Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer, ACis a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history. He was also the Leader of the Opposition for eight months from 1994 to 1995. Until early February 2014, Downer was the United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus...
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth9 September 1951
additional chief days deeply disturbing saying submission weapons
It's a deeply disturbing additional submission which confirms what (U.N. chief weapons inspector) Hans Blix was saying 10 days ago,
continued detention released san supporters urge
There can be no justification for the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters and I urge that they be released immediately,
address diplomatic finding interest nuclear solution vital
vital interest in finding a constructive diplomatic solution to address the nuclear question.
diplomatic hope path possible
We hope that it's going to be possible to get back on to the diplomatic path before too long,
appealed ask length sentence
We ask that the length of the sentence be appealed in the Indonesian courts.
intelligence people services supporting
We want to keep supporting the Indonesian government, the Indonesian police, the Indonesian intelligence services and, of course, the people of Indonesia,
armed disarm east falls force forces good job move perform police recent sides stop task violence
The onus of that task falls on the armed forces and the police force in East Timor and they haven't done a good job in recent times. It's important that they perform more effectively and do everything they can to stop the violence and move to disarm the two sides -- the paramilitaries and the pro-independence side,
access crucial european market meeting offer progress successful union
We want to see progress on agriculture, we want to see the European Union come back with a better market access offer that's going to be crucial to a successful meeting in Hong Kong,
ministers prime yeah
Yeah, well I'm not aspiring to be the Prime Minister.
reflection people house
If people are concerned about my house and where I live again it's much more of a reflection on them than it is on me.
growing-up father ideas
Well people often ask me how I felt growing up with a father who was a politician and who was often away. But when I'm asked that question I often reflect on my inability really to be able to answer it in any relative sense because I never grew up with a father doing anything else. So I just have no idea what it would be like otherwise.
father names house
My father had the same name as me but he was known as Alec. He was a member of the House of Representatives.
views media people
So this is all part of a free society. People are entitled to hold whatever view they want, and the media can report things how they wish.
party leader deputies
I'm not terribly focused on whether I even could ever become the Leader of the Liberal Party or the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the future.