When it suited us. Until we became the United States' "deputy sheriffs". Those countries think of us as a joke. Keating may have had the right idea but even he offended them. The recalcitrants at least.
Hardly as a consequence of our relationship with the US. Many SE Asian nations are equally dependent upon the US for military and social aid as they are on us. Malaysia seems to have an issue with us, dating back to Mahathir's presidency and I'm stuffed if I know why. I don't think the SE Asian nations think of us as a joke, rather we are different to them because of our Anglo-Saxon background and total lack of any cultural similarities and totally at odds with the Asian mentality. We are affluent, many of them are not, in fact they depend on Australian tourist dollars to prop up their economies. Bali and Thailand are good examples.
As for being when it suited us, Keating proposed that Australia be a key element of ASEAN because we are potentially the most affluent, best endowed nation in this part of the world for commodities, and we had much to offer ASEAN members, just as we had much to benefit from membership. It wasn't just a case of doing it because it suited us. Keating wanted to establish and strengthen the ties between Australia and its northern neighbours.
As for your perceptions politically, you have been balanced for the most part, but defence of anything Labor has "achieved" will have others drop on you because, as you put it, there is an element of blind support for the right wing on this forum. I have often wondered why so few Labor supporters dare to venture forth, given the numbers of them that must have been around when voting. However, I believed your comment about governments of any persuasion being no different needed to be taken on. My point is, and always has been, that while Labor has had effective leaders and performed creditably in the past, this mob will never be remembered for anything other than their screw-ups. I don't subscribe to the "Libs are always better" side of the argument, but I have difficulty reconciling the fact that the electorate has now voted twice for a Labor government after having a long term Coalition that had a proven track record. I can excuse the 2007 result for multiple reasons but the 2010 result simply defies any logic.
Finally, and I have also said this previously, I wish to God Abbott would give the negativity away and finally start to put forward some solid, balanced and practical policies. He hasn't done so and this is the greatest chink in his armour.