The transcript of Foreign Minister Penny Wong's Adelaide press conference on 16 January 2026 is a disconcerting read.
https://x.com/KellieTranter/status/2012348887626137951
The transcript of Foreign Minister Penny Wong's Adelaide press conference on 16 January 2026 is a disconcerting read.
Dealing with several topics seriatim:
1. Asked about Venezuela, she's correct to say, "we do live in a time of great change and a time where strategic circumstances are moving rapidly". Blind Freddy can see that. What the government has failed to do is say what circumstances they are dealing with, how they are doing that and what their objectives are. It doesn't help our understanding when the government says they "will continue to work for peace in our region, in our relationships ... and also by working with others to protect the rules which have enabled peace and stability for so many decades" when they have done nothing to try to stop the genocide in Gaza, did not object to the US's illegal bombing of Iran or its invasion of Venezuela or its moves to take over Greenland, failed to give the Australian people any guidance at all on what it means when our foremost ally says it will no longer respect the rules it wrote to support peace and stability and will instead govern the world according to Trump's non-existent morality. They don't even try to explain to the people what is happening, let alone tell us what Australia's aims and policies will be in response.
2. In relation to the anti-hate legislation, after giving the electorate 48 hours to read, digest, analyse and make submissions on the complex draft legislation, she says "We want to get it right and we're open to the discussion". Yeah, sure. And the fact that "the legislation is specifically response to what occurred at Bondi" does not mean that it should be rushed through. The government has appointed a year long Royal Commission to look into Bondi and anti-semitism and any 'specific' legislation should await its findings. Until then there should be no discrimination between conduct affecting Jewish people and conduct affecting other ethic or social or religious groups : all citizens and groups falling into protected categories should have equal general rights to protection under our laws.
3. She doesn’t raise concerns about the reports - and admissions - that the protests in Iran were fomented, armed and militarised by Mossad and the CIA. She doesn't mention the footage of huge rallies of the Iranian people in support of their government on 12 January. Contrast this with her failure to comment at all about what is happening in the US where ICE is murdering citizens with officially conferred 'complete immunity' and genuine spontaneous protests are occurring across the entire country. There's no request of Trump "to cease your brutal crackdown on your people".
Perhaps the government should consider putting an embargo on banalities like the contents of this transcript instead of suppressing official documents that evidence its breaches, or complicity in breaches by others, of international law.
#auspol
posted by Satish Sharma at
11:14
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home