Promises, promises: what's in a promise?

In framing his reply, Dr Mc Crae was acutely aware of a recent statement reported in the Jakarta Post by Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegawa, about the manner by which Tony Abbott promised to "stop the boats". The Foreign Minister's retort was scathing, and drew a line in the sand:

We will reject his [Tony Abbott's] policy on asylum-seekers, and any other policy, because it is not in the spirit of partnership. ... We are not accepting this for sure.

As well, Abbott's unilateral pre-election rhetoric did not go down well with at least one Indonesian Cabinet Minister and other high public officials. They rejected the Abbott modus operandi as "unfriendly and derogatory" towards other stakeholders (in particular Indonesia).

Barely one month in office, the new Prime Minister set off for Indonesia on what opponents derided as "Abbott's grovel tour", to apologise to the Indonesian President for things that were said in the heat of politics during the 2013 election campaign. It was an interesting back down because, throughout his time as Opposition Leader, and particularly during the election campaign, Abbott was so adamant about engaging the defence force (navy) to turn back boats carrying asylum seekers (if it was considered safe to do so).

He also planned to buy boats in Indonesia which were likely to be used for "people smuggling". Furthermore, he proposed to offer rewards for intelligence information on likely boat departures from Indonesia destined for Australia. Courier Mail commentator, Frances Whiting (5 October 2013), drew attention to Abbott's tangled web as he was faced with reconciling his impulsive pre-election promise in opposition, with the complex post-election reality in government:

When he got there and faced the Indonesian President face to face, the incredible delicacies and complexities of this problem became far more apparent to him in government than it was in opposition. The reality of being in government has forced him to take a far more cooperative approach. They're still giving the line that they are going to stop the boats but have become more quiet about saying they will be turning them around. We should watch this space...

Other commentators have suggested that in ignoring the dignity and respect of Indonesia's sovereignty, Abbott overlooked the sensibilities of a country previously colonized by a Western overlord. In Indonesia the distrust engendered by Tony Abbott's switch gave rise to a credibility gap between what he actually preached then and what he professes now. While Indonesia may diplomatically agree to negotiate, it is unlikely that country will readily forgive and forget the brash unilateral approach that characterized Abbott's pre-election promises to "stop the boats". It remains to be seen if the Indonesians will transcend the "deficit of trust" on this issue in future negotiations with the Abbott Government.

Despite Abbott's new-found conciliatory approach, his Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, is apparently still fixed firmly on the previous page. Ramping up his hardline stand on border control, Morrison has directed his Department to change the nomenclature for asylum seekers arriving by boat. Henceforth, they are to be referred to officially as "illegal maritime arrivals" and "detainees" despite the UN Refugee Convention. Human rights advocates perceive that such language only serves to inflame this difficult humanitarian issue by further dehumanizing asylum seekers. It is also claimed that in the renaming, the Government is trying to give the impression that refugees do not exist or have rights. Thus Morrison is accused of politicizing the issue, driven by motives of political self-interest. Predictably the Greens were quick to remind the Government that, "People seeking asylum ... are human beings."

The question being asked now in many quarters is: At the end of this term as Prime Minister what will we make of Tony Abbott's pre-election core promise and unilateral approach to "stop the boats" by:

• turning them back,
• buying them in Indonesia,
• offering Indonesian citizens rewards for intelligence information about likely boat departures for Australia,
• guaranteeing offshore detention in PNG and Nauru with no prospect of processing or settlement in Australia, or access to Australian justice, and
• considering that he changed roles so rapidly and markedly from pre- to post-election?

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

Marmion, Sir Walter Scott