Only a week ago, our Kevin was centre stage beating the crap out of those evil military dictators in Burma for refusing to throw-open their country’s borders to the tender ministrations of the world’s relief agencies, including our own.  

In what could hardly be described as ‘diplomatic’ language, Kevin said: "Forget politics, forget the military dictatorship, let's just get aid & assistance through to people who are suffering & dying as we speak, through a lack of support on the ground.”

"That's a direct appeal to the government in Burma.'' he said. 

Popular sentiments too. 

So no doubt it’s safe to assume that our Kevin will be burning the midnight oil tonight, whipping-up a mean storm of calligraphy to launch against our uncivilized but very rich Chinese customers, who have also politely declined foreign offers of assistance, including our own ….. 

As the SMH reported today: “China rebuffed international offers of sniffer dogs and search-and-rescue experts to help in its huge earthquake relief operation, but countries still sent cash and prayers. 

Despite whole towns being flattened in Sichuan province, burying thousands, Australian expertise was politely declined and frustrated Japanese teams were forced to turn around at the airport.” 

China Rejects Australian Rescuers 

It’s just so hard to be all things to all people, all the time ….. an all occasional man.

from Alan Ramsey …. 

Recall another Rudd Government "event" two months ago, this time sponsored by the Prime Minister and co-sponsored by the Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson. That was the 60th anniversary motion in which half the Australian Parliament - the House of Representatives - "celebrated" Israel's creation in May 1948 by a vote of the United Nations which ceded the Jewish people a homeland of half of Palestine. 

There was no debate of Kevin Rudd's motion. Simply two speeches, by Rudd and Nelson, and later a reception hosted by the Israeli ambassador.

The date was March 13. 

Five weeks later, on April 23, the Melbourne organisation Women for Palestine wrote separately to Rudd and to Nelson, asking if they would "consider favourably" similarly sponsoring a parliamentary motion recognising May 15, the actual date of the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation, as a day of "catastrophe, dispossession, displacement, exile and occupation" for the 700,000 Palestinians who'd lost their homes, their land and, in many cases, their lives in May 1948. 

The letters were sent express post. Women for Palestine also emailed each of the Parliament's 226 politicians. The group got one reply - an acknowledgement from the office of Adelaide's Kate Ellis, Rudd's junior Minister for Youth and Sport. Nothing else. 

Nothing from Rudd or Nelson, either. 

In the Parliament this week, two women MPs tried to prick their colleagues' consciences. The Greens senator Kerry Nettle and Labor's Julia Irwin, both from Sydney, tabled motions in the Senate and the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Irwin was allowed three minutes to speak on Wednesday, not in the House chamber itself but in the auxiliary main committee room. She said, in part: "Eight years ago, I visited Israel and the occupied territories. The experience changed my views. 

"Today we remember what Palestinians call al-Nakba, the catastrophe. Sixty years ago, Palestinians fled their homes to escape massacres. Can those of us in Western nations, who have expressed congratulations to Israel on its 60th birthday, not spare a moment to remember the suffering of the Palestinian people 60 years ago, and the daily consequences of their dispossession, displacement, exile and occupation? Today those 700,000 Palestinian refugees have grown to 7 million. Four million live under illegal occupation. Three million live as non-citizens in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and other countries. Palestine was never a land without a people. 

"Today it is a people without a land." 

Kerry Nettle's motion on Thursday urged, in part: "That the Senate (a) acknowledges and sympathises with the Palestinians whose homes were destroyed or seized and family members killed 60 years ago at the inception of the state of Israel, which the Palestinians call al-Nakba, the catastrophe; (2) remembers with shame the failure of the international community to prevent the bloody events that followed the unilateral declaration of independent statehood by Israeli leaders; (3) acknowledges the unique relationship between Australia and Palestine, commends the Palestinian Authority's commitment to democracy, reiterates Australia's commitment to Palestine's right to exist and our ongoing support to the peaceful establishment of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and on this, the 60th anniversary, pledges friendship and enduring support to the people of Palestine". 

There was no debate. Nettle did not get to speak in support of what she wanted her colleagues to do. What the Senate then did was throw out Nettle's motion by 48 votes to five, with 23 senators declining to vote. The entire exercise - the reading of the motion and subsequent vote - took nine minutes. Julia Irwin had got three minutes. 

Our even-handed Middle East policy. 

Little Or No Time For Palestinians In Parliament