Indonesian Government and New Zealand Greens battle over Australia
by Tim Wilson, July 13, 2011
Interestingly the Indonesia government has started to kick up a fuss about Australia’s palm oil labeling bill. It’s actually too little, too late now that it has passed the Parliament. Meanwhile New Zealand Greens have announced their support.
Neither should really surprise. The more interesting discussions are going behind closed doors. Currently the Australian government is negotiating an asylum seeker swap with the government of Malaysia. According to reports the deal is nearly clinched.
Considering palm oil is such a major export industry for Malaysia I wonder whether discussions about the Parliament’s recent passage of the bill is being included in discussions. If it isn’t there, it certainly is in free trade agreement negotiations. Neither augur’s well for this Bill standing the test of real policy and political scrutiny.
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It’s not true that the Indonesian government’s response to the Palm Oil Labeling Bill is “too little, too late.” Never forget that Indonesia has a population of more than 300 million. Remember that no man is an island and neither is Australia! Thus when the giant awakes…
You are right though that the bill may not stand the test of real policy and political scrutiny when the free trade agreement negotiations with Malaysia really gets underway.