REPORTS OF OVERSEAS TRAVEL UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FOR THREE MONTHS ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2014 FUNDED BY TH E PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL ALLOWANCE
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
LBAKER MLA 15~Jun - 14 14-Jul-14 LONDON, INVESTIGATE FUNCTIONS $5,918 SCOTLAND, UNDERTAKEN BY CHILDREN'S WALES COMMISS IONERS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES.
HON C HOLT MLC 27-Jun -14 25-Jul-14 CANADA & USA EXPLORE NEW MODELS AND $18,677 TOOLS FOR BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF REGIONAL LEADERS INCLUDING ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES TO REVITALISE THROUGH LEADERSHIP.
J QUIGLEY MLA 29-Jun-14 9-Aug-14 ITALY ATIEND THE EUROPEANI $7,111 ASIAN LEGAL CONFERENCE INCLUDING SESSIONS ON REFUGEE AND OTHER AREAS OF LAW.
A MITCHELL MLA 1-Ju l-14 11 -Jul-14 LONDON, ATIEND VARIOUS MEETINGS S2,024 EDINBURGH & EXCHANGING INFORMATION DUBAI ON YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF EMPLOYEES. INVITED TO SPEAK AT THE WOMEN IN MINING UK RECEPTION.
T KRSTICEVIC MLA 8-Jul-14 19-Jul-14 GREECE ATIEND THE PARLIAMENTARY 812,050 ANZAC STUDY AND CULTURAL TOUR OF GREECE UNDERTAKING SITE VISITS AND VARIOUS MEETINGS.
HON M LEWIS MLC 8-Jul-14 19-Jul-14 GREECE ATIEND THE PARLIAMENTARY 810,453 ANZAC STUDY AND CULTURAL TOUR OF GREECE UNDERTAKING SITE VISITS, INSPECT THE MAIN PORT, VISIT AND RECEIVE BRIEF ON THE ATHENS UNDERGROUND METRO SYSTEM AND ATIEND VARIOUS MEETINGS.
F ALBAN MLA 8-Jul-14 19-Jul-14 GREECE ATIEND THE PARLIAMENTARY $14,698 ANZAC STUDY AND CULTURAL TOUR OF GREECE UNDERTAKING HISTORICAL SITE VISITS AND ATIEND OFFICIAL MEETINGS AT THE GREEK PARLIAMENT.
HON J CHOWN MLC 8-Jul-14 21-Jul-14 GREECE COMPARE OPERATIONS OF 811,420 THE GREEK AND AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS, INVESTIGATE TRADE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND LEARN FROM THE RECENT BUILDING OF A LARGE SCALE UNDERGROUND LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS SUCH AS ATHENS. HON P KATSAMBANIS 9-Jul-14 19-Jul-14 GREECE COMPARE OPERATIONS OF SB,903 MLC THE GREEK AND AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEMS, INVESTIGATE TRADE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND LEARN FROM THE RECENT BUILDING OF A LARGE SCALE UNDERGROUND LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS SUCH AS ATHENS.
N MORTON MLA 16-Jul-14 28-Jul-14 JAPAN FUTHER ENHANCE S7,590 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIES IN JAPAN, INVESTIGATE AQUACULTURE, AGRICULTURE, SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
HON N GOIRAN MLC 18-Jul-14 27-Jul-14 LONDON AITEND THE INTERNATIONAL S8,B12 CENTRE FOR PARLIAMENTARY STUDIES IN LONDON TO OBTAIN A LEVEL 5 PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE IN PARLIAMENTARY CAPACITY BUILDING.
M TAYLORMLA 21-Jul-14 28-Jul-14 JAPAN FUTHER ENHANCE S10,083 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRIES IN JAPAN, INVESTIGATE AQUACULTURE, AGRICULTURE, SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
J FARRER MLA 23-Jul-14 25-Jul-14 CANADA AITEND THE ACTING S3,844 TOGETHER-COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ALLIANCE (AT-CURA) CONFERENCE SHARING, GATHERING INFORMATION AND OUTLINING ISSUES CONTRIBUTING TO JUVENILE DYSFUNCTION AND CRIME.
I BLAYNEY MLA 24-Aug-14 31 -Aug -14 SOUTH KOREA LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR S4,439 WESTERN AUSTRALIA VISITING TONGYEONG GAS IMPORT TERM INAL, SAMSUNG SHI PYARD AT GOEJE. MET WITH GYEUNGSANGBUKDO PROVINICAL COUNCIL AND AITENDED THE SK OIL REFINERY. S LOVE MLA 24-Aug-14 31-Aug-14 SOUTH KOREA LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 53,135 WESTERN AUSTRALIA VISITING TONGYEONG GAS IMPORT TERMINAL, SAMSUNG SHIPYARD AT GOEJE. MET WITH GYEUNGSANGBUKDO PROVINICAL COUNCIL AND ATIENDED THE SK OIL REFINERY.
M QUIRKMLA 1-Sep-14 5-Sep-14 New Zealand AUSTRALASIAN FIRE AND 54,311 EMERGENCY SERVICE AUTHORITIES COUNCIL (AFAC) AND BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC CONFERENCE WHERE KEY ISSUES FACING THE EMERGENCY SERVICES SECTOR WERE ADDRESSED WHICH WOULD ASSIST IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MEETINGS WITH POLICE ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS COVERING RECENT REFORMS IN NEW ZEALAND.
TOTAL FOR PARLIAMENT TRAVEL ALLOWANCE SYSTEM VISITS: 16 $131,268
ADDENDUM - LATE SUBMISSION - REPORTS THE FOLLOWING REPORTS WERE SUBMITIED TO THE PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL ALLOWANCE SYSTEM AFTER THE JUNE 2014 REPORT WAS SUBMITIED
HON R CHAPPLE MLC 19-Jun-14 29-Jun-14 LONDON TO RAISE AWARENESS OF AND 512,085 ATIEND THE PRESENTATION OF THE ROCK ART OF THE BURRUP PENINSULA TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR ITS PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION FROM INDUSTRY AND PROMOTE WORLD HERITAGE LISTING OF THE REGION.
T KRSTICEVIC MLA 20-Jun-14 26-Jun-14 CROATIA A TIEND THE FIRST EVER $6,946 CROATION DIASPORA CONGRESS TO SPEAK AT THE OPENING OF CONGRESS AND PRESENT A SPEECH ON AUSTRALlAlWESTERN AUSTRALIA AND ITS PEDPLE.
TOTAL FOR PARLIAMENT TRAVEL ALLOWANCE SYSTEM VISITS: 2 $19,031 REPORT OF OVERSEAS TRAVEL UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FUNDED BY TH E PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL ALLOWANCE
FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2014
This report contains a summary of all overseas travel undertaken by Members of Parliament on official business funded by the Parliamentary Travel Allowance. Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM
NAME OF MEMBER: Lisa Baker MLA DESTINA TION/S: London, Scotland, Wales DATE OF TRAVEL: 15 June-14July20l4
PURPOSE OF TRIP:
The purpose of this study tour is for me to investigate the functions undertaken by children's commissioners in England, Scotland and Wales. As Chair ofWA's Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People, it is my role to educate myself so that I can lead the work of my Committee in reporting to WA Parliament.
25 JUNE 2014
MEETING LOCATION: COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION, WESTMINSTER ATTENDEES: VIJA Y KRISHNARA YAN, DIRECTOR
Part of the purpose of the meeting was to determine post Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) period for CWP. The second purpose of this meeting was to determine which current policies CWP will be seeking to retain in future years. Denmark and Papua New Guinea Members of the Association are working on the next steps to these questions over the coming month. Further consultation with members will take place over the next twelve months regarding the Association's post MDG.
26 JUNE 2014
MEETING LOCATION: OFFICE OF THE CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER FOR ENGLAND, LONDON ATTENDEES: DRMAGGIE ATKINSON, COMMISSIONER
Priority issues for the English Children's Commissioner are trafficking and refugee children's rights, unaccompanied minors, poverty, austerity and disability. The Commissioner also mentioned the importance of education research into exclusion and expUlsion of children from schools, including investigation into a rights based education system. The Commissioner has committed to forward information on these issues.
The Commissioner considers her work as resting on a triangular framework, legislation including local laws at the top of the pyramid, which feed into processes and procedures in the middle, which in hIm affect the voice of the child at the base.
