Tuesday, August 10, 2010

[pima.nius] Gillard's absence at forum puts Key in firing line

1:18 PM |

Gillard's absence at forum puts Key in firing line

By Claire Trevett - The Dominion Post

Prime Minister John Key has found himself in the unusual position of having to defend Australia's record in the Pacific in the absence of his Australian counterpart at the Pacific Islands Forum.

With an election looming, Australia's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has stayed at home and several reporters at the forum in Vanuatu have instead turned to Mr Key, asking him whether or not Australia had neglected the Pacific and what his thoughts on the election outcome were.

After staying in Kevin Rudd's shadow at last year's forum in Cairns, this year Mr Key has also had to front on Fiji after claims by its interim ruler Frank Bainimarama that Australia and New Zealand were not real Pacific countries.

Mr Key was asked about claims the Rudd government had neglected to make gains in its time as chair of the Pacific forum and the faltering of a pilot seasonal employment scheme similar to New Zealand's RSE scheme.

Ms Gillard was also criticised by some for not attending the forum and instead sending Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith.

Mr Key said he rejected the assertion Australia was not committed to the region, saying that in the time he had worked with Australia's government it had been "very focused" on the Pacific and offered support and assistance.

He tacitly acknowledged there were problems with Australia's seasonal employment scheme by offering New Zealand's help. He said New Zealand had proven the scheme could work "and we're happy to work alongside the Australians, if it would help them".

He would not be drawn into predicting an election outcome, saying only "it looks like it's going to be close. Who knows, I'll leave that to the Australian people".

Mr Key met Ms Gillard's fill-in, Mr Smith, yesterday to talk about issues due to be raised at the Leaders' Retreat today. Fiji will again be discussed and Mr Key said the other leaders appeared to be united in the view that Fiji should remain suspended from the forum until elections were evident.

The progress of regional free-trade talks and measures to make the most of new funding for small countries to cope with climate change are on the agenda.

Four of the 16 Pacific region leaders are not attending the annual meeting which is usually considered one of the most important on the Pacific calendar.

Others absent were Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua, remaining at home for elections yesterday, and Tuvalu Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia who was preparing for elections next month. Papua New Guinea's Sir Michael Somare pulled out at the last minute to deal with trouble in his government. 

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pacific islands media association
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aotearoa, new zealand
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