オーストラリア上院って結局なにをやっているんだろう？

色々と報道を探していると、こんなのを発見。

Supporters angered by 'weak' Australian comfort women resolution
…ああ、採択されなかったオーストラリアの動議について報道してるのか、と思いつつ目を通す。AOLの20日付の報道。

（導入部略）
　The upper house resolution, backed by the ruling Liberal-led coalition, stops short of calling for an official apology or compensation for the euphemistically named comfort women who were forced by the Japanese to work as sex slaves in military brothels during World War II.
　Instead, the resolution "encourages" Japan to "take further steps" to raise awareness of and engage in reconciliation with the comfort women, who historians estimate numbered about 200,000.

　多数派の自由党連合によって支持された上院決議は、第二次世界大戦中に軍事売春施設で性奴隷としての労働を強制されて婉曲に「慰安婦」と呼ばれた女性達に公式謝罪と賠償を要求するにはいたっていない。
　代わりに、決議は日本へ、歴史学者が20万人にも達すると算定した「慰安婦」と和解するための「更なる手段を採ること」を「奨励」している。

…は？
なんか知っている話とは違うぞ？

【続きを読む】

【続きを閉じる】

　The resolution's passage follows the rejection by lawmakers Wednesday of a vastly different motion on comfort women that called for both an apology and compensation from Japan.
　The failed resolution was supported by the opposition Labor Party and the minority Greens, Democrats and Family First parties, but dismissed by the coalition.
　Instead, the majority of lawmakers backed a resolution that paints Japan, Australia's second largest trading partner, in a far more flattering light.

この決議は、水曜日に否決された超党派議員の提出した決議に続いたものだ。
採択されなかった決議は、野党の労働党と少数派の緑の党・家族党が提出したが、与党保守連合に否決された。
代わりに、議員の多数が、オーストラリアの第二の貿易相手国である日本を飾る決議を支持した。

…"paints Japan"や"flattering light"のニュアンスがいまいち解らんけど、あまりいい意味ではない？　>Stiffmuscleさん？

　The resolution praises a 1993 statement made by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono that acknowledged and apologized for the Japanese military's involvement in coercing the women into sexual slavery.
　It also notes the Kono statement was reaffirmed by Japanese prime ministers and governments.

決議は次に、性奴隷制度に女性を強制する際における日本軍の関与を認め謝罪した河野洋平内閣官房長官の談話を賞賛した。
また、決議は同時に、日本の首相と政府が河野談話を継承されていることに注目している。（後略）

…河野談話の継承は、釘刺されてますな。
「慰安婦」被害者の支持者の皆様は、この決議（オーストラリアの場合は動議じゃないのか？）を不満としているけど、その河野談話すら破棄を求める人がいるんだし、"take further steps"を言われているんなら（そもそも当時のオーストラリアの人が被害者ではない国からの動議なのだし）と、議事録を探してみる。

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE No. 167 (THURSDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2007)で発見。採択されなかったと思ってノーマークでした。
で、該当部分を抜き出してみる；

FOREIGN AFFAIRS―JAPAN―COMFORT WOMEN
Senator Payne, pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved general business notice of motion no. 920　―That the Senate―

(a) notes that:
(i) the suffering of the ‘comfort women’ in the 1930s and 1940s was an appalling episode in Japan's history and that of the Asia Pacific region, and that there can be no disputing the facts of what occurred and the pain that it caused to those affected,
(ii) the position of successive Australian governments has been that the
1951 Peace Treaty, which Australia signed, firmly drew a line under the
crimes committed by Japan before and during the Second World War,
for which many Japanese were rightly tried, convicted and sentenced,
(iii) Japan has made great progress since 1945 in recognising and atoning for
its past actions, and for many decades has been a major contributor to
international peace, security and development, including through the
United Nations,
(iv) the 1993 statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the
comfort women issue (the ‘Kono statement’) fully and officially
acknowledged the complicity of the Japanese Government and military
in the 1930s and 1940s in a coercive system of sexual slavery in
occupied territories, and
(v) the Kono statement has been reaffirmed by subsequent Japanese
governments and prime ministers, including by Prime Minister Abe;

(b) commends the Japanese people and Government for the steps they have taken so far to acknowledge and atone for Japan’s actions in the 1930s and 1940s;
and

(c) encourages the Japanese people and Government to take further steps to recognise the full history of their nation, to foster awareness in Japan of its actions in the 1930s and 1940s, including in relation to comfort women, and to continue dialogue with those affected by Japan’s past actions in a spirit of reconciliation.

The Leader of the Australian Democrats (Senator Allison), by leave, moved the following amendment:
Omit all words after “That”, substitute “the Senate―

(a) notes that:
(i) the suffering of the ‘comfort women’ in the 1930s and 1940s was an appalling episode in Japan’s history and that of the Asia Pacific region, and that there can be no disputing the facts of what occurred and the pain that it caused to those affected,
(ii) the position of successive Australian governments has been that the 1951 Peace Treaty, which Australia signed, legally at the time of signing addressed the crimes committed by Japan before and during World War II, and
(iii) the 1993 statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono officially acknowledged the Japanese Government’s findings, including its involvement in the comfort women system;

(b) encourages the new Prime Minister of Japan to acknowledge and officially apologise to comfort women by introducing such a resolution in the Diet; and

(c) encourages the Japanese Government to take further steps to recognise the full history of its nation, by taking historical responsibility and accurately teaching the history of comfort women in its schools.

Question―That the amendment be agreed to―put.
The Senate divided― AYES, 32 (...)
NOES, 34 (...)

Question negatived.
Statements by leave: Senators Wong, Allison and Nettle, by leave, made statements relating to the motion.
Main question put and passed.

…えーっと、結局、なんか出てきた疑問が退けられて、この動議が採択されたと受け取ってよろしいのでしょうか？
Stiffmuscleさん、へるぷ～（アテにできる方がいるとすぐ頼るタイプです、わたくし）

19日の動議は、ちょうど日本がごたごたしている時期だったから、あの強い内容を採択にかけるにはタイミングが悪すぎというところか。今度のは"encourages the new Prime Minister of Japan to acknowledge and officially apologise to comfort women"なんて書いてあるし（追記;この部分は、追加を蹴られた部分でしたので無し）。
福田さんはどうするのでしょうね。