I agree with you that Howard and the opposition leaders in Canberra are initially against sanction, if they have control over the situation. Being responsible people who understand the economic and commercial ramifications, they will not call for sanctions, unless they have no choice and the decision taken out of their hands. However, Howard faces growing pressures from the media, interest groups, and the Australian public to act against Singapore. His position from "Australia agree with Singapore" has now moved to "Singapore to prepare for ongoing resentment in Australia, if it goes ahead with the end", a veiled warning to be heeded.
The militant worker's union, pretty quiet so far, has now joined in the fray,...calling for boycott of Singapore. This could be the fuse to start actions by other unions. If this happened, the Australian political leaders will be forced to act.
Now,...can we still ignore the Australian ugly mood for actions against Singapore and treat it as nothing serious....
My previous post examine the possible fallouts, if actions are taken against Singapore. Rather than doing nothing now and be caught with our pants down on Dec 2, it is advisable to take defensive positions now.
Bad boy.
