Fraser attacks Howard's subservience to US: "There is only one country on which Australians can rely absolutely. That is Australia itself. That capacity should never be prejudiced or diminished by other relationships. Great powers have a history of pursuing their own interests to the exclusion even of the interests of states that have been close friends and allies. The war on Iraq has arguably made the pursuit of the war on terrorism more difficult. The US has dissipated the friendship generated in September 2001. We have made ourselves the closest of allies in this war on terrorism and have supported strategies which make its achievement more difficult. America's enemies will unnecessarily become Australia's enemies...

"I have a living memory of what is, for many, history... Were it not for Pearl Harbour, America would probably have stood aloof [from WW11]... If America could not see the way its interests coincided with the interests of Britain at that time, until it was forced by Japan's actions, how can we believe that the US will see its interests coincide with ours? I do not believe that America, however benign (sic) the exercise of its current power, would necessarily use that power for Australia's protection. It has, in fact, become a fundamentalist regime believing fervently that what it judges to be right, is in fact right, and that others do not have anything much worthwhile to contribute. Such an America will not make friends... Do we really serve Australia's interests by such uncritical support and by such an apparent loss of our own sense of purpose and independence?"

Such a straightforward argument, and another sign of the eclipse of the Labor party that they are unable to articulate anything comparable.

Fraser attacks Howard's subservience to US: "There is only one country on which Australians can rely absolutely. That is Australia itself. That capacity should never be prejudiced or diminished by other relationships. Great powers have a history of pursuing their own interests to the exclusion even of the interests of states that have been close friends and allies. The war on Iraq has arguably made the pursuit of the war on terrorism more difficult. The US has dissipated the friendship generated in September 2001. We have made ourselves the closest of allies in this war on terrorism and have supported strategies which make its achievement more difficult. America's enemies will unnecessarily become Australia's enemies...

"I have a living memory of what is, for many, history... Were it not for Pearl Harbour, America would probably have stood aloof [from WW11]... If America could not see the way its interests coincided with the interests of Britain at that time, until it was forced by Japan's actions, how can we believe that the US will see its interests coincide with ours? I do not believe that America, however benign (sic) the exercise of its current power, would necessarily use that power for Australia's protection. It has, in fact, become a fundamentalist regime believing fervently that what it judges to be right, is in fact right, and that others do not have anything much worthwhile to contribute. Such an America will not make friends... Do we really serve Australia's interests by such uncritical support and by such an apparent loss of our own sense of purpose and independence?"

Such a straightforward argument, and another sign of the eclipse of the Labor party that they are unable to articulate anything comparable.