Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The senator is correct. The initial rotation of up to 250 US Marine Corps personnel is scheduled to arrive in Northern Australia in early April. Over a six-month period that initial rotation is expected to undertake bilateral training in Australia with the Australian Defence Force and to engage with countries in the region.

I have to say that the response from our neighbours has been muted or supportive. The Senate would be aware of comments by the Indonesian President, who expressed sympathy with the proposal and even ventured the suggestion that the training exercises be expanded to include other nations in the region; I think he nominated China. You might recall that at the 2 + 2 meeting last week it was an Indonesian suggestion that the US presence and our own forces be used in disaster management exercises, again with a suggestion that other nations in the region—Indonesia, China—be involved in that. I remember the response to the announcement in November last year. I was not here then. I was not the minister then. I was, as the House might recall, an idle blogger, posting my comments—

Senator Abetz interjecting—

It is all ancient history now.

Honourable senators interjecting—

If you are concerned with what I said, it is your option at question time, any day in this Senate, to ask me a question about it. I have not had one from them.

Honourable senators interjecting—