The federal government won't say why Prime Minister Tony Abbott cancelled a trip to Indonesia. Source: AAP
LABOR is demanding to know why Prime Minister Tony Abbott cancelled a planned trip to Indonesia, accusing him of further straining the relationship with one of Australia's closest neighbours.
Arrangements were being made for Mr Abbott to visit Bali early next week, where he'd been invited by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to attend a regional forum on open government.
But the trip has been put on ice, with speculation an asylum seeker operation underway northeast of Australia could be the reason behind the last-minute decision.
The prime minister's office has not confirmed why the visit was junked just days before the two leaders were expected to meet on the sidelines of the conference.
The invitation was seen as an opportunity to salvage relations damaged after a spying scandal late last year that saw Indonesia suspend high-level co-operation with Australia.
Shadow foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek is calling for answers.
"Rejecting this invitation at this late stage really does put extra strain on the relationship," she told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
"It's very important that the prime minister discloses the reasons that he's really not going."
It's understood the trip was deemed too politically risky while Australian authorities were in the process of intercepting an asylum seeker vessel heading towards the mainland.
Turning back or towing an asylum seeker boat to Indonesia during the prime minister's visit could have caused embarrassment President Yudhoyono, sources say.
The Australian Greens said Mr Abbott's "cruel" asylum seeker policy had robbed Australia of a real chance to mend ties with Indonesia.
"That's the extent of the embarrassment that Tony Abbott is to Australia both domestically and internationally," Greens leader Christine Milne told reporters in Hobart.
"He's hoist on his own petard."
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said there was nothing unusual or remarkable about the decision to cancel the trip, suggesting the impending budget was the reason.
"The prime minister is obviously very focused on his responsibilities here in Australia, 10 days out from our first budget," he told Sky News on Saturday.
Labor frontbencher Ed Husic rejected this explanation, accusing him of undermining Australia's foreign interests by snubbing Indonesia.
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