Former Liberal foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer, for example, has argued that Australia should earn respect in Jakarta by muscling up.
Abbott, known in Indonesia as Howard's political offspring, will turn up in Indonesia promising, for the sake of domestic politics, a huge cut to foreign aid - $4.5 billion out over the next four years. The fact that this is likely to hit Indonesia hardest (it is our biggest aid recipient) has already been noted in Jakarta.
