If you ever find yourself in a foreign prison awaiting representation from Australia on your behalf just pray that West Australian Premier Colin Barnett does not come through the door.
Not only is he unlikely to put up any kind of a fight for you, after a big Yum Cha lunch he may well agree to pull the hanging lever should your executioner be off sick.
Like the prince of a Chinese tributary kingdom of the middle-ages Colin Barnett travelled to Shanghai to assure his leaders that he wasn’t angry at them over the arrest of Stern Hu – actually it was our fault as Australians for over-reacting.
Comments last night from the Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett have gone relatively under the radar, but if you haven’t seen them they get full marks for gutlessness.
While trying to sell to some news outlets the line that he had given the mayor of Shanghai a stern talking to over imprisonment of Rio Tinto’s Stern Hu, one gets the feeling that Mayor Han Zheng would hardly have been rushing off to Beijing with the message. You can read more of his comments here.
“I told the mayor I see this as an individual case and it should be dealt with according to Chinese law and every Australian would respect that.
“I made the point that we respect the Chinese legal system and its sovereignty and the judicial process and I would make no comment on that.
“However, I did say I had a concern for Mr Hu and his family and also that we would hope that the case could proceed as quickly as possible. I asked for Australian consular staff to have greater access to Mr Hu.”
Wow - strong stuff.
No mention of “gee it would be nice if he could have a lawyer” or maybe “could we perhaps be told what it is this guy is supposed to have done before he rots for several years without trial”.
But the really entertaining stuff was yet to come.
Apparently it was Australia’s fault for stirring the pot over Hu.
According to Barnett, businesses - which are perhaps concerned that their employees might end up in jail in China now - and the pesky media could be putting the whole Australian-Chinese relationship at risk. Have a look at the Lateline transcript here.
“China is more important to Australia than Australia is to China. And as Australians and people working and representing Australian business, I just urge you to be very conscious of that.
“I do have a concern that the amount of attention that this issue is attracting could in some way damage the long-term relationship between Australia and China.
“We depend on the growth of China and China continuing to buy from Australia for our economic prosperity. So I think it’s a very clear message. And in fact the message was not so much directed at China, but directed at Australia and Australian business people: don’t underestimate, don’t complicate and don’t confuse the relationship with China.”
While Kevin Rudd and Stephen Smith have been criticised for not being tough enough with China over Hu’s detention, they look like some kind of Green Beret rescue squadron compared to the West Australian premier.
Even Trade Minister Simon Crean is demanding more answers from the Chinese in recent days, pointing out the bloke is yet to even be charged with anything:
“We don’t know what the charges are because the charges haven’t been laid,” Crean said.
“We’ve been asking the Chinese government and the authorities to give us more and better particulars and to do it expeditiously.”
If anyone is confused with the handling of Hu it appears it is Colin Barnett - confused as to when it is appropriate to stand-up for wacky ideas like the human rights of Australian citizens even if it could mean a few bumps along his precious silk road.
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