MEETING LOCATION: CHILD RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK (CRIN), LONDON ATTENDEES: MEAGAN LEE, LEGAL RESEARCHER
CRIN is an NGO which works to research and advocate on children's rights globally. CRIN is affiliated with the University of New South Wales, National Child and Youth Law.
Based on their work on the United Nations (UN) Convention on Rights of the Child, CRIN have just launched a new campaign on access to information for children who are denied information, especially as this relates to the children's safety and health, for example issues around the mental health of children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).
27 JUNE 2014.
MEETING LOCATION: COMMONWEALTH WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS PAN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE, LONDON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~------~ SPEAKER: Charles Chauvel, Advisor, Parliamentary Development United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Negotiatillg a beller positioll/or 1I'omell aud girls after 2015
SPEAKER: Professor Dianne Perrons, Professor of Economic Geography and Gender Studies, London School of Economics Gellder alld Social policy - lvfakiug YOllr lvfark
SPEAKER: Kemi Ogunsanya, Adviser, Gender and Political Development, Commonwealth Secretariat The Role a/Womell ill the PastlvfDG Era
MEETING LOCATION: OFFICE OF TROUBLED FAMILIES PROGRAMME (TFP), LONDON ATTENDEES: EMMA JONES, DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Ahead of the 20 11 election, the UK Conservative Party knew there were 120,000 troubled famil ies across the UK. 'Troubled fam ilies' has a specific and quantified meaning. These families were effectively excluded from society and unable to keep safe or progress by way of, for example, obtaining employment, completing school, securing accommodation.
Troubled Families is a three year program. In 20 15 , it wi ll cost GBP 448 million. There are 152 local Troubled Fami li es coordinators in each local government authority. Coordinators are paid in the mid to higher level public service range to ensure they have the skills required to deliver and get access to a purpose-made training program on how to work with troubled families.
1 JULY 2014
MEETING LOCATION: SCOTTISH CHILDREN'S REPORTER, SCOTLAND ATTENDEES: NICK HOBBS, POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER
Scotland's Children's Reporter (SCR) is a body that administers the legal system put in place to intervene with problem children before they become part of the juvenile criminal justice system . Meeting discussion included an overview of the histOlY of the SCR, including the Kilbrandon Commission (in the late 1960's) which recommended that something be put in place to ensure the rights of the child and to try to keep children out of the court system. The SCR process enables teachers, family members, doctors, social workers, police, etc to call for a hearing of the Commissioners to look fo r solutions which put children first and encourage the coordination of resources to protect the child .
2 JULY 2014 .
MEETING LOCATION: OFFICE OF SCOTLAND'S COMNIISSIONER FOR CI-llLDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, SCOTLAND ATTENDEES: MR TAM BAILLIE (COMMISSIONER), KATIE BROWN (!-IEAD OF EDUCATION & PARTICIPATION) AND NICO JEUTTEN (HEAD OF POLICY)
The Scot1ish Children's Commissioner is the independent voice for chi ldren with partial investigatolY powers and the ability to take individual cases under new laws tlu'ough Parliament. The new laws wi ll change the powers of this office. The Appointment of Commissioner will be changed to an eight year term to be consistent with the offices of Ombudsman, Human Rights Commissioner and Standards Commissioner.
3 JULY 2014
MEETING LOCATION: OFFICE OF WELSH COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, WALES ATTENDEES: MR KEITH TOWLER, COMMISSIONER
I attended the public launch of the Commissioner's latest report FilII Lives into respite care for children/famil ies. Following the launch I held further discussions with the Commissioner. Priorities for the Commissioner will be the issue of historic abuse. The Seville, Harris, and other cases are underway. There are
Page 2 200 cases currently before the court and listed to be heard commencing in October 2014. The Commissioner has begun his report on what was in place, what is in place and what is needed to ensure the rights of the child in these cases and in the broader issue of abuse.
BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA:
T his is a time when child abuse is profiled on every newspaper across the UK. Child abuse is becoming more openly debated in Australia. My experiences with interviewing children's commissioner and family support programmes in England, Scotland an d Wales will be relayed to the WA stakeholders and the Parliament to influence the direction of the children's commissioner and the work of child protection in W A.
Lisa Baker MLA Member for Maylands
Page 3 Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet
PARLlAIVI ENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORIVI
Members are to provide a report to the Director General, D epartment of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of the trip. The Department of the Premier ancl Cabinet collates and coorclinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis.
The report below should be clear, concise and focus Oil the benefits of your trip to your constituents ancll or parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community ancll or the State of Western Australia. Please clo not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament.
NAME OF Hon Colin Halt. MLC MEMBER: DESTINATION/S: Canada and USA DATE OF June 2il1 to July 25th TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister assisting the Minister for State Development I am keenly aware of need to investigate innovative policy settings and projects that enhance opportunities for regional development and to build the capacity of regional communities to adapt to change.
Regional communities in Western Australia, Canada and the United States share common challenges such as an aging population, the migration of people and businesses to urban centres, economic dependency on a limited number of industries, finite resources and , in some cases, remote locations.
Regional communities must adapt to their changing circumstances. This study tour investigated the key elements of regional and community leadership development programs (funding, partnerships, design and delivery) and rural development policy settings and programs that lead to sustained regional growth.
The tour gave me the opportunity to discuss Western Australian regional development initiatives with community development specialists, engage in discussions contrasting the Australian situation with North American policies and enable mutual learning opportunities.
I was also able to explore new models and tools for building the capacity of regional leaders, including Aboriginal communities, to revitalise regional communities through leadership, another key facet of the study tour.
Airfares: $10,149.04 Taxi/Rail: $ 1,728.02 Accommodation/Meals: $ 6,800.00 The overall claimed cost for the trip was $18,677.06. The trip was endorsed by the Minister for Reg ional Development; Lands: Minister assisting the Minister for State Development as my role as Parliamentary Secretary to tile Minister for Regional Development; Lands; Minister assisting the Minister for State Development.
BE NEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF W ESTERN AUSTRALIA: (A brief report of no more than 2 pages may be attached if req uired) Please see attached report
Page 2 Report on Canada and USA Study Tour, Col in Holt June-July 2014
26 June: Depart Perth to LAX 27 June: LAX - SFO 29 June: SFO - Calgary
30 June - 1 July: Banff, Alberta, Canada Meeting with Brian Calliou, Program Director and Erik Butenschon, the Banff Centre. Topics discussed: Best Practices, policy and tools to build capacity in Aboriginal business and economic development. Creating regional hubs for creative industries.
2 July: Banff to Edmonton
3 July: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Meeting with Rod Carlyon, Executive Director, Rural Development Division, Agriculture and Rural Development. Topics discussed: Farmers' Market development, Rural Utilities Cooperatives, Rural Community Adaptation programs, decentralisation of departmental agencies.
3 July: Meeting with Scott Grevlund, Alberta Future Leadership Program. Topics discussed: Promoting active, vibrant Aboriginal communities, and the impact of local sports, recreation, arts and leadership experiences. Leadership mentoring program with university linkages.
3 July: Meetings with Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: Bruce McDonald, Assistant Deputy Minister, Social Policy, John Donner, Assistant Deputy Minister, Natural Resources and Environment and Toby Schneider, Executive Director, Economic Development. Topics discussed: Economic and demographic comparison of WA and Alberta. Regional policy sett ings and challenges in both contexts.
