Queensland floods: diplomats visit
The battered state of Queensland is getting back on its feet. Three months after the widespread floods and cyclone Yasi, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, had invited the whole diplomatic corps and many foreign journalists to his home state to let the world know that Queensland is "back in business and open for business", which he repeated like a mantra or maybe better, a commercial ad. Ambassadors and other diplomats representing 70-odd countries, including Japan and New Zealand, joined Kevin in Brisbane and Cairns between 6-8 April to listen to speakers from local government, scientific research departments and businesses, all promoting their niche. I was there as member of a group of international media, also invited by Rudd's department. The evenings were filled with receptions, where Queensland business representatives mingled with the diplomats. Speeches from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, topped it al up.
We were hoping to actually see some areas and businesses that had been devastated and were re-built but that did not really happen. It turned out more of a showcase of Queensland innovations and business opportunities on an information providing and networking type of level, held in universities, art galleries and government buildings.
Domestic media and some international media were interviewing Kevin Rudd on slightly related matters though, like on internal party politics and his views on climate change and coal industry (Australia is a major exporter of coal and powers its own electricity with coal). Although, Queensland has 54 coal mines which provide at least 20 procent of the state's income as I understood...
Rudd was the previous Prime Minister that had Australia as one of the last larger countries sign the Kyoto Protocol and was extremely active in Kopenhagen (the climate change summit). He was about to push an Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) through Australian parliament when he got 'tapped on the shoulder' by his own party, the Australian Labour Party. His then Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, became the current Prime Minister overnight. All that happened about eight months ago. Rudd was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. No ETS just yet, but there is a lot of debate about it at the moment.
Many Queenslanders are upset by the way 'their' Rudd got axed last year. What an opportunity for the man on his home turf to show Australia and the world that Rudd himself is "back in business, open for business"...
