There is little doubt in my mind Obama has tricked Turnbull in Turnbull's desperation to remove asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru.
Perhaps Turnbull should have been more astute and checked to see if Trump approved before accepting Obama's deal.
Latham: Obama has played dreadful role
Former federal Labor leader and now political commentator Mark Latham has told Seven’s Sunrise program that Barack Obama “put a little ticking time bomb in the White House desk”.
“It is very, very important to get the full picture here. Everyone is talking about Trump and Turnbull. What about the third person in this deal, Obama?” Latham said.
2Mark Latham.
2Mark Latham.
“He played a dreadful role in the handover period from Trump selection to the inauguration. And Obama has gone out of his way to put a little ticking time bomb in the White House desk, for Donald Trump, by forcing him to either break his election promise to the American people with this sort of refugee intake not coming into the United States, or for Trump to disappoint the Turnbull government and loosen some of the relations with a longtime ally in Australia.
“So Obama here has played dreadful role in forcing his successor into making an awkward choice between an election promise, a commitment to the American people, or a commitment to Australia…
“The problem for Malcolm Turnbull was, he went along with Obama’s trick. He went along with the trick without ever getting a guarantee from the incoming president, the more important person, that he would be able to honour it.”
Meanwhile former Victorian Liberal premier Jeff Kennett told Sunrise program that “Trump is only reflecting the view that most of us hold”.
Jeff Kennett.
Jeff Kennett.
“When this deal was announced here in Australia, I am quite sure there would not have been one Australian who didn’t ask themselves the question, why has the United States agreed to take our issue? Why? Why have they done it?” he said.
“So I think President Trump is only reflecting the view that most of us hold. We would not take refugees from other parts of the world. So why are they taking our issue?
“We have to deal with this problem ourselves, and have a way of more quickly processing it. I think you will find that this issue, we are not going to see anyone go to America. … The President gave Australia the opportunity and the recognition to be talked to along with Germany and Russia and others, so he had us in his top five, and I don’t know the damage that this is going to do to our relationship but I tell you what, we are not off to a good start.”
Sam Buckingham-Jones
Trump Turnbull phone call on refugee deal
7.50am: Latham: Obama has played dreadful role
theaustralian.com.au
Perhaps Turnbull should have been more astute and checked to see if Trump approved before accepting Obama's deal.
Latham: Obama has played dreadful role
Former federal Labor leader and now political commentator Mark Latham has told Seven’s Sunrise program that Barack Obama “put a little ticking time bomb in the White House desk”.
“It is very, very important to get the full picture here. Everyone is talking about Trump and Turnbull. What about the third person in this deal, Obama?” Latham said.
2Mark Latham.
2Mark Latham.
“He played a dreadful role in the handover period from Trump selection to the inauguration. And Obama has gone out of his way to put a little ticking time bomb in the White House desk, for Donald Trump, by forcing him to either break his election promise to the American people with this sort of refugee intake not coming into the United States, or for Trump to disappoint the Turnbull government and loosen some of the relations with a longtime ally in Australia.
“So Obama here has played dreadful role in forcing his successor into making an awkward choice between an election promise, a commitment to the American people, or a commitment to Australia…
“The problem for Malcolm Turnbull was, he went along with Obama’s trick. He went along with the trick without ever getting a guarantee from the incoming president, the more important person, that he would be able to honour it.”
Meanwhile former Victorian Liberal premier Jeff Kennett told Sunrise program that “Trump is only reflecting the view that most of us hold”.
Jeff Kennett.
Jeff Kennett.
“When this deal was announced here in Australia, I am quite sure there would not have been one Australian who didn’t ask themselves the question, why has the United States agreed to take our issue? Why? Why have they done it?” he said.
“So I think President Trump is only reflecting the view that most of us hold. We would not take refugees from other parts of the world. So why are they taking our issue?
“We have to deal with this problem ourselves, and have a way of more quickly processing it. I think you will find that this issue, we are not going to see anyone go to America. … The President gave Australia the opportunity and the recognition to be talked to along with Germany and Russia and others, so he had us in his top five, and I don’t know the damage that this is going to do to our relationship but I tell you what, we are not off to a good start.”
Sam Buckingham-Jones
Trump Turnbull phone call on refugee deal
7.50am: Latham: Obama has played dreadful role
theaustralian.com.au