From years and years of working in countries engaged in civil war and recovering from war such Timor Leste, Cambodia, VietNam and Afghanistan and work with Pacific Islands nations I have been aware how much Australia must be Independent and Peaceful facilitator of health, environment and prosperity in our region. Australia is compromised by being engaged with an increasing difficult USA and it has not served us to be with it in such recent engagements in Iraq, Afghanistan and longer ago, VietNam. I am also a Quaker deeply convinced that the way to Peace is Peace. And that we will be trusted and consulted when we are independent. The Asia-West Pacific region requires an Independent politics and future.
So in this submission I make a serious and engaged request thaat all Australia’s policies from now be directed to becoming a Peaceful and Independent Nation.