Last Wednesday in a speech to the AsiaLink and Asia Society Lunch in Melbourne Julia Gillard (transcript here) announced that the government has commissioned a White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century. Former Secretary of the Treasury, Dr Ken Henry AC, will lead the project. The paper will be informed by extensive public consultation and will be released during the middle of 2012. Gillard said:
we are now seeing the most profound rebalancing of global wealth and power in the period since the United States emerged as a major power in the world.
A national blueprint for Australia at a time of transformative economic growth and change in Asia will help Australia navigate the Asian century to seize the opportunities it offers and to meet the challenges it poses.
According to the Herald Sun
Foreign policy expert Hugh White described the speech as one of the most significant foreign policy initiatives in a decade.
It’s important to note that Gillard was not just concerned with cashing in on Asian growth. She was concerned about the negative effects of the resources boom on other sectors of our patchwork economy. She was concerned about strengthening regional relationships while maintaining our traditional relationships at the same time. China’s growth and potential is spectacular, but it’s not just about China. India and Indonesia are large emerging economies and there is great dynamism across the region.
On her expectations of the White Paper Gillard said:
Naturally, I expect a person of Dr Henry’s policy credentials will offer some well defined and immediate insights – and that these will lead to some specific initiatives for implementation during this term of Government and the next.
But the real aim is higher.
The White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century should generate a set of general propositions to guide policy development over the long-term.
To guide preparations over the next five years for major policies and projects which would become reality over the next ten to fifteen.
More detail on the terms of reference were given in a media release.
A special Committee of Cabinet will be established including external advisers.
The Australian gives a round-up of reaction around the traps.
Gillard specified that defence would not be revisited in the White Paper. Hugh White disagrees. He thinks our defence relationships with the US and our trading relationships with China are in potential conflictl and need rethinking.
Gillard also said that in her opinion “we are not on a quest for more regional or indeed global architecture.” This was seen by some, notably the Australian Financial Review, as a slap-down of K Rudd, who did not attend the launch. But then Foreign Ministers are often away. Recently he famously said that he spends a lot of time overseas because that’s where foreigners live.
Certainly the initiative was rightly seen as Gillard taking a more positive interest and involvement in foreign affairs.
In her Friday column in the AFR Laura Tingle said that she understood there were more policy initiatives of this kind in the pipeline. Be that as it may, it is hard to see Labor’s fortunes under Gillard turning around through all this worthy endeavour. This one was not picked up by the ABC on the radio or TV evening news. It got a mention on Lateline and Fran Kelly gave it a run but it was scarcely visible with the media focus on football finals and Eatock v Bolt. For Radio National listeners today’s program will be devoted to the topic, but for voter land generally I’d be surprised if it registered at all.