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| Kevin Rudd denounces Tony Abbott's 'John Wayne' views on Syria | Kevin Rudd denounces Tony Abbott's 'John Wayne' views on Syria |
| (17 days later) | |
| Kevin Rudd has attacked the Australian opposition leader, Tony Abbott, as being from the "John Wayne school of international relations" after Abbott was asked about the escalating Syrian conflict and replied: "It's not goodies versus baddies: it's baddies versus baddies." | Kevin Rudd has attacked the Australian opposition leader, Tony Abbott, as being from the "John Wayne school of international relations" after Abbott was asked about the escalating Syrian conflict and replied: "It's not goodies versus baddies: it's baddies versus baddies." |
| The prime minister said the comment was the most simplistic analysis of an international issue he had ever heard. | The prime minister said the comment was the most simplistic analysis of an international issue he had ever heard. |
| "I think people just scratch their head," he said. "The last time I used the term goodies and baddies, I think, was when I was playing cowboys and indians in the back garden. I think I stopped doing that at the age of 10. | "I think people just scratch their head," he said. "The last time I used the term goodies and baddies, I think, was when I was playing cowboys and indians in the back garden. I think I stopped doing that at the age of 10. |
| "We're talking about serious questions of national security, serious questions of international relations, and the alternative prime minister of Australia is referring to this as no more complex than goodies v baddies or baddies v baddies." | "We're talking about serious questions of national security, serious questions of international relations, and the alternative prime minister of Australia is referring to this as no more complex than goodies v baddies or baddies v baddies." |
| Abbott has defended his comments, saying David Cameron and the former US president Bill Clinton both used similar colloquialisms when talking about complex problems. | Abbott has defended his comments, saying David Cameron and the former US president Bill Clinton both used similar colloquialisms when talking about complex problems. |
| Abbott said Labor was "hyperventilating", and argued other international leaders had used expressions such as "bad guys" when talking about international conflicts. | Abbott said Labor was "hyperventilating", and argued other international leaders had used expressions such as "bad guys" when talking about international conflicts. |
| "I think the odd use of colloquialisms is perfectly appropriate if you are trying to explain to the public exactly what the situation is," he said at a press conference in Sydney on Monday morning. | "I think the odd use of colloquialisms is perfectly appropriate if you are trying to explain to the public exactly what the situation is," he said at a press conference in Sydney on Monday morning. |
| "One thing I would never do is use a profanity in relation to a very important world power, which, as we know, the prime minister did after Copenhagen." | "One thing I would never do is use a profanity in relation to a very important world power, which, as we know, the prime minister did after Copenhagen." |
| Rudd reportedly described the Chinese as "ratfuckers" after the 2009 UN climate change summit in the Danish capital. | Rudd reportedly described the Chinese as "ratfuckers" after the 2009 UN climate change summit in the Danish capital. |
| The shadow foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, also defended the comments, using a similar argument to Abbott's. | The shadow foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, also defended the comments, using a similar argument to Abbott's. |
| "What Tony Abbott was articulating is what many foreign policy analysts are saying: the situation in Syria is far more nuanced than the ... world view of good versus evil; on both sides of this conflict are the bad guys," she said on ABC radio on Monday morning,. | "What Tony Abbott was articulating is what many foreign policy analysts are saying: the situation in Syria is far more nuanced than the ... world view of good versus evil; on both sides of this conflict are the bad guys," she said on ABC radio on Monday morning,. |
| "Both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron have used the phrase 'the bad guys' in the past. And, in fact, David [Cameron] has said of Syria [that] the rebel forces in Syria include, quote, a lot of bad guys. So, according to Labor, that makes President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron unsophisticated. I don't think so." | "Both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron have used the phrase 'the bad guys' in the past. And, in fact, David [Cameron] has said of Syria [that] the rebel forces in Syria include, quote, a lot of bad guys. So, according to Labor, that makes President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron unsophisticated. I don't think so." |
| Australia has taken over the rotating presidency of the UN security council while the permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US – are at loggerheads over whether international intervention is needed in Syria as its civil war escalates, with allegations of chemical weapons being used. | Australia has taken over the rotating presidency of the UN security council while the permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US – are at loggerheads over whether international intervention is needed in Syria as its civil war escalates, with allegations of chemical weapons being used. |
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