September 10, 2007
So Howard is in a position to spuik the APEC' s success: aspirational goals for climate change, promise to revive global trade talks, modest progress on regional economic reform and a declaration that they would tackle regional security. Australia was a successful host and the conflict management was skilfull.
APEC is more than a talkshop, photo opportunity and new headline announceables, such as this years 'Sydney declaration on climate change':

Bruce Petty
But APEC fails to deliver as an effective trans-Pacific regional organization that results in significant regional trade integration or reducing the behind -the-border barriers to trade. Trade is still the core of APEC's business but it devotes little resources to fostering trade in the region.
Will there be an APEC bounce? If Howard came across as statesman, and not just a salesman pushing gas and uranium in bilateral deals, then can APEC be spruiked as a springboard summit? For the Liberal Party sure needs an APEC bounce as it is now back to the hard reality of two weeks of Parliament, poor election polls, leadership speculation and media talk about an early election as a circuit breaker.

Sharpe
There is very little happening in terms of normal governance and administration in Canberra. As the editorial in Canberra Times acidly observes:
The Government has been in election mode all year, though there have been a few distractions, including the APEC conference, to give an impression (a false one) of steady management going on regardless. In fact, the processes of routine government are at a virtual standstill. With APEC over, for what glory in Howard's memoirs can only be imagined, the election should be called as soon as possible. The people, and the economy, simply cannot stand for much longer the hiatus from normal administration and proper government.
Behind the false impression of steady management, normal governance and legislative processes lies panic at the grim prospect of electoral defeat. Hence the leadership confusion that is surfacing publicly. The Howard era is over.
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Gary,
I read in the media that Howard will only stay a year or if he wins the election. If so, how can he offer something substantive about Australia's future when he won't be a part of it?