Shadow foreign affairs minister Kevin Rudd yesterday called on the Federal Government to stage a formal diplomatic protest against the execution of Nguyen Tuong Van "to get some sense and compassion out of the Singaporean Government".

And the Australian Democrats called for economic sanctions to be imposed on Singapore if the hanging goes ahead on December 2.

Mr Rudd said relations between the two countries had been damaged by Singapore's "appalling" handling of the case.

But Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's spokesman Chris Kenny said Mr Rudd was wrong to lash out at Singapore over the matter, saying "trashing" Singapore's Government would only hurt Nguyen's case.

"It is very important to focus on the issue here and it's the issue of a young Australian life," Mr Kenny said. "Gratuitous comments from Mr Rudd do not focus on our efforts to win clemency for Nguyen."

Mr Kenny said Mr Downer and Prime Minister John Howard would continue to engage in "sensitive diplomatic negotiations" with the highest levels of Singapore's Government.

However, Mr Howard told ABC radio that, at a government level, "there is nothing more we can do because the Government of Singapore has made it very plain … that it is going ahead with the execution".

He said the decision was "not going to contaminate our bilateral relations with Singapore" and linking trade and sanctions to the case "is not sensible".

Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry, QC, said he would ask the Federal Government and the UN International Court of Justice to stop the execution. Applications to the court must be made through the Government.

But Mr Downer played down the prospects of success last night: "Singapore doesn't adhere to the International Court of Justice so I can't see any hope."

Singapore has rejected all appeals, including a public campaign seeking clemency for Nguyen, 25, who is to be hanged for importing heroin.

Mr Rudd told ABC's Insiders program that Singapore had treated Australians and the Government with contempt.

"We've had representations from the Pope, from the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, the Opposition, a resolution of the Australian Parliament and representations from a huge cross-section of the Australian people. The Singaporean Government's response to that has been to tell us all to go jump in the lake," Mr Rudd said.

Australian Democrats foreign affairs spokeswoman Natasha Stott Despoja urged the Government to use economic pressure.

With CHRISTOPHER KREMMER and AAP

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