Treading cautiously key to keeping strategic ally Indonesia onside

Anthony Albanese with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta in June. Picture: Twitter

No one should underestimate the gravity of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Australia. The implications, just as the national herd is being rebuilt after drought, for livestock owners, for trade relations and the economy as a whole are extremely serious.

Yet there is a reason why the government is treading cautiously and, for now at least, resisting calls to shut the border to Indonesia where FMD is on the loose: our relationship with our nearest neighbour is important and fragile.

In June, it was Jakarta that Anthony Albanese chose for his first official bilateral visit as Prime Minister, taking with him a top-tier business delegation.

Far more important is the strategic imperative of regional security and ensuring that Indonesia is on side.

In 2011, when Labor banned live exports to Indonesia, few seemed to understand the profound implications of cutting off protein supply to an emerging nation overnight.

More recently, the creation of AUKUS has raised concerns that Indonesia has been left on the sidelines, uncertain of Australia’s motives.

The Lowy Institute poll in April showed trust in Australia has fallen sharply in Indonesia since a decade ago, although more Indonesians were concerned about China as a security threat.

This strategic imperative must be weighed carefully with the very real threat of FMD to Australia’s economy.

In 2001 in Britain, a devastating outbreak of FMD spread quickly. It took seven months of culling and burning of six million pigs, cattle and sheep on 10,000 farms to rid the country of the disease.

A general election was delayed, tourism suffered and there was a total ban on livestock sales. It cost the country over £8bn.

In Australia, the alarm raised by farmers, vets and politicians has already sent a strong message of vigilance to travellers to Bali and elsewhere, but Australians travel freely to and from other countries where FMD can be found.

The issue is about an uncontained outbreak in a country that can ill-afford to compensate farmers for stock losses. Australia can help by sending vaccines but this is now a clear and present danger.

Fronting the response is Agriculture Minister Murray Watt, whom Liberal leader Peter Dutton has jumped on as being still on training wheels.

Regardless, the PM should be all over this. If shutting borders stays on the table, the diplomatic task to keep Indonesia onside is great.