How many times has Jacki Abbott criticized Abbott for all sorts of things in this regard?? Prime Minister Tony Abbott has achieved in six short months what Labor failed to achieve in six years. Remember KRudd prior to the 2013 election flapping “IN MY OPINION” Tony Abbott doesnt have what it takes to compete on the international stage. Of course Rudd had to say something and we expected nothing less than utter stupidity from him. Yesterday Tony Abbott signed off on a free trade agreement with Japan; this can only be a good thing for Australia. We now have a Prime Minister of class representing us internationally. One for the album as kinship goes up a gear DAVID CROWE | The Australian | PM Abbott Japan 7th April PM Tony Abbott with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe as he meets with members of Japans National Security Council in Tokyo, Japan. Abbott describes Japan as Australia’s “best friend in Asia”. Source: News Corp Australia A PHOTO album and a set of bike gears helped Tony Abbott and Shinzo Abe last night seal an alliance in Tokyo that is as much about strategic security interests as it is about trade. The two prime ministers exchanged gifts over a rare private dinner that strengthened a personal bond that has an indirect heritage in Abe’s friendship with John Howard and their 2007 agreement on trade and defence. Highlighting the sweep of history in their meeting, Abbott gave his counterpart an album of 32 photos from Australian archives showing Abe’s maternal grandfather, former Japanese prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, visiting Canberra in 1957 to sign an economic partnership with Robert Menzies. Abe instantly opened the gift — a rare move in Japan — and leafed through the pictures. “This will mean a lot to my mother,” he said, according to sources. The gift to Abbott was more practical than emotional: electric bicycle gears from Shimano, a flagship employer in Abe’s own electorate near Hiroshima. While other leaders may have eventually finalised a trade deal, there is no doubt that the rise of Abbott and the return of Abe presented an opportunity to get it done fast. Abbott is now vindicated in his decision last year to put a deadline on free trade agreements with Japan, Korea and China. He now has two out of three. Abe needed a strong outcome on trade to prove that his “three arrows” policy — monetary stimulus, fiscal stimulus and economic reform like trade liberalisation — can deliver growth. But there will be a far deeper impact from the past few days: shaping regional security. Abbott was the first foreign leader to attend a full meeting of Abe’s national security council of cabinet ministers, then agreed on talks over the year ahead on sharing military technology. The entire Japanese cabinet turned up for Abbott’s ceremonial welcome yesterday morning. There is no doubt the relationship between the two countries is being taken to a new level, just like the personal connection between the two leaders. The contrast with China is striking as Abbott heads to Boao, Shanghai and Beijing. The Chinese free trade agreement is moving slowly and China’s territorial ambitions are a source of concern. When Abbott describes Japan as Australia’s “best friend in Asia” it is not empty rhetoric.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 23:49:11 +0000
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