William Hague, former UK Conservative Party leader, now shadow Foreign Secretary (or Foreign Minister, in Australian terms) is due to make the call to look East. (via Daily Dish/ Clive Davis). If it wasn’t for the third way Blairism that swept the UK over the last decade, Hague could have been the Churchill of our times. I had the opportunity to listen to Hague when he was Tory leader giving a keynote to the 1st Federal Liberal Party conference in Brisbane back in 98. I was there as a delegate for the Fisher Conference (LPA QLD), god knows why they made me a delegate, I was only an executive member without portfolio at the time, but perhaps I was keen enough to fight the good fight, but hence I went. The conference is notable for me as it delivered me She who must be obeyed, I’d met her at a conference in 96, but it was this conference in 98 that bought us together, I was engaged before years end, and married the year following. But I digress, because despite the fact that the conference was a bit of a shambles (it was the first federal one after all), the highlight will always be Hague’s speech. To be honest, I don’t recall anything he delivered during it, 9 years has passed after all, but I do recall his delivery, here was a man of deep convictions, and man to which oratory came as second nature. It was a brilliant speech, and it found a standing ovation…despite forgetting the text of the speech I will always remember the delivery, here was a man who could deliver a Churchillian speech, it cut through to that extent. Of course history will note that he never led his country, but here’s hoping that he’ll become foreign secretary, I can’t think of a better man. Oh, and BTW, he’s right on foreign policy, China and India is where it’s at. I’ve heard people say this is the Asian Century, the Pacific Century…but what ever it is, it’s going to be focused on China and India, and those countries that fail to recognise that do so at their own peril.
