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Two-way ‘Colombo Plan’ for mutual benefit: Aussie Opp. Liberal Party
View(s):By Dinoo Kelleghan – Sydney
The original Colombo Plan is to be supplemented with a two-way scheme that will see Australia sending out its “best and brightest” to learn from Asia, as well as welcoming stars from Sri Lanka and other Asian nations to study in Australia, the Opposition Liberal Party has pledged.
The news comes as Julie Bishop, the deputy leader of the Liberal Party – which, according to opinion polls, could form the next government at elections due this year – arrives in Sri Lanka this week with a high-level team to inquire into the lucrative people-smuggling trade and postwar development in the north.
“Within two years, we will build a better and stronger network of cultural and trade relationships in our region, by establishing a new two-way ‘Colombo Plan’ that doesn’t just bring the best and brightest talent from the region to learn in Australia but, more importantly, takes Australia’s best and brightest talent to learn more about the countries in our region,” the Liberal leader, Tony Abbott, states in a key policy document this week, that will chart the party’s future direction.
The policy shift will work to Sri Lanka’s advantage, with Australia increasingly able to appreciate on-the-ground realities, rather than simply evaluating the priorities of developing countries through a Western matrix.
Mr Abbott’s party aims to achieve “better engagement with Asia” through this new-look scholarship scheme. “By fostering these relationships, we will develop the important people-to-people links and the leadership relationships of the future, as was previously done under Sir Robert Menzies’ Colombo Plan,” Mr Abbott says in Real Solutions for All Australians – The direction, values and policy priorities of the next Coalition government”.
The announcement is a belated acknowledgement that developed countries with an Anglo-Celtic powerbase such as Australia, need to catch up with the intellectual and business acumen percolating in the developing world. The Australian Liberals intend to develop a “deep knowledge” of Asia and to broaden and deepen engagement and relationships in the region.
“We will develop more Asia-capable talent and help Australians gain study and work experience, form relationships, learn to adapt behaviour to Asian contexts and learn to work more effectively with Asian governments. “We will develop Australia’s ‘Asia literacy’ beyond language skills. We will develop strong people-to-people relationships,” the Liberal document states.
Australia’s major parties are gearing for a federal election due by November 30, and Mr Abbott is shortly to begin a swing through the states in a mini-campaign for the polls.
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