Diplomatic void clouds Labor's climate summit bid
Climate change ambassador Kristin Tilley left her post on June 27, but the government has yet to find a replacement. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is recruiting for the role, but has not set a date for the appointment of a new ambassador.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Michaelia Cash: Anthony Albanese's Palestinian statehood push is a reward for terror
When Anthony Albanese announced that Australia would unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, he claimed it was a 'practical contribution to peace'. It was nothing of the sort. It was a gift to Hamas, proof of which came just 48 hours later when Mr Albanese was praised by the terrorist group for his decision. When terrorists congratulate your foreign policy, you are doing something very wrong. The endorsement of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, co-founder of the terrorist group Hamas, of Mr Albanese's decision to recognise Palestine as a state should horrify all Australians. That's the same listed terrorist organisation responsible for the massacre of October 7, the kidnapping of hostages, and the ongoing rocket fire into Israel. You do not achieve peace by rewarding terrorists. All Australians should be appalled at the massive propaganda victory Mr Albanese has handed Hamas on a platter. Mr Albanese has been proven to be completely out of his depth on this vital foreign policy matter. He told Australians Hamas would reject his position to recognise a Palestinian state. The decision does not make the world a safer place, expedite the end of the conflict, deliver a two-state solution, see the free flow of aid, support the release of hostages or put an end to the terrorist group Hamas. Mr Albanese's decision is effectively unconditional recognition. It will go ahead in September, no matter what. Recognition before the hostages are freed, before Hamas is defeated, and before any security guarantees are in place is not diplomacy. It is dangerous naivety. It hands Hamas one of the strategic objectives they sought when they unleashed their campaign of terror in 2023. Recognition should come at the end of a genuine peace process, not at its beginning. It should be the culmination of negotiations in which both sides make real compromises, leading to a secure Israel and a secure Palestine living side by side. That was the bipartisan consensus in this country for decades. By breaking from that cautious, measured approach, Mr Albanese has abandoned the position that recognition must be conditional on the renunciation of terrorism, the release of hostages, and the recognition of Israel's right to exist. If recognition is to mean anything, it must be tied to clear, enforceable conditions. Mr Albanese himself has said these include: no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian state; full demilitarisation; recognition of Israel's right to exist in peace and security; free and fair elections; governance reform, financial transparency, and education oversight to prevent incitement to violence. But here's the problem: none of these conditions have been met. And worse still, Mr Albanese has given no timetable for when they must be. How will these conditions be enforced? What proof will be required? And if they are broken, will recognition be revoked, or will Labor simply turn a blind eye? These are basic questions any serious government would answer before making a major foreign policy decision. Mr Albanese has answered none of them. In truth, the Palestinian Authority, which Mr Albanese claims can deliver these guarantees, has a poor record of honouring its commitments. It has failed to comply with the Oslo Accords, continues to make payments to convicted terrorists and their families, and has not held proper elections in nearly 20 years. Worse, just last year, the Palestinian Authority signed the 2024 Beijing Declaration with Hamas, agreeing to form an interim unity government that would include Hamas, the very terrorists Labor now says will have 'no role' in a Palestinian state. Polling from the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research — based in Ramallah — shows about 40 per cent of Palestinians currently support Hamas. In Gaza, almost half still back them to govern. Recognising a Palestinian state now risks legitimising a terrorist organisation with significant public support, entrenching their power rather than isolating them. The US has been clear: it does not support unilateral recognition. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that similar recognition by France actually caused talks with Hamas to collapse. Mr Albanese should also answer a simple question: what state is he recognising? A state with no agreed borders? No single government in control of its territory? No demonstrated capacity to live in peace with its neighbours? Australians want the war in Gaza to end. So do I. But that will not happen because of a symbolic gesture from Canberra. It will happen only when the conditions for peace are in place — and that means removing Hamas from the equation entirely. Until then, recognition is not just premature. It is reckless. And the Albanese Government's decision will be remembered as a political gesture that rewarded terror, weakened our alliances, and made lasting peace harder to achieve.
Sky News AU
5 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Labor's economic roundtable ‘cooked before it begins': Paul Murray
Sky News host Paul Murray says the Albanese government's flagship economic roundtable is 'cooked before it begins'.
West Australian
7 hours ago
- West Australian
Anthony Albanese deflects criticism over Palestinian recognition move, says media and Ley fed Hamas propaganda
Anthony Albanese has deflected criticism he has emboldened terrorists by advancing Australia's recognition of Palestinian statehood, and blamed others for the political storm it evoked. The Prime Minister instead pointed the finger at the Australian media and the Opposition for feeding into 'Hamas propaganda' after the terrorist group issued contradictory statements about his decision. Despite the confusion, Opposition leader Sussan Ley intensified her criticism of the PM saying he was 'making a real mess of this' and called for him to 'get back to domestic matters'. 'The Prime Minister has said he's not a cheerleader for Hamas. The problem is, that Hamas is a cheerleader for him,' she told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday. 'They're calling our Prime Minister a man of courage on a day when a terrorist organisation calls our Prime Minister a hero, surely he has to think about reversing the decision that led to that. 'It is time for the Prime Minister to get back to important domestic matters.' Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef had lauded Australia on the move in a statement to Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday, saying the PM displayed 'political courage'. The comments unleashed a wave of criticism borne out of the idea that Australia's foreign policy was being praised by terrorists. Hamas disowned the statement by Thursday morning, posting on its Telegram channel the group 'denies the issuance of any statement'. But in a twist, the terrorist group had reverted their stance by the afternoon. Jumping on the confusion in a defensive morning press conference, Mr Albanese hit out at the media for what he claimed was 'publishing propaganda'. 'They say that the alleged statement from the person yesterday was someone who's been in prison in Israel … since October 2023 and has no means of communication,' Mr Albanese said. The SMH later clarified that quotes from the senior Hamas official were supplied by 'Yousef's political office in Beituina, a town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, which issues statements on his behalf'. Reporter Matthew Knott also confirmed again on Thursday Yousef's office had released the statement and that he would soon be released from jail. The paper's stablemate the Australian Financial Review published the statement from Hamas denying the comments, saying Yousef had been in jail since October 2023 with 'no means of communication with any local or international press outlets'. However, late on Thursday Hamas issued another statement to the ABC, this time from media director Ismail Al-Thawabta lauding Labor's call. 'Such a move reflects a growing global awareness of the necessity to end the injustice suffered by our people for decades,' the terror group's spokesman told the public broadcaster on Wednesday. 'We call on the Australian government to translate this recognition into concrete actions – by exerting diplomatic pressure to end the Israeli occupation.' Earlier in the day, Mr Albanese cautioned the media against disseminating propaganda before moving on to attack the Opposition for being critical of his call to recognise statehood at UN leaders meeting next month. He even came prepared to his defensive press conference with a list of pro-Palestione quotes his political rival Ms Ley made in 2011. The Coalition have long supported the two-state solution with Israel and Palestine but has criticised the PM for declaring he would recognise Palestinian statehood in September when listed terrorist organisation Hamas is still in control of the region. 'We do support a two-state solution, but we don't support it outside of a proper peace process and a proper two-state process,' Ms Ley said. Ms Ley's criticisms were not just for the pathway for lasting peace in the Middle East but also putting Australia's relationship with our closest ally, the US, in jeopardy. She called the PM a 'bystander' in the alliance. 'It's vital that the Prime Minister addresses this issue because right now the relationship between Australia and the US feels as if it is drifting,' she said. The Coalition also called on Mr Albanese to 'urgently explain' why he refused a US request to sign a joint-nation statement condemning anti-Semitism in the wake of the terror attack on October 7, 2023.
