New UN ambassador to advance Australia's multilateral diplomacy
Updated
After a year in office the Australian government has made a few key diplomatic appointments. Gary Quinlan will now represent Australia as its ambassador to the United Nations. And part of his brief will be to push for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The Australian government sees engagement with the multilateral system as a pillar of its foreign policy.
Presenter: Linda Mottram
Speakers: Dr Alison Broinowski, visiting fellow, Australian National University, Canberra
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MOTTRAM: For a prime minister with such a big agenda, Kevin Rudd hasn't rushed into change, where Australia's public service and particularly its foreign service is concerned. In particular, Mr Rudd has left in place the head of Australia's foreign affairs department, Michael L'Estrange. He's also been comfortable to leave in place at the United Nations in New York another appointee of the previous conservative Australian government, Robert Hill, who was also a long-serving minister of that government. But the Rudd government has now moved to put a new appointee into that important position, as it reengages Australia with the multilateral system and makes its case for a non permanent seat on the UN Security Council. And the choice is Mr Rudd's senior foreign policy advisor, Gary Quinlan. Dr Alison Broinowski is a former diplomat, writer and academic who holds positions including visiting fellow at the Australian National University.
BROINOWSKI: It tells us not so much about where he's coming from, although clearly he's been trusted and valued by Kevin Rudd, but it's fitting with Gary Quinlan's background. He's an international lawyer, he's got experience going way back at the UN, in New York and Geneva, he's had UNESCO experience, he knows a great deal about the multilateral area.
MOTTRAM: Given the Australian push under Kevin Rudd to get a seat on the UN security council, does it say anything that Mr Rudd is sending someone with his imprimatur if you like in that context?
BROINOWSKI: No, I don't think it makes any difference. As I've just argued I don't think he is sending somebody with his personal imprimatur. In Quinlan's marching orders will be some strong instructions about getting on with that and progressing it as well as he can.
MOTTRAM: Given Mr Quinlan's multilateral experience, as you've described it, is this an important step in terms of Australia reengaging with multilateral institutions?
BROINOWSKI: Yes, I think it is, although that doesn't mean that Robert Hill himself and his wife were not both attuned to the multilateral system. But I think it would make sense for whoever is our new ambassador to the UN, in this case Quinlan, to strengthen the position, because after all as Kevin Rudd has said time and time again, the three pillars of Australian foreign policy and the Labor party's foreign policy are the UN and the multilateral system, the US alliance and engagement with Asia and he, Quinlan now represents one of those three pillars, or takes on a part of one of those pillars, a very significant part of it.
MOTTRAM: The Australian government has also appointed a new high commissioner to its close neighbour New Zealand, where there's been a vacancy for some months. And it's chosen the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Paul O'Sullivan. Australia has had something of a habit of sending to New Zealand High Commissioners who are close to retirement. Dr Broinowski says that while Mr O'Sullivan has had long experience, his appointment from ASIO could signal something more.
BROINOWSKI: There must be huge amounts of close cooperation between Australia's ASIO and its New Zealand counterpart because of migration, to and fro, we don't have visas, and so we have to have a particularly close relationship on all the matters that concern ASIO and its New Zealand matching organisation.
MOTTRAM: Filling Paul O'Sullivan's shoes at Australia's domestic intelligence agency is David Irvine, the current head of the country's overseas secret intelligence agency, ASIS, the Australia Security Intelligence Service. Mr Irvine is a career diplomat with experience from China to Papua New Guinea and from Jakarta to Rome. These are challenging times in the ASIO role, as the Rudd government works not only on continuing to shape its diplomacy, but also on key policy papers on defence and counter insurgency. A new head of the overseas security intelligence operation is yet to be named.
