Friday, November 28, 2003

Downer out of touch: Archbishop Carnley

Anglican Archbishop Peter Carnley has called on Alexander Downer to lift his game, saying the Foreign Minister has put Australia into a "difficult position internationally".

He says Mr Downer is out of touch with the international community's perception of Australia over the treatment of asylum seekers and the war in Iraq.

"He thinks we live in a self-contained, little, isolated patch over here that has no contact with the rest of the world," he said.

"We have access to a lot of perceptions of people on the ground in many countries around the world and I can assure you that around the world people do have a poor view of Australia right now."

But is Downer out of touch with community? Downer says we're doing the right thing. The right thing with the alliance, preventive strikes, and asylum seekers-to protect the interest of Australians. Mind you, he won't choose to stay at the detention camps or at Guantanamo Bay, while he tries to find a way to help people including children being held without charge.

Downer reportedly attacked Dr Carnley as being "invincibly ignorant " in a speech to the National Press Club claiming the Archbishop's views on Australia's asylum seeker policy were based on the slenderest of evidence. Like we're all blind and he can see?

Unconvincing and ignorant Downer refuses to acknowledge his crimes. I didn't see it! And like most war criminals he shows no remorse for his offending behaviour towards others, because he's not in the same boat and has no respect for others in the community.

Archbishop Carnley says Mr Downer should learn from criticism given by social commentators like him. "He should be performing better as a foreign minister, he's got Australia into a very difficult situation worldwide," he said.

By Unconvincing Ignorance 28 November 03

Related Asylum Seeker Links:

JUSTICE KIRBY: JUDICIAL ACTIVISM
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Related Anti-War Links:

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U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNED TO STOP MEDDLING:
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Howard defends terror alert
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Give peace a chance
PIERS AKERMAN DT 28 Nov 02: JUSTICE John Dowd should be removed from the bench. His crime? Stupidity. In a breath-taking display of hand-wringing sanctimonious morality, Dowd has condemned the State and Federal Governments' anti-terrorism measures, claiming they erode rights and give encouragement to oppressive regimes.