4 July: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Meeting with Dr I Meeting with Doug Finnie, Executive Director, Leadership Saskatoon. Topics discussed: Leadership development programs in Saskatchewan and WA. Leadership program funding and sustainability. 6 July: Montreal - Ottawa 7 July: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Meeting with David Stewart-Patterson, Vice President, Public Policy, the Conference Board of Canada and Anja Jeffrey, Director, Northern and Aboriginal Po licy. Topics discussed: Not for profit applied research for building leadership and community capacity, Futurepreneur 'Start up' program including low-interest business loans. 8 July: Ottawa - Toronto 9 July: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Meeting with Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO of the Toronto Community Foundation. Topics discussed: Sustainable community foundations, linking philanthropy and community needs. 9 July: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Meeting with Paul Born, President and Rachel Brnjas, Community Animator, Tamarack Institute, Conrad Grebel College. Topics discussed: Creative solutions to enhance community engagement and generate practical outcomes in poverty reduction. 10 July: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Meeting with lan Anderson, Secretariat of the Canadian Leadership Conference. Topics discussed: Leadership development programs, program funding, program outcomes and community impacts . 10 July: Guelph, Ontario, Canada Meeting with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA): Barbara Ciochon, Policy Advisor, Intergovernmental Relations and Trade, Alan Crawley, Director, Business Development Branch, Michael Toombs, Director Research and Innovation Branch, Oswald Zachariah, Manager Information and Knowledge Management and Amanda Macdougall, Manager, Economic Development Programs. Topics discussed: Revitalization of regional towns, community exchanges to promote economic development, training and resources for reg ional economic development. 10 July: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Meeting with Terry Cooke, CEO, Hamilton Community Foundations of Canada and David Christopherson, MP, Deputy Leader of the New Democratic Party. Topics discussed: Poverty reduction through community foundation grant disbursement. Strengthening low-income neighbourhoods, engaging and supporting community leaders. 11 July: Niagara-on-the-Lalle, Ontario, Canada Meeting with Jacalyn Harding, Director of Business Operations, the Niagara Institute. Topics discussed: Learnings from leadership experiential learning models, changing leadership behaviour in regional communities. 12 - 18 July: Private business 19 July: New York to Minneapolis 20 July: Madison, Wisconsin, USA Meeting with Leadership Wisconsin: Sarah Schlosser, Executive Director, Jennifer Odrejka, Board Member, Tom Mosgaler, Board Member, Michael Kirschling, Board Member, Green Bay CCI, Jim Oaks, Tri County Leadership Program, Megan Purtell, Woman in Government, Stephanie Kundert, President Woman in Government. Topics discussed: Increasing capacity of regional leaders, ca talysts for positive change. 21 July: Madison to Grand Rapids 22 July: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA Meeting with Valerie Shangreaux, Director of Leadership and Malissa Bahr, Training and Curriculum Design, Leadership, Blandin Foundation. Topics discussed: Grants to support the regional innovative, supporting rural co mmunity leade rs, co nvening and supporting diverse stakeholders and strengthening the voice of rural community voices in statewide decision-making. 23 July Depart LAX for Perth 24 July I n transit 25 July Arrive Perth / // /. 10 October 2014 The Director General Department of Premier & Cabinet Entitlements & Transport Branch Locked Bag 3001 WEST PERTH WA 6872 Attention: Barbara Willinge Dear Director General PARLIAMENTARY TRA VEL ALLOWANCE REPORT PERIOD OF TRAVEL: 29 JUNE TO 9 AUGUST 2014 I sought and was granted by the Director of the Department of Premier and Cabinet advance permission to draw on my imprest account to attend the European/Asian Legal Conference in Positano Italy. A strong theme of the conference centred on international refugee law as it applies to "boat people", specifically the United Nations Convention on the rights of refugees and a comparison of the vision of the United Nations Charter of the European Union's own Charter on the rights of refugees in Europe. The conference was convened in Positano, Italy and it is southern Italy which is the subject of the huge influx of refugees arriving by boat from North Afi·ica. The site of the conference itself was very relevant. There were a number of sessions on the rights of refugees and specifically the rights of refugees who travel to another country by boat. The largest influx of refilgees which the Italians refer to as "migrants" are Eritreans who leave North Africa bound for the Italian Island of Lampedusa, which is closer to North Africa than it is to Italy. In this regard it bears some similarities with Australia's relationship to Christmas Island being closer to Indonesia than it is to Australia. The first striking difference between the approach taken by Italy and Australia is that Italy does not turn refugees back to sea, but processes them onshore in Italy. After the tragedy of several hundred people dying at sea in an attempt to get to Lampedusa in October 2013, the Italian government, as poor as it is, embarked upon a program of saving people at sea at a cost of $13 million per month. PO Box 2024 CLARKSON WA 6030 OFFICE: SUlTE 116, OCEAN KEyS SHOPPING CENTRE, 36 OCEAN KEYS BOULEVARD, CLt\RKSON WA6030 (OppoJite ClarRson Libra/Y) PH: 9407 8600 F,\x: 9407 8644 EMAlL: [email protected] . , 2 The Italians mounted a task force of 5 ships that would search for stricken refugees and bring them to the Italian mainland for processing, This stands in stark contrast to the Australian Govenunent's approach, Between October 2013 and October 2014 over 100,000 refugees had been rescued from the ocean and brought ashore for processing by the Italian govenunent. This policy is supported by the Italian population, It must be recognised that most of the refugees travelling from Africa to Italy are transiting tluough Italy with the ambition of getting to Gennany, As we examined the relevant articles of the United Nations Convention on the rights of refugees it was interesting to examine the number of cases dealing with the prohibition on "refoulment", that is, the prohibition of retuming the refugecs to thc countty from which they had fled, Duting the conference week the Australian Navy intercepted Tamil refugees at sea held them inconununicado on a Navy vesseL The Hon, Scott Morrison MHR, the Minister for Inunigration stated that they would be retumed to the pOli in India from which they are believed to have depalied, . It was on a day by day basis that conference attendees were updating themselves from Australian media outlets via the intemet; and testing what the Minister was saying, what was happening to the refugees at sea on the Australian Navy vessel and what activists in Australia were saying; against the United Nations Convention on the right of refugees and principals derived from a number of cases before the Intemational Conunission of Human Rights relating to refugees, This discussion and analysis went on each day of the conference in regard to this particular Australian case and it was concluded that should there be a High Court challenge in Australia to the actions of the Australian Goverrunent intercepting the Tamil refugees and holding them as plisoners on an Australian Navy vessel with the intention of "refoulment", that the actions of the Minister and Govemment would be declared invalid by the High Court and this would open up the Australian Goverrunent to a claim for damages by those who were falsely imprisoned and detained, It was almost by way ofre-affinnation of the conferences collective conclusions in those matters that the Australian Minister for Immigration announced on the eve of the first hearing before the High Couti of Australia upon an application bought on behalf of the Tamil refugees, that the govenunent would take them to Cluistmas Island and not seek to retum the refugees to either India or Sri Lanka, Minister MOITison's decision may have come as a surprise to many Australians, but seen in these conference sessions and the detailed examination of immigration and refugee laws, it came as no surprise to conference attendees but an obvious step the Minister was required to take, That the Tamil refugees in this case were said to have originally come from Sri Lanka, then to southem India, before departing by boat for Australia, raised the whole question of whether or not they are refugees once they left the countty in which they were oppressed, 3 This is a question often raised by my constituents and members of the public. If refugees fi'om their country of origin have managed to travel to Indonesia and lived in Indonesia before boarding a vessel bound for Australia where they claim refugee status, how can they claim refugee status given that they are fleeing Indonesia where they are not persecuted? The answer, as I now understand it fiom conference sessions, is that just because a refugee is passing tlU'ough a country where they have no right of residence in no way precludes a refugee from claiming that status in the counhy in which they finally an'ive. Therefore, at law, simply because a refugee may have travelled to Indonesia does not extinguish the right to claim refugee status when they arrive at the country in which they claim refugee status. From my participation in the conference I also concluded that the latest policy of the Australian Govemment, as announced by the Minister for Immigration, that refugees that have been intercepted at sea at taken to the detention centres on Manus Island or Naum, are then to be re-settled in Cambodia, also offends Australia's obligations under intemational law. Whilst it is put fOlward by the Aush'alian govemment that those refugees relocated from Manus Island or Naum to Cambodia do so by choice, it cannot be said that it is a choice of their own fi'ee will. The refugees are housed in appalling conditions on both Manus Island and Naum and told that they will be held in these conditions until they agree to be relocated is not exercising their free will. In another conference session we discussed the French law banning the wealing of the burqa in public in France. In conference session the French reasons for the legislation were looked at. First and foremost amongst them were security concems relating to the wony there might be rogue ten'orists seeking to hide their identity for pUlposes of furthering terrorist activities. One Muslim woman challenged the French law in the European Court of Human Rights and the decision was handed down during the conference week. This gave attendees dUling conference session to collectively examine the European Court's mling in upholding the French law. The European Court rejected the main justification that France advanced for the law, stating that the security concem could not justifY the ban on wearing a burqa in public. It was relevant that the Plaintiff in the case was a young female Muslim student with no criminal student and an impeccable record. The European COUlt upheld the French law not on the basis of security concems but rather that covering one's face in public was contrary to the public aim of promoting a mixed and tolerant society. 