Julie Bishop - Member for Curtin

Realpolitik with Fiji is real contact

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Written by Julie Bishop

Published on Thursday, 15 March 2012 00:24

Published in The Australian, page 8

BOB Carr's decision to visit New Zealand on his first official visit as Foreign Minister should rightly be seen as an attempt to rebuild Australia's relationship with the Pacific region after four years of neglect under the Rudd-Gillard government.

Nowhere has the decline of Australia's influence in the region been greater than in Fiji. Now, as the country moves closer towards elections in 2014, Australia's influence and assistance is needed more than ever.

A shift back to our region as a foreign policy imperative is welcome.

Bob Carr's reported offer of an olive branch to the Fiji government is not only a rejection of Kevin Rudd's approach as prime minister and foreign minister, but an endorsement of the position long held by the Coalition.

Having introduced the sanctions regime under the Howard government, the Coalition acknowledged some time ago that a new approach was needed.

In no way does this gloss over what has occurred. The Coalition does not condone in any way the military coup or the abandonment of democratic values and the rule of law. We will continue to speak out against violence and intimidation and the deterioration of fundamental rights and freedoms in Fiji. We believe, however, that Australia has two choices: we can accept whatever eventuates or we can work with Fijians to restore democracy.

The Coalition will adopt the latter course, which means doing what we can to help Fiji return to democratic rule at the earliest opportunity. Working with our friends in the region to engage with Fiji's leaders to promote reform will be the first step.

At the last election, I confirmed that the Coalition would reassess Australia's position on Fiji with a view to opening negotiations with the regime to promote electoral reform to enable an election to take place as soon as possible.

There has been no sense of purpose or outcome in the government's stance against Fiji.

Intransigence in ignoring options other than the status quo threatens to drive a wedge between Australia and our closest allies, most of which have conceded that a new approach is needed. Only tactful diplomacy on their part has prevented them from calling on Australia to reassess its position.

The Coalition has made it clear that it will, on coming to government, engage with Fiji to seek to develop a roadmap to restore democracy and normalise relations with Australia.

There is a clear contrast between the Australian government and that of its allies in useful approaches to Fiji.

Jenny Hayward-Jones, at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, has noted that Kurt Campbell, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, said the US would "seek more direct engagement with Prime Minister (Frank) Bainimarama to encourage his government to take steps to restore democracy and freedom that would allow movement towards normalisation of Fiji's relations with other countries in the region".

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has reported that Frankie Reed, now US ambassador in Fiji, has said the US seeks "more direct engagement with Fiji's government . . . in order to encourage . . . the restoration of democracy".

New Zealand has expressed its intention to find a way out of the diplomatic deadlock with Fiji.

According to Foreign Minister Murray McCully, New Zealand needs to "be prepared to engage and to try and find constructive solutions".

Japan has called for continuous dialogue with Fiji, and China and Russia are actively engaged with the regime.

Critics of our own government's approach can be found within its ranks: Duncan Kerr, former parliamentary secretary for Pacific island affairs, sought out the US for help as Australia "was close to exhausting its diplomatic options on Fiji, to little apparent effect".

That Australia had to ask the US to take the lead in a part of the world considered to be our neighbourhood reflects poorly on us as an influential middle power.

Australia's influence on the world stage is at its greatest when our standing in the region is strong.

Our friends and allies are looking for Australia to show leadership on this issue This will not last. The time is fast approaching when they will look elsewhere.

For Bob Carr, the challenge will be to maintain this new-found interest in the long term.

He must reject the emphasis given to the media spin cycle that dominated his time as NSW premier and work patiently behind the scenes with our neighbours in the region to deliver results in Australia's national interest.

Julie Bishop is the deputy leader of the federal opposition, and spokeswoman for foreign affairs and trade

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