They say when a politician drapes him or herself in a flag indicates
lack of depth in policy and profile.
So was the case when the minister for travel to the Phillipines from North Queensland decided to divert attention from himself and played “the look over there” card with China.
His talent does not extend to Foreign Affairs or anything important enough to gain any form of responsibility in the coalition yet to his credit he followed the Trump script to the letter which initially was lampooned by his colleagues but then in keeping with the this government’s lap dog policy with Trump on the WHO the Foreign Minister decided with a stroke of genius to announce policy on a Sunday talk show.
No one would disagree the need to investigate the source and failings of COVID in its infancy but the TV stage was typical Trump without the twitter feed, not true diplomatic protocol when dealing with Australians biggest client.
Quite rightly our men and women on the land went on alert as in a Twitter feed their livelihoods were put a risk immediately, a position that would never have happened if diplomatic channels where maintained however not so when relations have depreciated so much one on one dialog with opposite Trade Ministers failed into stand off from both sides.
Another diplomatic fail and procrastination confirms it.
Our Agricultural Industry across the board cannot be put at risk by playing tit for tat games to appease Trumpian alliances not in our national interest.
To establish clients outside the present market with China with the same volumes is farcical in the short term and highly unlikely in the long and would send our farmers to the wall overnight, and poking the bear or dragon is not a sign of strength it’s sign total diplomatic failures to settle the waters which is what we expect and pay our politicians to do.
We all appreciate our sovereignty should never be put at risk ,but our position in world affairs is overstated particularly on home soil for political reasons for too long, and does us no favours on the international stage where parochialism is diplomatic poison.
We are a trading nation full stop but that will change post COVID hopefully with an increase in manufacturing base so we must set our own course over time and not allow foreign investment or another county’s political whims to be our master.
Skilled diplomacy with skilled people is paramount as in any business and if the customer walks you go broke.
The Lateral Hazard 