4 The reasoning was that if a person wearing a burqa set themselves apatt fi'om all other citizens with the unspoken message "I can see you, but you can't see me" - this was regarded as contrary to the development of an intem1ingled and tolerant society. On this basis the European Court dismissed the challenge to the French ban on wearing a burqa in public. This was contrasted to the Australian position, where the Australian Prime Minister and high profile member of the Human Rights Conuuission of Australia, Mr Tim Wilson, both support the right of women to be able to wear face coverings in Australia and based their rationale on similar reason to the European Court gave for upholding the ban on wearing face coverings. That is, the Australian Govemment and Human Rights Commissioner take the view that Australia is a tolerant society practising fi'eedom of religion and if someone chooses to follow their religious belief by covering their face in public then Australians should accept that. There was much discussion around the point that the velY same ambitions of France and Australia to have a multi-cultural and tolerant society led to two completely different outcomes. Other sessions of the conference moved away fi'om refugee law and discussed other areas of law, for example, doctor Litsa Morfis a specialist geriatl1cian at the University of New South Wales and St George Hospital in New South Wales gave an interesting paper on the effects of ageing and dementia and the diminution of cognitive ability. TillS is a particular area of interest in so far as it in1pacts upon mental capacity to plead to an offence in court, to understand the proceedings of a trial before a court and ultimately if convicted how such a person should be dealt with. These propositions have palticular interest given the predilection of the CUlTent State . Government to make more offences the subject of telms of mandatory sentencing. For example, an aged person who strikes a police officer with a walking stick and caused that officer injury is liable for 6 months mandatOlY imprisoumerit. What are the effects of ageing at1d dementia on that person's cognitive ability? Do they have the capacity to understand the charge at1d nature of proceedings? 1fnot, should they be detained in a place of detention for the mentally impaired? Mr Rob Grant, the principal solicitor of Grant and Associates Family Lawyers in Queensland gave a lecture on the increasing impOltance of mediation in family law practice. We discussed how without an increasing recourse to mediation in Family Law disputes, the Family Court of Australia will not be able to cope with the weight of litigation before the comts. The cost savings to the community were discussed at length in having independent mediators work with parties to come up with satisfactory property and parenting orders and how the process of mediation will not only save the cOl1uuunity large sums of money by reducing 5 hours required in COUlt, but also save the parties large legal fees, which money could then be applied to re-establishing the family as two units. The utility in Family Court mediation in avoiding the parties spending time in adversarial proceedings in a court room, which causes deterioration in communication between the parties to the dispute, to the detriment of any children involved in ongoing parenting litigation. We also had a subsequent session on the question of independent representation of children in complex parenting disputes. This session was also chaired by Mr Grant of Grant and Associations Family Lawyers. There was another session delivered by a District COUlt Judge from Queensland who appeared as junior counsel on the manslaughter ttials against Dr Patel arising out of a number of deaths at Bundaberg Hospital. This session was a very detailed and complex examination of the expert evidence in front of and by juries. In that case there was expert evidence led by the prosecutions; that surgical procedures Dr Patel was undertaking on patients at Bundaberg Hospital were unnecessary and further evidence that the manner in which the surgical procedures were performed were so far below the acceptable standard that it constituted criminal negligence. The conference was then presented with an outline of the expert evidence called by the defence arguing that the decision to operate was well within the bounds of professional judgement by a competent surgeon and the manner in which the procedures were perfOlmed fell within the range of competency and could not be concluded that the deaths followed negligence by the surgeon. The conference discussion centred on what jUlies should do with competing expert evidence. In Dr Patels case he was acquitted, because he could not be convicted beyond a reasonable doubt in the face of competing expert evidence. One presentation was given by Mr Anthony Collins, a Banister from Queensland who appeared for the husband of the deceased Alan Lay at Coroner's Inquests and before the Queensland Court of Appeal. In the discussion of both the police investigation, forensic evidence and other legal issues I was moved to think ofthe case involving Corryn Rayney in Western Australia. It was from my consideration of the matters discussed in conference session appertaining to the murders of JUly Law and Vicky Amold and the continuing heavy suspicion over the husband, Alan Lay, and in particular the utility of the three coronial investigations into the death, that cause me to think and publicly call for a Coronial Inquiry into the death of Corryn Rayney notwithstanding the acquittal of her husband Lloyd Rayney on a charge of murder relating to her death. 6 I accepted an invitation to present a session on the development of mandatory sentencing legislation in Western Australia, sourcing the movement back to President Clinton and his opponent during the presidential campaign, Michael Dukakis. It was Michael Dukakis as a Governor introduced a system of release on licence, which included murderers. A particular offender who had spent nearly two decades in prison was released on weekend licence to be reintegrated back into the conununity and whilst on weekend licence murdered another victim. This gave Mr Clinton a mandate for being tough on cnme. Mandatory sentencing was then picked up by United Kingdom Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who saw what President Clinton had achieved, did the same in the United Kingdom, packaging it as being tough on crime and the causes of crime. The law and order debate and mandatory sentencing gathered momentum until it was a staple in every election at State level. The policy has evolved to where we have an"ived in Western Australia where we have a Bill before the parliament which proposes mandatory terms of 15 years to people who commit a home burglary and other serious offence. The Bill makes no exception for those suffering from mental illness or impairment. The final conference session was a dense legal topic of Australian court's current approaches to the concept of unreasonableness in government decision making and when the courts will, upon review, intercede when there has been evidence of unreasonableness in approach by government to important government decisions. . The conference was a sound legal educative experience that not only challenged me to examine different areas of public not addressed but also provoked thought on the wider issues of equity, society and conscience when approaching the very thorny issue of refugees. The first benefit I obtained from the trip is that the conference itself is recognised by the legal profession in Australia as an accredited continuing professional legal education provider. Therefore, by attending the conference I garnered seven of the continuing legal education points I need to satisfY the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia's requirement for my continuing registration as a legal practitioner. I have and maintain a legal practice certificate which is endorsed "pro bono only", which in turn enables me to offer legal advice and occasional COUlt representation on a strictly pro bono - no fee charge basis. Yours sincerely, JLQ1VVV' JOHN QUIGLEY LLB JP MLA Member for Butler drea Mite e I W~LA Member for Kings!ey Parliament of Western Australia Mr Peter Com'an Director General Dept of Premier and Cabinet Locked Bag 300 I WEST PERTH W A 6872 Dear Peter Report on Illlprest Travel for Overseas Meetings Jllly 2014 I am pleased to provide a report for the meetings that I attended whilst overseas in July 20 14. The varied meetings offered me extensive information that supports my Parliamentary work, as a Member of Parliament, and my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Mental Health, Disability Services and Child Protection. I had excell ent support from the WA Agent General, Kevin Skipworth, and hi s staff, who we re extremely helpful in developing my program in London and Edinburgh. Likewise Pankaj Savara organi sed an informative day in Dubai. May I thank YOII for the opportllnity to II se Imprest fllnds on