This is pathetic.
Rather than show leadership and decisive foreign policy objectives, Albo’s Wong missile landed in the middle east and exploded at home:
While the Greens and pro-Palestinian advocates demanded Wong forcefully insist upon a ceasefire during her trip, the Coalition and pro-Israel supporters condemned the government for not backing Israel’s defence against genocide charges in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the way it is conducting the war in Gaza.
WTF did they think would happen if they turned foreign policy into a domestic virtue signalling tour? It’ll stoke the hate on both sides, of course.
Meanwhile, Australia’s sum contribution to the national interest objective of supporting ANZUS, AUKUS, freedom of navigation and the free trade of commodities is…wait for it…two dudes:
The Albanese government has yet to fulfil its promise to “triple”’ Australian defence personnel in Bahrain to help combat the rapidly growing crisis in the Red Sea – and, when it does, those extra Australians will not play any role in supporting strikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
The Australian can reveal the government’s only role in “supporting” the current US-led military strikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen has been limited to one or two staff officers assigned to the US Central Command, the body that has carried out the strikes. Defence Minister Richard Marles has said Australia’s decision to support the strikes was ”not taken lightly”.
Washington already doubts Australian commitment vis-a-vis any conflict in our region involving China. In part because Canberra appears keen to placate domestic interest groups defined by ethnicities.
This was a great chance to ease doubts and boost AUKUS as a US election approaches. It should have been the priority with a possible return to a transactional Trump that will turn such vulnerabilities into dollars.
Instead, Albo shot down the national interest with the Wongky missile.
