Among the lowlights of the election campaign, few were as low as the two leaders' statements of anxiety about Chinese investment in Australia.

In May this year the Coalition declared a budget emergency, that spending and debt were spiralling out of control. Yet its response to this alleged crisis was deliberately withheld until Thursday afternoon, later still than the final Wednesday evening of the 2010 election campaign. The 2010 manoeuvre to avoid public scrutiny led to the debacle of an $11 billion costings error and the accounting firm the Coalition hired to audit the costings being fined for its professional association for misconduct.

Indonesia has figured prominently in the federal election campaign for all the wrong reasons. Instead of recognising the enormous potential in closer economic and personal relations between Australia and Indonesia, the Coalition seems intent on straining the friendship with our nearest neighbour to breaking point with its ridiculous boat buy-back policy.  

Earlier this month, CAUSINDY’s Nikkola Pickering-Rodda spoke to the Hon. Dr. Craig Emerson, federal member for Rankin and former Minister for Trade and Competitiveness. Dr. Emerson spoke about the importance of Australia’s relationship with Indonesia.