this occasion to sllpport my Parliamentary wo rk. Kind rega rd s ANDREA MITCHELL MLA Memberjor lCillgsfey 23 Jllly 20 14 Enc: Report Phone: 93092666 Fax: 9309 3694 The Elec torate of Kingsley includes th e following su burbs: Emai l: andrea.mitchell @mp.wa.g ov.au Greenwood, Kingsley, Woodva le and West Warwi ck Web: www.and reamitchel l.com.8 u Office: Unit 4, Woodvale Park Comm ercial Centre, 923 WhitFo rd s Ave, Woodvale WA 6026 Pos tal: PO Box 464, Greenwood WA 6924 IMPREST TRAVEL REPORT Mcctings in London Business in the Community (BCIT) Faye Ramsson, Education Director BCIT has a strong focus on linking businesses with the community to address the areas of: o Reducing the impact of unemployment o Addressing skill shortages o Stimulating the local economy o Supporting conulltll1ity organisations The focus on my visit pertained to the engagement of young people in education and training, whilst at the same time learning how businesses could develop positive links with schools and administration. It was a very productive meeting. W A Agent General Mr Kevin Skipworth, and his office, provided valuable support in the organisation of meetings whilst in London and Edinburgh. He also updated me on the work of the office in Britain, Europe and Africa, to promote Western Australia. Women in Mining UK Reception The Western Australian Govenunent and the Queensland Govenunent held a reception for the organisation 'Women In Mining UK' at the Australian High Conunission. The Premier was keen for me to address the attendees, and the Dept of State Development provided the speech. The reception was sponsored by ANZ Europe Trade, and over 60 persons attended including people from Mat'gm'et River, Busselton and Perth. UK Youth Jo Birch-Phaure, Conununications Manager UK Youth has identified that many young people are not engaged in the academic pathways of school, and this has resulted in a cohort of young people disengaged in the conulltll1ity and unemployed. They have developed a number of programs for use in conjunction with schools and local govenunents to address this issue. They praised the Western Australia education system for the acknowledgement that many young people are better undertaking vocational education rather than purely academic pathways. Some programs included: o Social Action Plans in the community o Youth Achievement Foundations EdinbUl'gh Tour of the Scottish Parliament A private tour of the Scottish Parliament was arranged for me which was most informative of the structure of the new Parliament House, how the single house operates, and the history of government in Scotland. A tapestry of 140 sections, each prepared by an area, industry or piece of history, was on display in the Parliament at the time. It was explained to me how this was completed and the most effective way this has brought the towns and people together. Grigor Henderson Grigor is renowned in the field of Mental Health and he had been influential in the formation of a Mental Health Conunission in Western Australia. He was interested in being updated on the progress that has been made. We spent much time discussing conullunity mental health, referring to functioning rather than diagnosis, not treating people to maintain their treatment but to gain recovery. Dllbai As my visit occurred during Ramadan, the opportunity to visit businesses was reduced. However Pankaj provided me with many hours of site visits and information on why WA has a State office in Dubai for the region and how the office works. FINANCIAL REPORT Cost of Travel As I was travelling to London on private business, no airfare travel was included. The return rail travel from London to Edinburgh was: $ 424.00 Accommodation Expenditure for accomlllodation was requested for 5 nights, totally $ 1,600 London: 2 nights 4 meetings held on I and 3 July Edinburgh: I night 2 meetings held on 7 July Dubai: I night I day, II July, spent with Pankaj Savara See attached hotel invoices for confirmation. ~~l'·1 Government of Western Austra li a )" !. ~ Department of the Premier and Cab inet l_.~ _._.;lt PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of the trip. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet collates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constituents and/or parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community and/or the State of Western Australia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. NAME OF Mr Tony Krsticevic MEMBER: DESTINATION/S: Greece (Lenlllos and Crete) DATE OF 8Ul July 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP : At the invitation of the Greek Government, a number of Members of Parliament from Western Australia and Victoria attended the Greek ANZAC study Tour 2014 (Lemnos and Crete). This tour also included meetings with Greek Members of Parliament, Mayors and various business's. The cost of the tour on my Imprest Travel Account was $12,050.30 BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: (A brief repOlt of no more than 2 pages may be attached if required) th The 25 April 2015 commemorates the 1ooth anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. As we all know, this is where the ANZAC legend was born and has become a day where we remember all of the Australian'S and New Zealand's who have served and continue to serve Australia. In total some $140 million dollars have been committed to the ANZAC Centenary Program by the Commonwealth Government. Every year in the Electorate of Carine the North Beach RSL holds an ANZAC service at the War Memorial on Charles Riley Memorial Reserve. This commemoration is attended by approximately 1000 local residents. Greece was pivotal to the ANZAC campaign and its contribution needs to be better understood by all Australi an's. We also need to make sure that people are aware of all the sacrifices that were made and th e numerous War Memorials and Grave sites located throughout Greece. As stated on the official Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative website, Lemnos' role in Australia's ANZAC legend should not be forgotten: Lemnos island Greece was the principal assembly, embarkation and supply point for the Gallipoli landings; The landings at Gallipoli were practiced on Lemnos prior to their deployment at Gallipoli and the islands' harbour was a major staging post for naval operations in the Gallipoli campaign, including Australia's AE2 submarine campaign; The vast majority of Anzac troops spent time on Lemnos - whether preparing for the landing, resting or recuperating at its rest camps or recovering from the horrors of war in its field hospitals; Lemnos was the location of the major nursing stations for the Gallipoli campaign, with 130 Australian nurses, led by Matron Grace Wilson - the first major overseas deployment of Australian Nurses to a war theatre; The then recently formed Australian Red Cross Society was represented on the Island, through its aid depot and in the distribution of aid parcels to nurses and soldiers; A number of major Australian military figures visited and were photographed on the island, such as Albert Jacka VC and Generals Birdwood and Monash; The armistice concerning the allies and the Ottoman Empire was signed on board HMS Agamemnon in Mudros Harbour, Lemnos in 1918; and, Lemnos is the location of two major but under-recognised Commonwealth War Graves, with 148 Australian graves. Apart from the extensive tour of all the major ANZAC War memorials we also undertook site visits and meetings with: o Members of the Australia - Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group o Special Permanent Committee on Greeks Aboard o First Vice President of the House, Mr John Tragakis o Toured the Syntagme Metro operations centre o Officials and toured the Port of Piraeus o Minister of Shipping and Aegean, Mr Miltiadis Vaqrvitsiotis o Vice President of the Hellenic-Australian Business Council, Mr Christos Folias o President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce o Lemnos Friends of ANZACS o Mayor of Lemnos, Mr Hadjidiamantis o Mayor of I(alamata, Mr Panayiotis Nikas o General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Dr Konstantinos Zorrnpas o President of Chania Hoteliersa, Mr Manolis Giannoulis o Mayor of Chania, Mr Manolis Skoulakis All of the discussions and site visits gave me a better understanding of how the Greeks strongly value their connection and relationship with Western Australia. I was also provided a good insight into their Port and Rail operations. Page 2 Hon Mark Lewis MLC Me m bel~ fo r th e Mining and Pastoral F~ e gion I Mr Peter Conran AM Director General Department of Premier & Cabinet Entitlements and Transport Branch Locked Bag 3001 WEST PERTH WA 6872 Dear Mr Conran, RE: PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL ALLOWANCE REPORT As per the guidelines set down for use of Parliamentary Travel Allowance hereby report on my visit to Greece. The use of $10,453.40 from my Parliamentary Travel Allowance was to participate in a Parliamentary ANZAC study and cultural tour of Greece in the lead up to the centenary celebration of the ANZAC campaign. The trip was organised by my colleague Hon. Peter Katsambanis MLC, along with Victorian MP John Pandazopoulos. The tour was facilitated in conjunction with the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIA) and Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee, with a program of events that ran from July 9 until July 19, 2014. As part of the tour we attended the Hellenic Parliament for official meetings with the Parliament President, Australia-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group, Australian Ambassador and the Hellenic Australian Business Council. This was a unique opportunity to discuss a range of important issues, many of which will further strengthen the bilateral relations between our two countries. Of particular interest to me, and my electorate, was the soon to be implemented bilateral Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa arrangement between Greece and Australia. As a direct result of discussions, on July 16 I issued a media release urging both governments to expedite the final administrative processes to bring visa arrangement into effect. (See attachment). This reciprocal arrangement could have huge potential for WA's Mining Pastoral Region, particularly for industries such as agriculture and hospitality. Likewise of particular interest was the opportunity discussed with members of the Hellenic Australian Business Council which identified key areas that are mutually beneficial; notably in building technology and construction and a strong demand , Marh,Le\'[email protected] u · .