SYDNEY, Oct 16: Australian politicians reacted uncomfortably Thursday to US President George W. Bush’s description of Australia as America’s sheriff in the Asia-Pacific.

Australia has spent years playing down Prime Minister John Howard’s 1999 comment that Australia regarded itself as the United States’ deputy sheriff in the region.

Asked about the deputy sheriff description ahead of a brief visit to Australia next week, Mr Bush immediately offered Australia a promotion.

“No. We don’t see it as a deputy sheriff, we see it as a sheriff — there’s a difference,” he told the Australian newspaper.

The government’s parliamentary secretary Fran Bailey said while Australia had a cooperative relationship with the United States it could not be described as a sheriff.

“Sometimes there are some nuances in the language that get a little bit lost,” she told reporters.

“The American concept of a sheriff is a peacekeeper. We don’t actually use the term sheriff but we do act as a peacekeeper.”

Opposition Labor politician Janice Crosio said she was concerned at how Australia’s neighbours would react to the description.

“At the moment they are a little bit precious, some of our nearer nations,” she said. “In a particular case like that they may be upset and concerned. It is up to the government now to make sure that they are able to allay any fears.”

Australia was one of Mr Bush’s strong supporters during the Iraq invasion, sending in troops on the ground while other nations in the region took a more distant approach.

Outgoing Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been a strident critic of Australia’s refusal to adopt so-called “Asian values”, describing it this month as “some sort of transplant from another region”.

REACTION: Malaysia rejected Australia as America’s “sheriff” and described Canberra as a “puppet” of the United States in the region.