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Premier asks US envoy to explain

By Richard Baker, Michelle Grattan
July 10, 2004

Premier Steve Bracks yesterday called on the US ambassador to Australia to explain why the Bush Administration was intruding in Australia's domestic politics by commenting on federal Labor's Iraq policy.

Mr Bracks said he was surprised and shocked by US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's claim that Labor was split over its policy to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq by Christmas.

Asked if US ambassador Tom Schieffer should explain Mr Armitage's remarks to Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham, he said: "I'd like to see an explanation... I thought our relationship was more advanced, more mature and more well developed that those statements attribute."

Mr Schieffer could not be contacted. He is due to return from the US this weekend.

Mr Latham said he feared the American interventions in Australian domestic politics risked "running down public support for the US alliance" and the Prime Minister should warn the Americans against such behaviour," he said.

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"Labor doesn't want that to happen. We believe in the alliance for the future. We want strong public support for it.

"So I think the Prime Minister would be wise to take up some of the advice that was provided by his Liberal Party predecessor, Malcolm Fraser, in terms of having a word with the United States about these matters - with the objective of keeping very strong public support for the American alliance."

Mr Howard accused Mr Latham of having double standards."It's OK for him to say George Bush is the most dangerous and incompetent president in living memory, but, dear me, if anybody says anything nasty about his party from the American side, they're wrong, they're interfering, they should butt out."

Both Mr Fraser and former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating have strongly attacked US interference after the latest Armitage intervention.

Mr Bracks said previous US administrations of both political persuasions would not have made such an intrusion into Australia's domestic politics.

"We don't try to interfere in the political campaign which is Republicans and the Democrats. Why should we? Why should they (interfere here)?" Mr Armitage told Australian reporters his comments were based on private talks with Australian "colleagues" during the recent Australian-US dialogue in Washington.

Mr Bracks attended with NSW Premier Bob Carr, South Australian Premier Mike Rann and four federal MPs - Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd, former opposition leader Kim Beazley, Stephen Conroy and Martyn Evans.

It is believed that in the dialogue debate Mr Rudd, Mr Beazley and Mr Carr supported the Latham line on Iraq.

Mr Conroy yesterday accused the Americans of misrepresentation.

Meanwhile, Labor recruit Peter Garrett yesterday appeared confused over his position on the establishment of joint training bases in northern Australia.

Asked on Channel Nine about having more American troops training at Australian bases, Mr Garrett said a "full and thorough discussion" was needed.

"The thing I object to more than anything else is that we've got Australian foreign policy being determined by senior officials in Washington," he said.

"The merits or otherwise of those issues need to be fully discussed by people, not unilaterally announced and dumped on people in the middle of an election campaign, following on from American defence officials."

When the interviewer pointed out that Mr Latham had supported the training expansion, Mr Garrett said: "If Mark Latham thinks that's a good thing to happen, he will have considered it properly and everyone in the Labor Party will respect it. No question marks about it".