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Authors: Ian W Taylor
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issues and his
recommendations for their resolution. He then rushed up to the
Minister Sentoro’s suite and knocked on the door. Jenny answered
the door and invited Jake in. She then introduced him to Anna
Sentoro who invited him to help himself to a coffee.
Jake had met Sentoro previously. She had
visited Tokyo twice and Jake had escorted her to a number of
meetings with Japanese officials and business representatives. She
was in her mid-forties, of Italian origin, petite, olive skinned,
dark haired with a lively personality. She had grown up in rural
New South Wales in the small town of Cooma at the foot of the Snowy
Mountains. Her grandfather, as a newly arrived immigrant from
Italy, worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme and her
father had also worked as an engineer at the power station. After
graduating in law at the Australian National University, Sentoro
had worked in one of the major law firms in Sydney specialising in
commercial law before returning to Cooma to open up her own law
practice. Her popularity in the community led her to be nominated
as a candidate for the local electorate when the existing federal
member retired. She was elected at her first attempt. Because of
her ability to grasp policy issues quickly and her appeal to wide
sections of the community, she was recognised as a rising star in
the party and performed well in portfolios of Minister for Social
Services and Minister for Communications. A few months ago she had
been appointed Deputy Leader and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Trade in place of Malcolm Crichton who had to step down from both
positions due to a financial scandal.
Anna invited Jake run through his proposal.
She listened attentively and questioned him intensively about
various aspects. She leaned back in her chair.
“You have some interesting ideas here Jake.
Nothing seems to be working at the moment and we must break the
current stalemate if we are to sign an agreement. Give me time to
think it through and perhaps I’ll run it past the P.M.”
Jake strode back to his room and went
straight to bed, tired from a long and frustrating day.
CHAPTER SIX
TUESDAY AFTERNOON - YELLOW WATER
Japanese Prime Minister, Koshi Ogawa, and his
Defence Minister, Youichiro Kenichi, accompanied by their personal
staff and bodyguards, arrived at Darwin airport in the early
afternoon. After being ushered quickly through customs and
immigration the group set off in four armoured limousines to Kakadu
National Park. The delegation arrived at the Yellow Water Resort
after a two and a half-hour drive and was met at the steps of the
resort by the Australian Prime Minister, Neville Murray.
After welcoming the visitors, P.M. Murray
announced that he had arranged to take the Japanese delegation on a
boat cruise on Yellow Water before the official dinner. The
Japanese P.M.’s party was then issued with security passes and keys
and shown to their rooms.
Having changed into casual clothing, the
Japanese party was picked up outside the resort and driven two
kilometres to the wharf at Yellow Water. P.M. Murray escorted them
onto a small boat where they were taken on an hour’s guided tour of
the wetlands.
Their aboriginal guide explained through an
interpreter that Yellow Water is an iconic area of wetlands which
contains a unique profusion of plants, birds, crocodiles, fish and
other wildlife. Thousands of people come from all parts of the
world to see the unique flora and fauna.
All of the Japanese had cameras at the ready
as the tour guide pointed out numerous crocodiles sun-baking on the
banks of the estuaries, some as long as four metres. They also saw
a huge assortment of birds, magpie geese, whistling ducks, brolgas,
jabiru storks, black cockatoos and kingfishers.
After disembarking from the boat, the group
was taken to the nearby Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre and
given a presentation on the history of aboriginal involvement in
the area over a period of 50,000 years. This was
recommendations for their resolution. He then rushed up to the
Minister Sentoro’s suite and knocked on the door. Jenny answered
the door and invited Jake in. She then introduced him to Anna
Sentoro who invited him to help himself to a coffee.
Jake had met Sentoro previously. She had
visited Tokyo twice and Jake had escorted her to a number of
meetings with Japanese officials and business representatives. She
was in her mid-forties, of Italian origin, petite, olive skinned,
dark haired with a lively personality. She had grown up in rural
New South Wales in the small town of Cooma at the foot of the Snowy
Mountains. Her grandfather, as a newly arrived immigrant from
Italy, worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme and her
father had also worked as an engineer at the power station. After
graduating in law at the Australian National University, Sentoro
had worked in one of the major law firms in Sydney specialising in
commercial law before returning to Cooma to open up her own law
practice. Her popularity in the community led her to be nominated
as a candidate for the local electorate when the existing federal
member retired. She was elected at her first attempt. Because of
her ability to grasp policy issues quickly and her appeal to wide
sections of the community, she was recognised as a rising star in
the party and performed well in portfolios of Minister for Social
Services and Minister for Communications. A few months ago she had
been appointed Deputy Leader and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Trade in place of Malcolm Crichton who had to step down from both
positions due to a financial scandal.
Anna invited Jake run through his proposal.
She listened attentively and questioned him intensively about
various aspects. She leaned back in her chair.
“You have some interesting ideas here Jake.
Nothing seems to be working at the moment and we must break the
current stalemate if we are to sign an agreement. Give me time to
think it through and perhaps I’ll run it past the P.M.”
Jake strode back to his room and went
straight to bed, tired from a long and frustrating day.
CHAPTER SIX
TUESDAY AFTERNOON - YELLOW WATER
Japanese Prime Minister, Koshi Ogawa, and his
Defence Minister, Youichiro Kenichi, accompanied by their personal
staff and bodyguards, arrived at Darwin airport in the early
afternoon. After being ushered quickly through customs and
immigration the group set off in four armoured limousines to Kakadu
National Park. The delegation arrived at the Yellow Water Resort
after a two and a half-hour drive and was met at the steps of the
resort by the Australian Prime Minister, Neville Murray.
After welcoming the visitors, P.M. Murray
announced that he had arranged to take the Japanese delegation on a
boat cruise on Yellow Water before the official dinner. The
Japanese P.M.’s party was then issued with security passes and keys
and shown to their rooms.
Having changed into casual clothing, the
Japanese party was picked up outside the resort and driven two
kilometres to the wharf at Yellow Water. P.M. Murray escorted them
onto a small boat where they were taken on an hour’s guided tour of
the wetlands.
Their aboriginal guide explained through an
interpreter that Yellow Water is an iconic area of wetlands which
contains a unique profusion of plants, birds, crocodiles, fish and
other wildlife. Thousands of people come from all parts of the
world to see the unique flora and fauna.
All of the Japanese had cameras at the ready
as the tour guide pointed out numerous crocodiles sun-baking on the
banks of the estuaries, some as long as four metres. They also saw
a huge assortment of birds, magpie geese, whistling ducks, brolgas,
jabiru storks, black cockatoos and kingfishers.
After disembarking from the boat, the group
was taken to the nearby Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre and
given a presentation on the history of aboriginal involvement in
the area over a period of 50,000 years. This was
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