The fiasco over a potential Jerusalem embassy move has continued to roll on unabated, as the Liberal Party wars over whether it should pursue the issue.

The prospect, raised by Scott Morrison during the throes of the Wentworth by-election campaign, has come to dominate debate in Canberra.  This escalated when Indonesia threatened to reconsider a critical free trade deal with Australia, if the Prime Minister did embark on the relocation.

But Michael McLaren says the Coalition would be better off doing an about-face and dropping the issue altogether.

“I’d drop the move to Jerusalem like a hot spud quick smart,” he says.

“If you ask me, there is very little to be gained by moving the embassy, but potentially lots to be gained from an Australia- Indonesia free trade agreement.”

“So why Scott Morrison would float the idea is beyond me. It’s not a first or second order issue for Australians. It’s a twentieth order issue at best. But it’s got Canberra in a real tangle, needlessly.”

Former NSW Premier Bob Carr agrees.

“It didn’t have to be touched,” says Carr.

“I think it’d be in the national interest if we could get this out of the way in one 24 hour news cycle and just get on with it.” 

The fiasco over a potential Jerusalem embassy move has continued to roll on unabated, as the Liberal Party wars over whether it should pursue the issue.
The prospect, raised by Scott Morrison during the throes of the Wentworth by-election campaign, has come to dominate debate in Canberra.&nbsp; This escalated when Indonesia threatened to reconsider a critical free trade deal with Australia, if the Prime Minister did embark on the relocation.
But Michael McLaren says the Coalition would be better off doing an about-face and dropping the issue altogether.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d drop the move to Jerusalem like a hot spud quick smart,&rdquo; he says.
&ldquo;If you ask me, there is very little to be gained by moving the embassy, but potentially lots to be gained from an Australia- Indonesia free trade agreement.&rdquo;
&ldquo;So why Scott Morrison would float the idea is beyond me. It&rsquo;s not a first or second order issue for Australians. It&rsquo;s a twentieth order issue at best. But it&rsquo;s got Canberra in a real tangle, needlessly.&rdquo;
Former NSW Premier Bob Carr agrees.
&ldquo;It didn&rsquo;t have to be touched,&rdquo; says Carr.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;d be in the national interest if we could get this out of the way in one 24 hour news cycle and just get on with it.&rdquo;&nbsp;

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