Bob Carr boasts about UN vote

Michael Danby

Julia Gillard must be wondering if she did the right thing giving Senator Bob Carr the job of Foreign Affairs Minister.  As an ex NSW Premier, some would say he's a very astute politician.  

The PM wanted to continue Australia's loyal support of Israel by voting "no" to the UN resolution for greater Palestinian recognition but Bob Carr has admitted to "ringing around" and boasted that more than 90 per cent of her caucus agreed with his view that Australia should abstain.

Labor MP Michael Danby is Jewish and very upset.  He's accused Senator Carr of acting like Roman Emperor "Tiberius on the telephone" organizing the numbers against the PM and forcing her to back down.

Liberal MP Josh Frydenberg said yesterday that Mr Danby's claims were proof that Senator Carr was "treacherous" and had his eyes set on the top job.

Senator Carr said "My view as a friend of Israel is that we are doing nothing for Israel if we fail to register a criticism when Israel has got it wrong.  And it was that spirit that I think over 90 per cent of the party, the cabinet, the caucus subscribed to when it endorsed the approach we were taking at the UN on the vote on non-state status of Palestinians."  


Mr Danby told the Australian Jewish News that Ms Gillard, ministers Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy, parliamentary secretaries Mark Dreyfus, David Feeney, Don Farrell and Bernie Ripoll "stood staunchly behind us" in opposing the Palestinian plan.

In Canberra yesterday, US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich addressed the National Press Club and said that both Australia and America wanted the same goal of a two-state solution.