On February 4, Laurie Brereton, Labor's Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs made a milestone speech to the Australian Institute of Foreign Affairs.

He gave a detailed and unsparing critique of his own party's past collaboration with the Indonesian regime. He said the party paid a high price and earned widespread condemnation for pursuing engagement with Indonesia without concern for altruistic and human rights principles.

Brereton went on to detail the recent changes in Australian Labor policies which include support for the principle of self-determination. He also described initiatives that Labor has been taking since September 1998, such as calling for the appointment of an Australian Special Envoy to East Timor and calls for an Australian Consul in Dili. Mr Brereton also called for the Australian government to review the operation of the Timor Gap Treaty, and to open discussions with East Timorese leaders to ensure that in future the East Timorese will benefit from their share of the oil and gas reserves.

The speech concluded with a passionate plea for an international humanitarian and development assistance mission to go to East Timor.