and communication must not be neglected; concrete action is meaningless if it is not justified by your heart, your intellect or your enthusiasm.

Alexander DOWNER, Fire is dominant in your natal chart and endows you with intuition, energy, courage, self-confidence and enthusiasm! You are inclined to be passionate, you assert your willpower, you move forward, and come hell or high water, you achieve your dreams and your goals. The relative weakness of this element is the difficulty to step back or a kind of boldness that may prompt you to do foolish things.

Your natal chart shows a lack of the Water element, with only % instead of the average 25%. Whether you are aware of it or not, affective values bring about problems, for you or your close friends. In generally, a lack of Water does not necessarily mean that you are unable to love as much as others do, however, you may find it difficult to express the deepness of your heart and of your feelings. In the best cases, you come to terms with it, you adjust, you manage to show more affection or, why not, you pretend to be really affected?! In the worst cases, you get into the terrible habit of repressing these essential values and you tend to forget that they are the basis of the richest and strongest bonds between human beings.

…

The Mutable mode is the most emphasized one in your natal chart, which indicates a mobile character that is curious and thirsty for new experiences and evolution. You are lively and flexible, you like to react quickly to solicitations but don't confuse mobility with agitation, this is the danger with this configuration - and with you, stagnation is out of the question. Security doesn't matter as long as you are not bored. You optimize, you change things, you change yourself... all this in a speedy way.

…

The emphasis is on succedent houses in your chart, namely, the 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th houses: this configuration usually endows a personality with affective and sensitive qualities. Obviously, to the detriment of self-confidence or self-assertion, but your heart qualities may be very important. These houses also favour realization. Time and patience are part of their characteristics. However, they are only indications and you must include them in the rest of your chart in order to see whether they are validated or not!

Ian I agree with a lot of this but have to take exception with the Suharto thing.   He was not the worst monster on the planet and any vague part Downer might have played after he stopped lying has all been wasted with his scoundrel behaviour over Iraq and Afghanistan.

To their credit no ALP government has ever led us into a pre-emptive strike on another country that has caused the devastation and destruction and slaughter to rival that of Iraq.  

As for Smith, he is not doing a bad job cleaning up the disasters left by the idiot Downer and Gareth Evans has become well respected for his human rights work.

Downer will never be respected for anything.

Fiona and Jacob: I have to say that I agree with Bernard Keane's total bucketing of Downer.

Totally.

Well, almost.

I can't take on board his opening statement:

"That Downer was our worst foreign minister of recent decades goes without saying. Possibly he was our worst ever, but that’s a matter for foreign policy PhDs. "

Downer was an appalling Foreign Minister, true enough. But the simple undeniable fact is that every preceding one since Sir Paul Hasluck was worse. That in my opinion leaves Downer, that arrogant, egotistical buffoon with that monstrously inflated idea of his own importance to Australia and the world, as our best (God help us!) Foreign Minister for the last 40 years.

If any should disagree, let them choose their preferred name from the following list: Casey, Spender, Hasluck, Hayden, Peacock, Evans, Downer, Smith. (I don't think I've missed any.)

Smith has already shown that he is in over his head at the deep end, and that he should be in the toddlers' pool. The Indonesians (and everyone else) will have him for breakfast. Correction: for a mid-morning snack.

Casey, the former Governor of Bengal, was an imperialist of the old school (and the only Liberal Bob Menzies was genuinely afraid of.) Spender had only a short time in the office, but successfully crafted the ANZUS Treaty.

Hasluck was a member of that that rare species; scholar turned Liberal politician. He was accused by critics on the left of blindly following the US, and of lacking independence. But the ex-diplomat turned academic Gregory Clark in his book In Fear of China (1967) showed that indeed Australia did have an independent foreign policy: namely to do whatever was necessary to keep the US engaged in Asia. Hasluck was in charge of it. I didn't agree with it at the time, and still don't. But he was his own man.

The proverbial drover's dog would have been just as capable of tagging along at the heels of the government of the day as Hayden, Peacock, and Evans, except that the latter two will live on in the history of infamy for their roles in accommodating the Suharto regime in Indonesia during its genocidal invasion and occupation of East Timor. Downer, however clumsily, however timidly, helped terminate that vile Indonesian occupation.

I concluded long ago that there is something in the job of being Australian Foreign Minister that makes only the most obsequious and gutless politicians qualified to fill it.

I would like to be proved wrong. But, doubting the possibility of that, I can only say I wish it were otherwise.

Bliar is a war criminal kept out of court with the dopey notion that he can bring peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Both sides of the battle listen to Bliar and say "Iraq" and laugh. The same will happen to Dolly.

Hugh Pope from the International Crisis Group says the conflict on Cyprus has defeated many mediators in the past.

"I think Alexander Downer's got a lot of reading to do," he said.

"It's a conflict where everybody has to be really careful about the vocabulary used."

** jacob shudders **