EDITORIAL : THE AUSTRALIAN, AUSTRALIA

Gaddafi must be made to go

NATO should emulate Ronald Reagan's determination

If any doubt remained about the monstrous nature of Muammar Gaddafi's regime and why NATO must expedite his departure, reports of anti-personnel cluster bombs fired into residential areas in Misratah put an end to it. Correctly, Human Rights Watch, whose researchers have ascertained use of the bombs, has said few weapons are more lethal or indiscriminate in killing and maiming civilians. Munitions experts equate them to the evil of mustard gas and dum-dum bullets. The bombs scatter hundreds of smaller devices. Those that fail to explode immediately pose deadly hazards for years. Handicap International estimates 98 per cent of the bombs' victims are civilians, 28 per cent of them children.

Gaddafi's spokesman denied they were being used. But the regime's spin doctors have no credibility and as NATO considers its next moves the urgency of forcing Gaddafi out cannot be overstated. No solution will work as long as the dictator remains in place. Regime change may not have been part of the UN's Libya resolution, but it is a prerequisite for progress.

Last week's Doha meeting of Western, Arab and African allies called for Gaddafi to go and raised the prospect of providing seized Libyan funds to the rebels. There must be no delay in acting on this and in getting the US to participate more fully in the NATO offensive so concerted strikes can be launched to enforce the no-fly zone and also to target Gaddafi's ground installations. Only six of NATO's 28 members have joined the offensive. That is unfortunate, sending the wrong signals to the dictator. Twenty-five years ago Ronald Reagan bombed Gaddafi's Tripoli residence as swift retaliation for the attack by Libyan agents on US soldiers in a Berlin discotheque. Similar determination is needed now. Failure to dislodge Gaddafi would be disastrous, as would a protracted stalemate in which he was able to cling to power. Despots everywhere would take heart. The Arab Spring would be snuffed out.

The Obama administration is seeking possible asylum for Gaddafi in a country that has not signed the International Criminal Court protocols requiring them to hand over accused war criminals. That would be regrettable. After decades of atrocities, he is also likely to face indictment over the Lockerbie bombing. If ever a tyrant deserved his day in court before the ICC it is Gaddafi.

Taxpayers' cash down the drain

A RATIONAL, long-term approach to water supply is needed

Major studies released recently by the Productivity Commission and the National Water Commission explain what consumers know when they open their water bills -- prices are rising. Lack of long-term planning and hasty decision-making by governments in the midst of panic about urban supplies drying up after prolonged drought are to blame for the rises, especially the heavy investment in desalination plants to service capital cities. The bad news is that urban consumers will be paying for past negligence and mistakes for decades, with desalination plants in Melbourne and Perth alone likely to cost the public between $3.1 billion and $4.2bn over 20 years.

The Productivity Commission has set out a strong case for policy and administrative reform, but any gains for consumers would be modest in the short term. However, they are worth pursuing because their value would increase over time as new water supplies became needed. Governments and local authorities, which have resorted to rigid water restrictions in dry times, at high cost in terms of lost production, will be tempted to relegate the issue to the "too-hard basket", as they did for decades as the best sites for new dams around capital cities were being built out and urban populations expanded. The commission favours a different approach, arguing that water restrictions should be reserved for genuine emergencies and that consumers should be free to exercise choice in their water consumption behaviour through an efficient price mechanism. If so, water supplies would need to be boosted to meet increased demand.

The best time to investigate which options offer the greatest cost benefits, and avoid "picking winners" in haste as water shortages loom, is now, when dams are full. No one-size-fits-all solution will work everywhere and more progress is needed in capturing stormwater and recycling wastewater for industrial use. The commission also makes a good argument why, in light of new technology, governments should consider greater use of recycled wastewater for drinking as part of the mix. Opposition water spokesman Barnaby Joyce also makes a sensible point, advocating a committee to examine potential new dam sites. Postponing action will only make securing future supplies harder and costlier.

North Asian diplomacy poses big test for Gillard

FREE trade will be high on the Prime Minister's agenda

Julia Gillard faces one of her most important tests so far as Prime Minister when she visits Japan, China and South Korea from this week. The three nations are among our top four trading partners and Ms Gillard needs to stamp her authority on international relations to prevent herself being overshadowed on the world stage by her hyperactive Foreign Minister. After a shaky start in Belgium last year, where she admitted "foreign policy is not my passion", and becoming enmeshed in her amateurish push for a processing centre for asylum-seekers in East Timor, Ms Gillard gained ground with her impressive speech to the US congress last month marking the 60th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance.

Her diplomatic challenges in north Asia, where Ms Gillard is not yet well known, will be more complex. Her vital free trade agenda offers her the opportunity to make her mark. Ms Gillard, commendably ignoring union opposition and the reservations of some in cabinet who should know better, has made multi-lateral trade pacts Australia's priority. But this visit should help in the pursuit of bilateral free trade agreements with all three nations, with negotiations with Seoul reportedly being the most advanced.

Carbon policy is also likely to be on the agenda, especially in China where emissions are tipped to double by 2030. If the world is to make progress in cutting carbon, China, which produces almost half the world's steel, must be a major player. Despite a heavy reliance on coal, China is investing in cleaner energy, including nuclear power, and is tipped to put a formal price on carbon, although no date has been set. Its trials of carbon trading in five provinces and three cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, should interest Ms Gillard.

It remains to be seen if she, like Kevin Rudd, raises concerns about human rights in China, where the Communist Party continues to suppress dissent. She should, because that difficult discussion should not be left solely to the US as China becomes increasingly powerful, economically and militarily. Although China was sometimes at odds with Australia during Mr Rudd's prime ministership, his realistic appreciation of China's ambitions serves Australia's national interest. So does deepening co-operation and encouraging China to become ever more integrated into the community of nations.

Unlike Mr Rudd, who was criticised for visiting China but not Japan on his first round-the-world trip as prime minister, Ms Gillard wisely put both on her itinerary. She will be especially welcome in Japan, Australia's closest ally in north Asia, given our support for recovery efforts following last month's earthquake and tsunami. Important discussions on security are scheduled for Japan, as well as for South Korea, where Ms Gillard will mark Anzac Day.

As Rowan Callick reports today, this trip will see Ms Gillard focusing on shifting power dynamics in the Asia-Pacific which will largely determine how Australia's relationships and national security play out over the next 30 to 50 years. After a strong performance when she visited Australia's greatest ally, the US, Ms Gillard must continue building an international profile in much the same way that John Howard, who was also initially new to international relations, gained confidence on the world stage.