When interviewing Bob Carr via telephone from his office in Sydney, he kept citing his book Run For Your Life. Published in 2018, I had not heard of it. However, before even reading it I was taken aback by this former foreign minister who was also New South Wales longest serving premier. It was what his assistant Margo pointed me to, on the back cover, in small print – that all proceeds are donated to the children displaced by the Syrian Civil War.
Bob Carr’s time in politics has been marked with its ups and down. His office showcases the mass of experience he has had in both state, federal and international politics. With shelves lined with photos of world leader such as Vladimir Putin, a moment captured with the late Gough Whitlam, and signed photos of people like Christine Lagarde, Carr’s is a rich career with much insight.
AUSTRALIA’S PLACE IN ASIA
The current U.S.-China trade war is adversely affecting Australia and the entire world, creating more uncertainty in global markets. This was seen with $63 billion wiped off the Australian stock market on 15 August and an increased risk of recession. The United States recently retaliated with President Trump increasing all tariffs by a further 5%. In can be argued that both the United States and China are trying to seek favour with Australia who is an important middle power with a strategic geopolitical position as a western nation in the Asia-Pacific.
Following the AUSMIN Conference with the United States in Sydney which saw Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visit, Mr. Carr described the event as a tool to “recruit [Australia] for a more adversarial stance against China.” Increased attention, including the state visit of PM Morrison to the United States, was described as:
“America enlisting us for a tech war, trade war and who knows what else as part of an adversarial stance against China.”
Yet, Mr. Carr, who was director of the China-Australia Research Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, claimed this was futile as “America will not succeed in containing China’s rise”. This was also explored this in the aforementioned book, in which he describes his walk-through Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, as something of great modernity, comparable with Hong Kong, Singapore, and the West.
However, it is current concerns with Hong Kong that question the conduciveness of Australia’s values to those of the administration in Beijing. Recently, we saw the first gun shots in the former British colony in the midst of protests surrounding assurances of their rights under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. When asked about this, Mr. Carr noted how “our values have differed with China right through”, starting from PM Whitlam’s visit to China in 1971 while leader of the opposition.
“You never surrender your own values, but you never insist to adopt them… diplomacy was invented so you have a relationship with states you disagree with.”
With ongoing tensions with the U.S. and the flaring of protests and violence due to the recent extradition laws, Mr. Carr has warned that the Australian Government needs to “seize every diplomatic opportunity” with the “motivation [being] our economic wellbeing”. Again, going back to his book:
“Australia in dealing with China should not forget our own values, and we’re entitled to raise human rights at any meetings with Chinese leadership… I won’t be abandoning an optimistic vision because of a whispered word invoking one of our security agencies…”
So it seems that a more active role is diplomatic relations is a solid path forward for Australia in trying to protect our interests and calming the tensions which have flared as of late.
ACTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
During his tenure as Foreign Minister, Mr. Carr oversaw Australia’s re-positioning of Middle Eastern policy, namely supporting Palestine in their efforts to get observer status at the UN. In an article in The Australian last month, he warned of following the United States into any new strategy against Iran in-light of current action around the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Mr. Carr cited caution with President Trump “not adhering to international rules” and “making its own rules on the run”. Instead, he claimed we should “cleave to the European position” and restate support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the agreement signed in 2015 by the permanent five members of the Security Council, Germany, the EU and Iran.
While hesitating to answer questions regarding the likelihood of war and the seriousness of the issue, Mr. Carr warned that we must “cool a situation that could escalate into a real shooting war”. Without a diplomatic response to this “fragile situation”, it seems this could result in a reoccurrence of 18 years ago.
LOOKING HOME – THE LABOR PARTY’S RECOVERY
Bob Carr had the great task of rebuilding the NSW Labor Party after losing government in 1988. With an immense array of experience as party leader and premier of New South Wales, Carr’s pragmatism meant he was unwilling to answer specific questions about issues with Labor and what needs to change in order for them to win the next federal election. This is ultimately understandable.
In a very diplomatic response, Mr. Carr asserted “every political situation is very different” with “circumstances beyond your control”. He claimed that he had not believed a Labor victory was inevitable.
Carr noted “polling is becoming too hard”. Additionally, “right wing populism seems to be running strongly” with leaders such as President Trump. In conjunction, it seems these elements make the election of parties with left-wing policies more unlikely in the short term. But looking to the future rebuild of the Labor Party, maybe his book provides the most useful advice. He recalled his own time taking over as leader of a shattered party in 1988:
“…To face a confident government with a bulging majority. It’s going to be hard. But a party’s got to be led. Make the best of it. Your motivation is fear. The odds may seem staked, the chances of success seems little. You feel you are living a role cast as a loser. Well, simply resolve to beat fate. For your own self-respect. For your own party. The alternative is the abyss.”
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
At the time of our interview, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was held in Sydney, attracting speakers like Nigel Farage, Tony Abbott, and Mark Meadows. When asked about the move towards populism, Mr. Carr demonstrated support for the conference’s occurrence, noting he was “more in favour of freedom of speech”. I didn’t expect a former Labor politician to spout these words in response to a conservative-based conference. What this signifies is that in this divisive world, there are still leaders who will try to understand the other side and reach a compromise. While political analysts may reflect upon his record differently, his current message of open dialogue in this period of uncertainty is admirable.