+6 1 892263550 +6 189226 2976 leve l 1,8 Pa rliamen t Plac e, Wes t Pe rt h WA 6005 J_l';_L~_l JL_ . '------~-.. -- . for investment in a range of sectors in Greece paliicularly agriculture and . tourism . We also took the opportunity to inspect the main Port and meet with the Port Chairman, CEO and Executives. Athens port is a critical European port not only for Greece but for the EU more generally and is a gateway port to the Mediterranean and all points east, south and west to the world. A key point of discussion was the ownership and financial structures which Greece have used to fund port development and operations. Key lessons observed was that a public listing approach (where a percentage of the port was floated on the stock exchange) to raise (return) capital to the State was and still is problematic and advice was that if this was to be considered again then they would probably not use this approach. However they are now looking at other structures and methods to realise the value of sunk capital and increase revenue. A recommendation from this meeting would be to strongly encourage our Minister for Transport to visit this organisation and to drill down into the lessons they've learned and note the range of options they are currently considering and there application to WA. Another highlight on the study tour was a site visit and briefing on the Athens underground Metro system where again the capital requirements to meet current and future demand is a constant challenge and need to thoroughly analysis the range of financing models for this type of infrastructure was a common theme similar to the issues facing us in WA. Again, as with mosi it big-ticket infrastructure requirements, Greece looks too and is reliant on EU funding similar to our reliance on Federal contributions for our larger WA projects. What was of particular interest was the revamp in the management and operational systems which they have just undertaken. The technology just embedded in their control centres is world-class and again would recommend that the Minister takes note of this upgrade should this be an issue with our metro system . Throughout the study tour and as the name suggests, a strong emphasis was placed on the upcoming centenary celebration of the ANZAC campaigns. We inspected many sites of significance, such as Constitution Square, the infamous battle site at Corinth Canal and tile Australian rest camp, Sarpi. We also met with the city of Kalamata which was the ANZACs last evacuation pOli in World War II before the Battle of Crete. We attended the Australian-Greek Australian War Memorial and Souda Commonwealtll War Cemetery, where we had tile opportunity to lay a wreath to recognise those that Ilad sacrificed their lives in both World Wars. A key outcome of these site inspections was the need for Australia to work with the relevant regional council (or their equivalent) to identify key military sites and to develop strategies that increase visitation and awareness of the role of the ANZAC's. This should include an overall ANZAC tourism pathways plan including geographic plan (incl. map/s). appropriate signage, interpretative information and centres, educational programs for schools etc and an increased ceremonial program around significant memorable dates. What also became evident to the delegation was the lack of awareness by Australians of the velY significant role that the ANZAC's had in both World Wars in Greece and that there should be an in creased recognition and profile within our education syllabus. From the feedback we received from Greek officials (including the Greek Consulate in Western Australia - see attached) and delegates that we met, this tour has been instrumental in affirming Western Australia's ties with Greece and highlighted a range of key activities that can be followed-up that will cement long term ties and facilitate economic oppoliunities going forward. I commend this report to you. Yours sincerely, ~~ ~ '--~~ Hon Mark Lewis MLC Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region 9 September, 2014 REPORT OF WA PARLIAMENTARY ANZAC STUDY AND . CULTURAL TOUR OF GREECE, Ju ly 2014 Presented by Mr Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Introduction Every year at ANZAC Day memorials we are confronted by the many sacrifices in war. Because of the demographics within the electorate of Swan Hills, I have made it a priority to attend as many services as possible on this day, in additional to many school services throughout the electorate. In particular I have enjoyed four (4) consecutive ANZAC Day addresses at both the Mundaring War Memorial and at The Pines retirement village in Ellenbrook .. The Mundaring events have enjoyed a renewed attendance, where only a few years ago it would be a crowd of 500-600 (approx.); it had well over 1200 for the 2014 service. When the opportunity to visit the sites of the Greek campaign in honour of our forgotten ANZACs, as documented in the book by Peter Ewer, I must confess to being somewhat excited. I have a connection to the campaign, though unfortunately on the other side. My father was a member of the Alpini division, an Italian mountain warfare military corps, on the Axis side of the conflict, where he was wounded twice. While he survived, many of his mates didn't. He spoke very little of his war years, other than that he served for seven (7) years in the Royal Italian Army, from his conscription at age 20 in 1937 until the signing of Armistice of Cassibile 3 September 1943, rising to the rank of Sergeant and serving at various fronts throughout World War 11, before emigrating to Australia in 1955. By then he was a staunch opponent of war and the price paid by youth on decisions made by old men in the safety of their bunkers. With this personal connection, I gladly accepted the invitation to join this tour. To quote the description of Peter Ewer's 2008 publication "Forgotten ANZACs: The campaign in Greece, 1941"; "The campaign in Greece turned out to have uncanny parallels to the original Gallipoli operation: bath were inspired by Winston Churchill, both were badly planned by British military leaders, and both ended in defeat and evacuation. British bungling at Gallipoli was one thing; but in Greece, Churchill authorised his commonders to leave the Anzacs to their fate if their rescue compromised wider British interests." must confess, prior to the opportunity to undertake this study tour, I was unaware of Australia and New Zealand's involvement in the Greek campaign, and how, once again, the ANZACs demonstrated their character, tenacity, and spirit in the face of tremendous adversity. 1 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Sites ofthe Gallipoli campaign (WW1) and the Greek campaign (WWII) The sites visited during this tour have historical significance across two battles during 1941 as part of the Balkan Campaign of Germany, as well as the Gallipoli campaign . The Battle of Greece ranged from the 6th to the 30th of April 1941, and involved the German and Italian invasion of Greece, with Greece supported in the defence of their land by the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The Battle of Crete began on the 20th of May 1941, and is noted for a number of reasons, one of them being the significant use of German paratroopers. A number of ANZACs evacuated from the Battle of Greece were taken to Crete, and the battle would last until the end of May 1941. One of the other fascinating aspects of this particular battle was the resistance that the German troopers received from Cretan civilians. Both the Battle of Greece and the Battle of Crete resulted in significant losses of Australian lives. In the attached itinerary (Appendix 1) I have listed the majority of sites visited during the tour. Select sites have been covered in more detail below. Phaleron Commonwealth War Cemetery (10 July 2014) Over 2,000 Allies are buried here, with more than a quarter unidentified. The scale is immense, and the Phaleron Cremation Memorial and the Athens Memorial are located within the grounds. The Athens Memorial commemorates, among others, the Allied losses in Greece and Crete, forever without a grave. We participate in the laying of a wreath, and it is impossible not to be incredibly affected by the scale of what we are surrounded by . The Port of Moudros (12 July 2014) During the Gallipoli Campaign, the port city of Moudros was used as a base for the Allies. Therma Hot Springs (12 July 2014) Located near Lemnos, a rest area for exhausted Australian troopers, the hot springs at Therma were utilised by many ANZACs during the Gallipoli Campaign. 2 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MlA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Sarpi Rest Camp (12 July 2014) Located near Moudros on the island of Lemnos, the rest camp was well known due to its size and proximity to the Australian Hospital site. East Moudros Military Cemetery (12 July 2014) East Moudros Military Cemetery is the burial place of over 800 Allies from World War I, and ' a lone casualty from World War 11. Portianos Military Cemetery (12 July 2014) Portianos Military Cemetery is the final resting place of 345 World War War casualties of the Allied forces. Corinth Canal (13 July 2014) During the Battle of Greece, the Allied Forces defended the main bridge from German forces attempting to capture it. On 26 April 1941, German troops succeeded in capturing the bridge, however Allies were able to destroy it. The canal, originally opened in 1893, was damaged by retreating Germans in 1944, with the United States Army Corps of Engineers working for 10 months to reopen the canal in 1948. Kalamata (14 July 2014) Located on the southern coast of Greece, Kalamata was the final evacuation point for Allied Forces during the Battle of Greece. Many of the evacuees from Kalamata would soon end up at the Battle of Crete. Hellennic Australian Memorial Park (17 July 2014) Located in Rethymnon, the park was dedicated on 19 May 2001, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Crete. Panels throughout the park cover the history of the Battle of Greece and the Battle of Crete, and are provided in both English and Greek. Preveli Monastery (17 July 2014) This monastery, located in Rethymnon, Crete, was utilised as evacuation points during the Battle of Crete, and remain further examples of how the general Cretan population were extremely supportive of the Australian soldiers. 