Wanted: an innovative Australian solution

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised the plan as "very creative", but it never saw the light of day.

The Australian plan hit the headlines immediately after US President George W. Bush and Mr Howard spoke by phone last week. But why should it fare any better than earlier schemes?

The answer is, it probably won't. North Korea is not exactly short of coal. It has estimated reserves of 1.8 billion tonnes, which it is currently mining for domestic and export markets. Further, even if there were shortages, North Koreans have learned to live with them during their notoriously harsh winters.

Perhaps what would bring the North Koreans to heel would be an offer of Australian technical expertise and capital - to help it exploit its coal, other mineral commodities and hydroelectric power capacity more effectively and efficiently. Australia has an abundance of know-how in these areas, which could be offered to the North Koreans.

Australia has a constructive role to play in helping to defuse the instability caused by North Korea.

But it needs to try harder than simply repeating the old "energy-for-peace" formula.