Desperately worried, but doing nothing

Nick O'Malley.

Australia appears desperately worried about its international reputation and responsibilities, except in relation to its treatment of asylum seekers and in its response to climate change.

Those two things have, sadly, seen a positive populist response for both Tony Abbott and his coalition compatriots and now that has been even further improved both his and the government stocks with Australia’s pugnacious approach to dealing with events in Iraq and locally.

However, that increase in endorsement is not reflected in many other forums.

And just today, Nick O’Malley wrote in the Melbourne Age in a story headed: “Australia's climate stance savagely condemned at New York summit” that both Australia and Canada were not willing to pull their weight, but beyond that they were seeking to derail the binding agreement on emissions reductions at next year's talks in Paris that many view as the world's last best hope to prevent catastrophic climate change.