Dr Mahathir, President Bush Kevin Rudd - Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs

Radio Interview - 17 October 2003

Audio - Kevin Rudd on AM, ABC Radio (RealMedia)

LINDA MOTTRAM: In a bid to deny to the Malaysian leader legitimacy and attention, the Prime Minister, John Howard, has a general policy of not responding to comments he makes. But this time he's also again criticised Australia's role in the region.

But the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, says Doctor Mahathir's comments have gone too far to ignore.

At the same time, Mr Rudd has criticised the US, which has described Australia as a "sheriff" in the Asian region. Mr Rudd says that's "unhelpful".

Kevin Rudd spoke to our reporter in Canberra, Matt Brown, a short time ago.

KEVIN RUDD: The Prime Minister's got a responsibility to engage Dr Mahathir. He'll be attending the APEC summit soon, and any strategy of oxygen denial as far as Mahathir is concerned is plainly not working.

The bottom line is his most recent remarks are not just offensive, they're downright dangerous.

MATT BROWN: But Dr Mahathir is about to leave the international stage, and how on Earth can Prime Minister Howard affect the way he's perceived in Malaysia even?

KEVIN RUDD: If statements of the type which Dr Mahathir has just made are left to stand out there as if nobody within the region has a contrary view, this sends out a very bad message across the rest of the region. It sends also out a very bad message across the rest of the moderate Muslim world.

Countries like Australia appropriately need to respond to these sorts of remarks. It was wrong for Mahathir to describe Australia as a transplant in Asia the other week. It's equally wrong for Mahathir, in fact much worse, for Mahathir to use his current language, calling upon the world's 1.3 billion Muslims to rise up in arms against a few million Jews.

MATT BROWN: The Malaysian Government's also been critical of the way George Bush described Australia as a sheriff a couple of days ago. Now, you're not comfortable with that label, are you?

KEVIN RUDD: That's absolutely correct. But the bottom line is, the fact that you have Mahathir and/or Malaysian authorities making criticisms of Australia which from time to time might reflect problems with the way in which this country does in fact conduct its foreign policy in Asia doesn't in any way excuse the Malaysian authorities, or the Malaysian Prime Minister, from making remarks which are just downright offensive; in the case of his most recent remarks downright dangerous.

MATT BROWN: George Bush's comment that Australia is a sheriff has been explained by saying simply that he was pointing out that Australia isn't in a subservient relationship, is in an equal relationship with Washington. Given that context, why do you think those remarks were unhelpful.

KEVIN RUDD: Well the President hails from Texas, and therefore I'm sure he's given to a rich political vocabulary. I think a better term to have used in the current debate in Australia would have been to describe Australia as simply a good ally, a reliable ally, a close ally.

Now these terms wouldn't cause any remarkable reaction in this country, or importantly, across the region.

MATT BROWN: What's wrong with sheriff though, if that's just about keeping the peace?

KEVIN RUDD: Australia's strategic circumstances in South-East Asia are radically different from those of United States. Furthermore, last time I looked, we're not a superpower. At best, we are a middle-power and the way in which middle-powers do business is to work cooperatively with others.

MATT BROWN: But is that taking the way the term sheriff was used a bit too seriously?

KEVIN RUDD: Well I think we need to be concerned about the way in which this country, pardon the term, badges itself across East Asia.

John Howard's deputy sheriff descriptor some years ago was just plain wrong and I think, while I understand the political vocabulary which comes from a state like Texas, Australia's capacity to somehow act as the lone ranger in South-East Asia, frankly, doesn't exist.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Kevin Rudd, the Opposition's Foreign Affairs Spokesman speaking to our reporter in Canberra, Matt Brown.