Randomly Noted

A mutiny in Australian politics is not unheard of, but certainly this one has caught many people by surprise.
Kevin Rudd was increasingly unpopular as prime minister in voter opinion polls for a number of reasons—his rollback of a pledge on a carbon emissions scheme and a plan to levy a new tax on profits in the mining sector–but to remove him so close to an election, with one expected within a matter of months, is a high-stakes gamble.

The anecdotal feedback among voters so far is that the manner in which the centre-left Labor party leadership has ousted Rudd, and installed Julia Gillard as the country’s first female prime minister, was all a bit unpleasant.

The move came swiftly, and most probably in response to internal party polling that would have shown Rudd–who came to power on a wave of optimism and popularity in late 2007–would struggle to win a federal election against his Liberal party counterpart, Tony Abbott. The government was in danger of becoming the first since before World War II not to secure a second term.

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Day 2 of Australian government officials speaking frankly, and sharply, about the shameful sham Shanghai trial of Australian citizen Stern Hu and three Rio Tinto colleagues who are Chinese citizens. Monday, when the sentences came down against the Rio Tinto Four, Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith rightly described them as “harsh.”  Today came Prime Minister Kevin Rudd saying China failed to “demonstrate to the world at large transparency that would be consistent with its emerging global role.” As I’ve said again and again, we know nothing – at most next to nothing – about the case. We don’t know if the four Rio employees are guilty as charged. All we know is they were denied due process at every stage of the case, from their detentions last July to the lengthy prison sentences handed down this week. For its part, Rio Tinto is so eager to remain in China’s good graces – the mining company makes a lot of money there – that it has fired the four defendants while declining to speak out on their behalf. At least Australia’s government is saying what needs to be said.

Australia has everything going for it: abundant natural resources coveted by the world’s foremost industrial powers; banks that didn’t take stupid risks with customers’ money; a front-loaded stimulus-spending scheme that appears to have worked; a robust economy recovering so decisively that the central bank is well into a rate-hike cycle; and a decent pension and healthcare system. All this is demonstrably true (with the usual caveats) and it’s also the script to which Chris Bowen, the country’s financial services minister, is hewing to on a trip to New York City and London this week. What’s more, Australia has a refreshing, pragmatic and probably wise attitude toward foreign investment. One hears not a peep of protectionist rhetoric out of the lefty government  - which stands in contrast to their American counterparts. Chinese money has flowed into Australia in recent years as government regulators okayed the lion’s share of acquisitions of resources firms, notes Bowen, whose boss is the Mandarin-speaking Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.  Stern Hu (no relation), the Australian citizen and employee of Aussie-based mining giant Rio Tinto, languishes in a Chinese prison with three Chinese colleagues under the murkiest of circumstances. But Bowen is adamant the case won’t weaken Australia’s approach to China as a foremost trading partner. No doubt the Rio Tinto 4 is “a sensitive issue” in Australia, and Bowen says the Rudd administration “made our views very clear that the Chinese government needs to consider this is not good for their reputation in terms of doing business in China.” Chinese government officials continue visiting Australia, he adds, and “we make the point about Stern Hu on those visits. But you can’t let that downgrade the importance of the relationship.” Asked about foreign money flowing into Australia’s already frothy property market – and the sense one has that some of that money is coming from China – Bowen says, “That’s something we’re relaxed about.” Continue reading…