CANBERRA (Pacnews) — The South Pacific has become an arc of instability under John Howard’s leadership, Labor claims, The Australian reports.
Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd yesterday scoffed at the Prime Minister’s plans to tackle problems such as corruption and poverty in the region as part of a decades-long commitment.
Howard had earlier told a Sunday newspaper: “The South Pacific has the enduring problems of poverty, bad governance and corruption ... We’re trying to do something about (all these things). It’s in our interests strategically, historically and sentimentally.
“If we can play an effective stabilizing role in the Pacific region, I can assure you that is mightily important to the Americans and to our allies in Europe.”
But Rudd said that after 11 years in office, Howard was only now talking about a new plan for the troubled region.
“We have political implosion in East Timor. We have a rolling bilateral political crisis between Australia and Papua New Guinea. We have Vanuatu also in difficulty, the Solomon Islands (have a) very difficult relationship with Australia and, of course, the recent developments (of a coup) in Fiji,” Rudd said.
“In the period of Howard’s prime ministership, the southwest Pacific has become an arc of instability.”
Rudd said measures to reverse some of the region’s problems should include removing a ban on ministerial meetings between Australia and PNG.
Australia last year suspended ministerial contact in retaliation for PNG’s role in helping Australian fugitive and alleged pedophile Julian Moti escape custody from Port Moresby and travel to Solomon Islands.