3 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Allied War Cemetery. Souda Bay (17 July 2014) We laid a wreath at the Allied War Cemetery, located overlooking Souda Bay, the final resting place of some 1,500 Allied servicemen from World War 11, with a staggering 776 graves unidentified. An additional 19 burials from World War I have been moved to this cemetery from Souda Bay Consular Cemetery. Maleme Airport (17 July 2014) Infamously taken by German paratroopers during the Battle of Crete, this airstrip was essential to Germany's success. Although many paratroopers would die during the attack, the German possession of this airstrip ensured the Germans could provide reinforcements. German War Cemetery. Maleme (17 July 2014) One of the two German cemeteries located in Greece, the cemetery in Maleme overlooks the airstrip, and is the final resting place of nearly 4,500 German soldiers, primarily paratroopers) who died during the Battle of Crete. Skafia (17 July 2014) Famous for the events of 28-31 May 1941, following the Battle of Crete, Sfakian locals helped many ANZACs evacuate under the cover of night, with approximately 12,200 troops escaping. 4 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Greek historical sites and official meetings Throughout the tour, there were various visits to historical sites, such as the archaeological site of Olympia, including the temples of both Zeus and Hera, and the altar of the Olympic flame, Panathinaiko Stadium, home of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and the New Acropolis Museum. Visiting these sites gave a broader understanding of the history of the country, its people, and their culture. Further to this, throughout the tour we had official meetings at Greek Parliament, with the Parliament President, the Australia -Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group, th e Australian Ambassador, the Hellenic Australian Business Council, and representatives of the Prefecture of Messinia, among others. It was heart-warming to note that all were supportive of our tour to acknowledge our countries' combined war efforts 73 years earlier. Just like in Gallipoli, many of Australia's sons are interred in this foreign land, and the impact of Australia's sacrifice is still seen throughout Greece to this day. Because of the shared history of our countries, many of the officials and Parliamentarians we met with shared their personal family histories during the time of these conflicts, and there is no question that the history of Australia and Greece in 1941 will continue to resonate as a common bond for generations to come. 5 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MlA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Costs The cost of my participation on this tour was $14,698.21 and is detailed as follows; Airfares (international): $ 7,805.00 Airfares (internal): $ 743.21 Accommodation (as part of the tour): $ 4,000.00 Meal allowance: $1,700.00 Incidentals: $ 450.00 6 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Memberfor Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Conclusion I acknowledge the assistance and intimate knowledge of military history, the region and Greek culture from both Hon. John Pandazopolous MP, Member for Dandenong in the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Government, and Hon. Peter Katsambanis MLC, Member for the North Metropolitan Region. In addition to their knowledge, their understanding of both the language and customs was an asset as we met with other politicians and dignitaries throughout the planned itinerary, and assisted the touring party immensely. Peter Ewer's account of the 1941 campaign in Greece, entitled "Forgotten Anzacs" provided a comprehensive history of the battlefields, and has provided much contextual understanding of the sites visited firsthand on the tour. It is an essential guide to the sites visited on the tour. The soldiers of the Greece campaign in 1941 are just as worthy of recognition as their predecessors on the Gallipoli front. History has overlooked these brave soldiers who, like the Gallipoli soldiers, were at the mercy of Britain's military machine, and cast aside when it suited them. The outcome of my participation on this tour is that I will be encouraging other Western Australians to study this campaign and potentially visit these sites. Though certainly in the shadow of the Gallipoli campaign, it is a similar story of the bravery, tenacity, and courage of our ANZACs in the face of overwhelming odds. The benefit of the Greece campaign's 75 th anniversary occurring in 2016 and following one year behind Gallipoli's centenary is the potential for promotion and exposure of this oft-overlooked conflict. The ANZAC-site portion of the tour proved to be a very confronting emotional journey for me. Reading many a headstone simply inscribed with impersonal statements such as "An Australian Soldier of the 1939-1945 War", I'm sure if these soldiers were able to look down on us; their Aussie visitors some 70 years later, they would appreciate that indeed "we will remember them" as we shed a tear at their sacrifice. We will tell their story and acknowledge their place in our history, and the cost in Australian lives. FRANK ALBAN MLA MEMBER FOR SWAN HILLS 7 Report of WA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 Appendix 1: Itinerary 08/07/2014 FLIGHT (INTERNATIONAL): PERTH, AUSTRALIA> DOHA, QATAR 09/07/2014 FLIGHT (INTERNATIONAL): PERTH, AUSTRALIA> DOHA, QATAR ATHENS FLIGHT (INTERNATIONAL): DOHA, QATAR > ATHENS, GREECE 10/07/2014 - Official meetings at Parliament with; ATHENS • Parliament President • Australia- Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group, • Australian Ambassador • Hellenic Australian Business Council. Visit and lay wreath at Phaleron Commonwealth War Cemetery 11/07/2014 Athens Walking Tour; LEMNOS • Panathinaiko Stadium (site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1986) • Constitution Square( sites visited by the ANZACs) • visit and briefing on the Athens underground Metro system • Acropolis Hill with the Parthenon • Pnyx (the location of the Athenian democracy) • New Acropolis Museum FLIGHT (INTERNAL): ATHENS> LEMNOS 12/07/2014 ANZAC site tour; LEMNOS • Port of Moudros • Sarpi the Australian rest camp, the Australian Hospitals site • Wreath laying at Moudros War Cemetery and Portianou War Cemetery • Meetings with local officials 13/07/2014 FLIGHT (INTERNAL) LEMNOS > ATHENS OLYMPIA DRIVE: ATHENS> PATRAS En route to Patras: visit Corinth Canal (Battle of Greece, April 1941) DRIVE: PATRAS > OLYMPIA 14/07/2014 Olympia archaeological site tour; KAlAMATA • Temples of Zeus and Hera • Altar of the Olympic flame • Stadium • Museum of Olympia DRIVE: OLYMPIA> KALAMATA Meeting with Prefecture of Messinia representatives. Sightseeing of Kalamata, last evacuation point of the ANZACs, prior to the Battle of Crete. 8 Report ofWA Parliamentary ANZAC Study and Cultural Tour of Greece July 2014 Frank Alban MLA Member for Swan Hills 12 September 2014 15/07/2014 DRIVE: KALAMATA > TRIPOLI> ARGOS > NAFPLlON Argas was a key evacuation point during the Battle of Greece DRIVE: ARGOS > NAFPLlON Nafplion was the first capital of modern Greece and a port used as an evacuation point for the ANZACs 16/07/2014 DRIVE: NAFPLlON > ATHENS CHANIA FLIGHT (INTERNAL) ATHENS> CHANIA Visited; • The Venizelos Tombs in Akrotiri (Eleftherion Venizelos was a Greek statesman on significant note; his son Sophocles Venizelos was the Prime Minister for Greece from 1943-1952) 17/07/2014 Day tour to the Rethymnon area, visiting sites such as; CHANIA • Hellenic-Australian Memorial Park • Preveli Monastery • Allied War Cemetery, Souda Bay • 18/07/2014 Visited sites included; CHANIA • Maleme airport • German War cemetery • Sfakia Meeting with local officials 19/07/2014 FLIGHT (INTERNAL): CHANIA > ATHENS IN TRANSIT FLIGHT (INTERNATIONAL) ATHENS, GREECE> DOHA, QATAR 20/07/2014 FLIGHT (INTERNATIONAL): DOHA, QATAR > PERTH, AUSTRALIA 9 Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General , Department of the Prem ier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of th e trip. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet coll ates and coordin ates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constituents and/or parl ia mentary processes, the Western Australian community and/or the State of Western Australia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentat ions, research reports or reports otherwise avai labl e to the Parliament. NAME OF I-Ion Jim Chown MLC MEMBER: DESTINATION/S : Greece DATE OF 8 July to 2 1 July 20 14 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: 1. To accept the invitation extended by the Greek Parliament, compare the operation of our two political and parliamentary systems, and explore a framework for closer cooperatio n between the two nations and the two parliaments. 2. To investigate trade and business opportunities between the two nations, in particular in agri culture and exploration fo r oil and gas. 3. To investigate and learn frolll the experience of Greece in th e recent building of la rge- scale underground li ght rail projects in large cities such as Athens. 4. To investigate recent developments in port infrastructure and shipp in g, especiall y in relation to Piraeus Port whi ch is one of the largest container and passenger ports in Europe. 5. To in vestigate and appreciate th e drivers of grO\\1 h in international visitor numbers particularly in relation to invest ment in tourist infrastruct ure and th e role of direct intemational air links to regional tourist destin ations. 6. To further appreciate the signifi ca nce of the campaigns fought by Westel'll Australi an so ldi ers in both world war campaigns in mainland Greece, ill Li1l11loS and in Crete. 7. To gain a broader understanding of the ANZAC legacy that remains in Greece and pay respects to those Westem Australian troops who fell during the two world war ca mpaigns. 