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Labor factions muster for war, but not with Iraq

February 8 2003

Mark Latham's recent criticism of George Bush was puerile and undermined not just relations with the US but with his own party, writes Tony Parkinson.

Imagine, for a moment, that a member of John Howard's front bench was to stand up in the Australian Parliament to denounce Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad as "flaky and dangerous".

Imagine the shock waves across Asia. Imagine the stern lectures from Labor's Kevin Rudd.

The Federal Opposition's foreign affairs spokesman could be expected to deliver a dozen sound bites a day on the Howard Government's ham-fisted insensitivity to relations in the region. And he would be right to do so. So what happens when one of Rudd's senior frontbench colleagues deploys these and other pejoratives in an attack on US President George Bush?

Mark Latham did just that this week, describing the President as the most incompetent in living memory. It was a crass excursion into diplomacy by a man some would like to see as a future Labor prime minister. What did we hear in response from Rudd? Gentle philosophical meanderings about the importance of a robust exchange of views within and between democracies. After all, what's a bit of colourful language between friends?

This is bunkum. Rudd may be one of the smarter figures in Opposition ranks. But this lame effort to excuse Latham's puerile outburst should be seen for what it is - an attempt by Rudd to keep his head down, and dodge the friendly fire, as Labor moves closer to another of its epic internal upheavals. This time over Iraq.

Simon Crean's leadership is under intense and mounting pressure over the party's policy on Iraq. Labor says it will only support armed intervention if it is sanctioned by the UN. This stance is less accepting of US strategy than the approach of the Howard Government. Yet significant sections of the caucus believe it does not go far enough.

Across the party's factions, including elements of the Right, there is growing agitation for a policy of blanket opposition to Australia's involvement, whether the UN approves any war or not.

That being so, it can be assumed Latham's tirade did not displease old warhorses of the Right, such as Laurie Brereton and Leo McLeay, or luminaries of the Left including Harry Quick, Carmen Lawrence and Tanya Plibersek.

As war nears, these are forces on the march in the ALP. The Opposition is hatching its very own coalition of the unwilling.

Now, it is doubtful Bush will lie awake at nights worrying why he is so unloved by the likes of Latham. In fact, he may not be aware there exists in Canberra someone with the exalted rank of shadow minister for employment opportunity and community security.

But there is no question that Latham's denunciation of Bush was at least part of the reason for a phone call to Crean's office this week from a senior official at the US embassy in Canberra.

That the Americans took umbrage at the tone of the attacks on Bush the man as opposed to Bush's policies should not come as a surprise. Ambassador Tom Schieffer is a close friend of the President.

But before the old conspiracy theorists on the Left reawaken their enduring fantasies about shadowy CIA plots against Labor, Schieffer has been quick to go public with a disclaimer. It was not in the interests of the US embassy to engage in Australia's domestic debate, other than reserving the right to defend publicly US foreign policy. Nor had he any desire to offer running commentary on what the ALP says, does or thinks.

Schieffer gave Crean this assurance at a meeting yesterday. In return, Crean told him Labor was a strong supporter of the alliance, and would remain so as long as he was leader of the party.

Comforting words? Maybe. But the fact is that if push comes to shove, and forces within the ALP move to overturn policy on Iraq, Crean could not expect to be leader for long. That is why he, as much as the Prime Minister, needs a second UN resolution authorising the use of force.

These will be anxious days, and not just for the Labor leader. A policy turnaround by the ALP on Iraq might well swallow Crean whole. But it could also ignite one of the most divisive political showdowns in the nation's history, with unpredictable consequences for the US alliance. Latham should choose his insults more carefully.



In this section

A new leader means new hopes of peace

The thoughts of Beazley now

Now, the battle for democracy

Destroying the myths of a puffed-up regime

Its looking like Saddam's last stand

When opposition to the war goes one step too far

Leaders risk everything in a war they believe is unavoidable

Saddam is a real threat - just ask the Kurds

How Blix has failed the UN

Bush is calling for a show of cards

Washington puts UN to the test

World's despots welcome at the Last Chance Cafe

Invitation to war... by default

Driven by ego, Schroeder plays out of his league

A pragmatic Prime Minister walks the tightrope to Jakarta

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