ID :
209760
Tue, 09/27/2011 - 16:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/209760
The shortlink copeid
Diplomat lashes Australian political scene
One of the Australia's most distinguished diplomats has lashed federal politicians over the "tawdry" refugee debate, saying it is damaging the nation.
Philip Flood also has taken aim at Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and his Howard government predecessor Alexander Downer for presiding over a decline in the country's foreign service.
Launching his memoirs in Canberra on Tuesday, the former Department of Foreign Affairs andTrade boss used decidedly undiplomatic language to describe the political scene.
"We see daily in our politics ruthlessness, intrigue, incompetence, flattery and self-delusion," Mr Flood told a crowd at the National Library.
He singled out the increasingly fractious asylum seeker debate for particular mention.
More than 700,000 refugees had settled in Australia in the past 70 years and most were good citizens, he said.
"Now both sides of politics have lost a sense of perspective," he said.
"The number of refugees fleeing to Europe are in the hundreds of thousands while the United States has over 12 million illegal migrants.
"The tawdry national debate on refugees that is now going on diminishes us as a nation."
Mr Flood said although recent governments had fostered generally strong foreign relations, they had failed to properly prepare Australians for the looming Asian century.
The decline in the study of Asian languages was particularly worrying.
"For a hundred years until Rudd no Australian prime minister, no foreign minister, no trade minister, no defence minister was able to converse officially in any foreign language.
"What a contrast with Indonesia, where a street sweeper in Jakarta speaks two languages."
Mr Flood also bemoaned the steady decline in funding for his former department.
"Bit reluctant to say this but it's true," he said.
"Two former diplomats, Downer and Rudd - they allowed the resources of the foreign service to be run down.
"I know Kevin Rudd is now trying to do something about it but as prime minister, as well as his predecessor as foreign minister - they let the resources run down."
Australia has the smallest diplomatic footprint of all G20 nations and a series of reports have found DFAT is chronically underfunded.
During his 40-year career Mr Flood also headed AusAID and the Office of National Assessments, and was ambassador to Indonesia and high commissioner to the UK.
Philip Flood also has taken aim at Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and his Howard government predecessor Alexander Downer for presiding over a decline in the country's foreign service.
Launching his memoirs in Canberra on Tuesday, the former Department of Foreign Affairs andTrade boss used decidedly undiplomatic language to describe the political scene.
"We see daily in our politics ruthlessness, intrigue, incompetence, flattery and self-delusion," Mr Flood told a crowd at the National Library.
He singled out the increasingly fractious asylum seeker debate for particular mention.
More than 700,000 refugees had settled in Australia in the past 70 years and most were good citizens, he said.
"Now both sides of politics have lost a sense of perspective," he said.
"The number of refugees fleeing to Europe are in the hundreds of thousands while the United States has over 12 million illegal migrants.
"The tawdry national debate on refugees that is now going on diminishes us as a nation."
Mr Flood said although recent governments had fostered generally strong foreign relations, they had failed to properly prepare Australians for the looming Asian century.
The decline in the study of Asian languages was particularly worrying.
"For a hundred years until Rudd no Australian prime minister, no foreign minister, no trade minister, no defence minister was able to converse officially in any foreign language.
"What a contrast with Indonesia, where a street sweeper in Jakarta speaks two languages."
Mr Flood also bemoaned the steady decline in funding for his former department.
"Bit reluctant to say this but it's true," he said.
"Two former diplomats, Downer and Rudd - they allowed the resources of the foreign service to be run down.
"I know Kevin Rudd is now trying to do something about it but as prime minister, as well as his predecessor as foreign minister - they let the resources run down."
Australia has the smallest diplomatic footprint of all G20 nations and a series of reports have found DFAT is chronically underfunded.
During his 40-year career Mr Flood also headed AusAID and the Office of National Assessments, and was ambassador to Indonesia and high commissioner to the UK.
