Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CANBERRA530
2008-05-22 02:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Canberra
Cable title:
FORMER FM DOWNER MULLING ROLE AS UN SPECIAL ENVOY
how-toVZCZCXRO0376 PP RUEHPT DE RUEHBY #0530 1430208 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 220208Z MAY 08 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9606 INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0383 RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0268 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 0320 RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 5274 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 3556 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 3471 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0644
UNCLAS CANBERRA 000530
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AS CY PINR PREL
SUBJECT: FORMER FM DOWNER MULLING ROLE AS UN SPECIAL ENVOY
FOR CYPRUS
UNCLAS CANBERRA 000530
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AS CY PINR PREL
SUBJECT: FORMER FM DOWNER MULLING ROLE AS UN SPECIAL ENVOY
FOR CYPRUS
1. (U) SUMMARY: The press carried reports on May 22 that
former foreign minister Alexander Downer has been offered the
job of UN Special Envoy for Cyprus. UN
Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe
reportedly made the offer through Australia's UN Ambassador
Robert Hill. According to the media, the Government and
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have given their in-principle
support to the proposal. Downer confirmed to Australian news
radio that he had been offered a position at the UN but
maintained that he had not decided whether to accept the
offer. END SUMMARY
2. (U) Two national newspapers reported in their May 22
editions that Alexander Downer, foreign minister under former
PM John Howard and Australia's longest-serving foreign
minister (1996-2007),has been offered the post of UN Special
Envoy for Cyprus. According to the press, current Foreign
Minister Steven Smith reportedly called Downer May 21 to
relay the offer, and the Government's in-principle support.
Downer subsequently confirmed to the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation's (ABC) national news radio program that he had
been offered a position at the UN but he said he has made no
decision on the offer or even whether he would leave
Parliament.
3. (SBU) Downer was reelected to his seat in Parliament in
the 2007 election but with the defeat of the Howard
Government he is now in opposition, and has no role in the
Opposition's shadow cabinet. While there have been recurring
rumors that Downer will resign from Parliament by the end of
the year and join a consultancy in his home state of South
Australia, he vigorously denied a statement to that effect by
an Opposition spokesperson earlier this week. It is likely
Downer has not yet decided what he would like to do. He told
ABC radio earlier today that if he stayed on as an MP he
would re-engage more with politics.
BIOGRAPHIC NOTES
4. (SBU) A Federal MP for almost 25 years, Downer served as
Foreign Minister throughout the life of the Howard Government
(1996-2007). He is a staunch supporter of the Australia-U.S.
Alliance and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the
challenges he faced as Foreign Minister were East Timor's
transition to independence, Australia's growing economic
relationship with China, the Australian Wheat Board scandal,
and the invasion of Iraq. Prior to becoming Foreign
Minister, Downer was leader of the conservative Liberal Party
and Opposition Leader from 1994-95. His tenure as leader was
notable for a series of gaffes and missteps that
significantly lowered his standing among political observers.
He voluntarily surrendered the opposition leadership in 1995
to John Howard, who subsequently became Prime Minister in
1996. Downer was considered much more disciplined and
effective as Foreign Minister than he had been as opposition
leader and he became one of the Howard Government's most
forceful advocates. In recent years Downer was one of
Howard's closest confidants.
MCCALLUM
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AS CY PINR PREL
SUBJECT: FORMER FM DOWNER MULLING ROLE AS UN SPECIAL ENVOY
FOR CYPRUS
1. (U) SUMMARY: The press carried reports on May 22 that
former foreign minister Alexander Downer has been offered the
job of UN Special Envoy for Cyprus. UN
Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe
reportedly made the offer through Australia's UN Ambassador
Robert Hill. According to the media, the Government and
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have given their in-principle
support to the proposal. Downer confirmed to Australian news
radio that he had been offered a position at the UN but
maintained that he had not decided whether to accept the
offer. END SUMMARY
2. (U) Two national newspapers reported in their May 22
editions that Alexander Downer, foreign minister under former
PM John Howard and Australia's longest-serving foreign
minister (1996-2007),has been offered the post of UN Special
Envoy for Cyprus. According to the press, current Foreign
Minister Steven Smith reportedly called Downer May 21 to
relay the offer, and the Government's in-principle support.
Downer subsequently confirmed to the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation's (ABC) national news radio program that he had
been offered a position at the UN but he said he has made no
decision on the offer or even whether he would leave
Parliament.
3. (SBU) Downer was reelected to his seat in Parliament in
the 2007 election but with the defeat of the Howard
Government he is now in opposition, and has no role in the
Opposition's shadow cabinet. While there have been recurring
rumors that Downer will resign from Parliament by the end of
the year and join a consultancy in his home state of South
Australia, he vigorously denied a statement to that effect by
an Opposition spokesperson earlier this week. It is likely
Downer has not yet decided what he would like to do. He told
ABC radio earlier today that if he stayed on as an MP he
would re-engage more with politics.
BIOGRAPHIC NOTES
4. (SBU) A Federal MP for almost 25 years, Downer served as
Foreign Minister throughout the life of the Howard Government
(1996-2007). He is a staunch supporter of the Australia-U.S.
Alliance and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the
challenges he faced as Foreign Minister were East Timor's
transition to independence, Australia's growing economic
relationship with China, the Australian Wheat Board scandal,
and the invasion of Iraq. Prior to becoming Foreign
Minister, Downer was leader of the conservative Liberal Party
and Opposition Leader from 1994-95. His tenure as leader was
notable for a series of gaffes and missteps that
significantly lowered his standing among political observers.
He voluntarily surrendered the opposition leadership in 1995
to John Howard, who subsequently became Prime Minister in
1996. Downer was considered much more disciplined and
effective as Foreign Minister than he had been as opposition
leader and he became one of the Howard Government's most
forceful advocates. In recent years Downer was one of
Howard's closest confidants.
MCCALLUM