Posted on June 17, 2010
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s dogged pursuit of his grand vision for an Asia-Pacific community (APc) is in tatters with revelations yesterday that he has conceded a backdown on his plan to create a new Asia-Pacific community revealing that he would now leave it to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to decide how to develop the regional architecture.
The Chair of the Senate References Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Queensland Senator Russell Trood, said today. “From the time it was revealed in March, 2008, the Asia Pacific community initiative was ill-starred. There was no regional consultation, and because it was hastily cobbled together it had only the vaguest of idea of its objectives".
"Not surprisingly the concept immediately met fierce resistance from regional governments, which were dubious about the plan, but more tellingly, deeply resentful of the way it had been launched,” said Senator Trood.
The doomed APc project has cost the Australian taxpayers in excess of $1.4 million spent on consultancy fees for veteran diplomat Richard Woolcott, travel expenses, and a lavish one-half tracked talkfest to discuss the Prime Minister’s proposal.
“The Prime Minister himself admitted in an address to the Shangri-la Dialogue last year ,that no-one in the Asia Pacific wanted more meetings, there is no appetite for additional institutions; it is difficult enough for leaders to attend the range of meetings we already have,” said Senator Trood.
“More pretentious than merely ambitious, the Rudd APc vision was poorly conceived, erratically implemented and failed to comprehend the complex attitudes towards regionalism around the Asia-Pacific.”
17 June 2010
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