The deputy sheriff rides again
Sep 12, 2024
In recent days, Australia’s ‘”deputy Sheriff” role has been on full display again in our foreign policy. The prime minister’s extraordinary gaff at the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum, when caught out joshing along with US Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, would have been noted not just among Pacific Island leaders, who would be entitled to feel belittled by Australia, but also across the region.
It was not just the prime minister’s gushing in the presences of great and powerful friends, but the extraordinary arrogance of Campbell telling Anthony Albanese that he had “cleared the lane” for Australia so we should now “take it”.
The sheriff had spoken, and Australia’s leader was seeking brownie points, and “halvies”, for having delivered. It was interesting that Campbell said he was acting at the request of Australia’s ambassador to Washington, rather than our foreign minister. This was a rare and telling insight into whom Campbell believes makes foreign policy for Australia’s most important relationship.
As if the Tonga Incident were not enough, Foreign Minister Penny Wong felt it necessary to reassure the US in her keynote speech at the AFR’s Asia Summit last week that alliance maintenance was Australia’s highest priority when approaching the Asian region. As if it were ever in any doubt.
It is well known that DFAT doesn’t like to re-type the page of its talking points as, for example, can be seen from the minister still saying the government is “stabilising” the relationship with China, even though we have had reciprocal head of government visits, and frequent ministerial exchanges and other meetings. It is well past time to move on.
Endlessly reasserting the primacy of the US alliance for Australia’s foreign and security policy seems hardly necessary when this government has so fulsomely embraced the abrogation of Australia’s independence with AUKUS and offering Australia up for forward basing of US strategic weapons.
Who is the audience and what is the purpose of this incantation? Beijing certainly knows Australia is glued to the hip of the US. It is likely regional countries have also worked this out. All our actions speak much louder than the foreign minister’s words in this respect. And our ambassador in Washington would have left no one in any doubt that we relish our role as deputy sherif.
Describing Australia as the US’ “deputy sheriff” in the region was attributed to John Howard during an interview early in his term as prime minister. The then Labor Opposition pounced on this; Howard was ridiculed across the country.
It is disputed whether Howard actually said those words. In any event, some earlier positions he took made them unnecessary. Howard, for example, was the only world leader to back publicly Bill Clinton’s sending two aircraft carrier groups through the Taiwan Straits following an unprovoked firing of live missile salvos by China at Taiwan.
And soon after the “deputy sherif” furore, Howard marched Australian troops off to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of deeply flawed US hegemonic objectives.
Wong’s AFR speech also sought to emphasise the importance of building a network of bilateral and minilateral relations across the region as a bulwark against an inexorably rising China. She recounted at some length the history of Australia’s post-colonial relations with non-aligned Indonesia. But as Greg Earl said of her speech in a recent Lowy report, “ostentatiously praising Indonesian non-alignment while elevating the US alliance above partnering with the region” would raise eyebrows in Jakarta.
Prioritising the US is a reflex in Australian foreign policy which cuts across good intentions and real efforts to build closer relations with the region. When, for example, elevated rotations of US marines were announced in 2011 in Darwin by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and President Barak Obama, Indonesia had clearly not been given a heads up as would be normal diplomatic practice in a relationship of mutual trust, especially with one’s closest neighbour.
When asked by an intrepid ABC journalist what Indonesia thought of the announcement, the ANU-educated Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, angrily stared down the barrel of the camera and said “he was not aware Australia saw Indonesia as an imminent military threat”.
Prioritising the US has also constrained Australia’s response to Gaza in ways that sets us apart from Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Australia had an opportunity to join with five European states recently to recognise the state of Palestine, but declined to do so.
Similar indifference to regional sensitivities on the Middle East saw former Prime Minister Scott Morrison offend Australia’s Islamic neighbours when, during the Wentworth byelection several years ago, he announced without any forewarning that Australia would follow the US and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
While AUKUS has received a mixed reaction in the region, the symbolism and messaging it conveys are clear: priority for the US alliance over any other relations with the region. With the government’s commitment to AUKUS, it is hardly necessary, therefore, for the foreign minister to keep emphasising US primacy in our foreign policy settings. As James Curran observed in these pages, the Australian Government speaks with a “forked tongue” on regional engagement.
For Australia to have the thick, resilient, sinews of relationships across ASEAN to which the foreign minister seems genuinely to aspire, the government’s mindset will need to move beyond the deputy sheriff role. We have done that in the past on occasions, and Wong’s speech highlighted some important examples from early post-colonial Indonesia.
Disappointingly, she chose to ignore one of the most important occasions when Australia stood with Indonesia to resist US pressure. This was during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-8. This was led by Treasurer Peter Costello. It is hard to see this happening again today if faced with a similar circumstance.
Wong’s theatrical world-weariness when she delivered her AFR Asia Summit speech portrayed jadedness rather than thoughtfulness. The government’s approach embraces contradictions, as betrayed by words and actions (or lack of them). Acting as the deputy sheriff is instinctive.
Geoff Raby was Australia’s Ambassador to China from 2007-11, during which he visited all provinces in China officially. He served in Beijing as First Secretary (Economic) and then Counsellor (Economic), 1986-91. He was Ambassador to the WTO in Geneva, Ambassador to APEC, and Deputy Secretary, 2003-07. He was also head of the Trade Policy Issues Division of the OECD, Paris, 1993-95. He is a non-executive independent director of ASX listed-companies Yancoal, where he chairs the Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee, and sits on the Board of the Gavan Foundaton.
His most recent book, Great Game On: the contest for central Asia and global supremacy, was published by Melbourne University Press on 12 November 2024. His previous book was China’s Grand Strategy and Australia’s Future in the World Order (MUP Nov 2020). He regularly contributes op eds and travel writing to the Australian Financial Review. He holds a PhD in economics. He was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) in June 2019 for services to Australia-China bilateral relations and to multilateral trade.
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