8. To explore opportunities for strong cultural and economic ties between Greece and Western Australia based on the ANZAC ti es, especially in the context of the centenary of ANZAC commemorations in 20 14 and 20 IS. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Strengthened and enhanced relationships: The ability to meet face-ta-face to speak with our Greek counterparts in the Hellenic Parliament was an indispensable opportunity to strengthen the relationship between our two Parliaments. The group also had the opportunity to meet wit h the Austral ia-Greece Parli amentary Friend ship Group, which was formed earlier in 20 14 by thc Austra li an Federal Government, and with business represe ntatives. Frank and open discussions were held with the Greek Members of Parliament and busin ess representatives regarding issues impacting upon both our nations, such as the GFC and its ongoing impact upon both our economies. This is st ill a parlicularly pertinent issue in Greece in light of the austeri ty measures that have since been introduced in concert wit h EU requiremcnts to reduce the country's debt Icvels. Unemployment in Greece is a major issue, with the unemployment rate at over 27 per cent and youth unemploymcnt at a staggering 58 per cent, the highest unemployment rates of all the 28 EU member countries. The bilateral relationship between Australi a and Greece in terms of trade is small. However, the cultural ties brought about through immigration from Greece to Australia and by the cxperience of ANZAC soldiers during WWI and WWII, are still very strong and were further enhanced by our visit. This was evident in the Greek Government's decision to maintain a consulate in Pelth, which was heavily lobbied for both prior to and during our visit. Comlllemoration of ANZAC sites: Paying homage to our ANZAC soldiers throughout our visit to Greece was most humbling, particularly given the upcoming 20 15 ANZAC commemorative celebrations that will be occurrin g throughout WA, and indeed the country. Having the opportunity to visit the Preveli Monastery in Crete and hear the history of our ANZACs on that site, and how the monks protected them, was truly inspirational. The mark of that experience is still prominent within WA in the naming of Pr eve Ill' in WA, near Margaret River, after the monastery and the building of a Greek Orthodox Church by returning ANZAC so ldiers. This act was a true reflection of the high esteem in which our ANZAC soldiers held the Greeks in the way they assisted and protected so many of our diggers during WWll. It is touching to know that the Greeks still so fondly and proudly maintain the graves of our fa llen soldiers on their shores to this very day. It was an honolll" to represe nt the people of WA in visiting ANZAC sites, such as the main hospital site for Gallipoli on the island of Lem nos, where WA troops were amongst th c many of those treated. The group also participated in commemorative wreath-laying services and visited ANZAC graves at the Kalamak i Commonwealth War Cemetery, the Moudros War Cemetery, the Portaniou War Cemetery and the Souda Commonwealth War Cemetery. Transport Infrastructure: Of particular interest to me, as Parliam entary Secretary to the Minister for Transport, was the large-scale transport infrastructure projects the Greek Government had undertaken in the past decadc, particu larly the major undergro und li ght rai l project in Athens, and in understandin g the benefits private enterprise investment can br in g to public infrastructure projects. Attica Metro: The underground rail system through Athens has tlIree separate lines, comprising of one 25km and two 18km lines, which collectively transport over 1.3 m Athenians per day. Each line is operated by a separate public company, underwritten by the Greek government and with funding by the EU. At hens, with a broad populat ion base of around "million people, was utterly congested with traffic and suffering from poor air quality; Iwas informed that within a day of the Attica Metro opening, the congestion issues were eased considerably. Wc visited the Syntagma Station of Attica Metro and were guided by Attica Metro representatives who explained deta il s of the system des ign, including a disc ussion regardi ng the rolling-stock utilised. Page 2 It was interesting to note the impediments the Greek Government faced in tunnelling for the Attica Metro. As would be expected in a city as ancient as Athens, hi storical artefa cts were uncovered while tunnelling and the entire excavation for the train line extension became, in part, an archaeological-dig. This has parallels to the WA Government's planned r orrestfield-Airport link in terms of 8km of twin-bored tunnels beneath the Swan River and airport being consid ered as part of the project. Airport numbers in WA are ex pected to hit 25 million per annum by 2030 and it is imperative th at there is a cohesive connection betwee n th e major transport network hubs in Perth. Toll-rollds: Greece has had a user-pays id eology in terms of toll-roads in their country since 1927, which is one th at I believe requires further consideration in W A, particularly in terms of heavy-haulage impacts upon the road. Run by private enterpri se in Greece, the toll-road system supplies state of the art motorways both metropolitan and within th e country-side; such motorways would obviollsly have a significant co mmercial advantage over secondary road s. One of the issues regarding toll-roads which came to my attention while in Greece is the Greek Government has stepped back from its responsibility of financing secondary roads, as evidenced by the deteriorating condition of virtually all second ary roads throughout Greece. Perth's rapid population expansion in th e past decade, with last year's increase estim ated at around the 75,000 mark, has placed mass ive pressure on the road transport system in Perth, notwithstanding the Government 's on going investment in road infrastl'llcturc. The extremely heavy freight movement s on WA roads, and th e consequential need for evermore upgrades ancl annual expenditure upon upkeep, are al so of maj or eoneel'l1 to the State of WA, particularly given the length and breadth of our road system. A user pays system on the two major arterial freeways into Perth would go towards the upkeep of those freeways and would also go towards encouraging road users onto public transport to case traffic congestion. Pori o/Pimells: This Port is one of the largest passenger and cruise pOl1s in th e world and th e key hub for car and container transshipment in th e Mediterranean and Black Sea. The Port had a through-put of l7m passengers in 2013 and over 700 cruise ships call into th e Port annually with around 2.5m passengers; this is in addition to the 3m containers that are handled by the Port 's container handling facilities and the 450,000 cars transported through the car terminal, whi ch is the largcst in Eastern Europe. The Port operates under a public-private partnership (1'1'1') agreemcnt ; it is li sted on the exchange with over 74% being retained by the Hell enic Republic. The PPI' appears to have bee n extremely benefi cial for the development of the Port. Through the current PPI' arrangement, th e Port is still in expansion phase, with anticipation of reaching capacity of handling 4.7 mill ion cont ainers per annulll. The crui se sector of the Port is also set for further ex pansion to provide berths for the accommodation of six new generation cruise vessels at a cost of230m Euro. The WA Government intends to double the value of tourism in W A from $6b in 2010 to $ 12b by 2020; 23.2m people visited WA in 2013-14 generating $8.7b for the W A economy. The crui se shipping sector generated $ 185m in expenditure in 2011 -12. The lVeslem A IIslra/iall Crllise Shippillg Slralegic Plall 201 2-2020 has id entifi ed the development of marine infmstructure to accommodate large crui se vessels as bein g cllIcial to achi eving growth in thi s sector, parti cul arly in regional parts ofWA. Growth of the industry will have implicati ons for the Transport portfolio and will need to be balanced against the requirements of other industry ~routl s requiring port access (e.g. mining industry-> agri cultural eXjlort , etc l . Page 3 HON PETER KATSAMBJ\NIS MIC MEMBER' • • • Parliamentary Tr~vel Report: Greece - July 2014 Purpose and Benefits Purpose The purposes of the h·ip were as follows: o To accept the invitation extended by the Greek Parliament, compare the operation of our two political and parliamentary systems, and explore a framework for closer co-operation between the two nations and the two parliaments; o To investigate trade and business opPOltunities between the two nations, in particular in agriculture and exploration for oil and gas; o To investigate and learn from the experience of Greece in the receut building of large-scale underground rail and overground light rail projects in large cities such as Athens; o To investigate recent developments in port infrastruchlfe and shipping, especially in relation to Pireaus Port which is one of the largest container and passenger ports in Europe; o To investigate and appreciate the drivers of growth in intemational visitor numbers particularly in relation to investment in tourist infrastructure and the role of direct iuternational air links to regional tourist destinations; o To further appreciate the significance of the campaigns fought by Western Australian soldiers in both world war campaigns in mainland Greece, in Limnos and in Crete; o To gain a broader understanding of the ANZAC legacy that remains in Greece and pay respects to those Westelll Australian troops who fell during the two world war cal]1paigns; o To explore opportunities for strong cultural and economic ties between Greece and Western Australia based on the ANZAC ties, especially in the context ofthe Centenary of ANZAC commemorations in 2014 and 2015. In total, 6 Western Australian MPs and 2 MPs from Victoria attended all or part of the trip. Also in attendance for several meetings was the Greek Consul to Western Australia, Ms Sofia Choli. The cost oftlle trip paid for out of my Parliamentary Travel Allowance was $6,903.00. The cost of my airfares to and from Greece were funded by the World Hellenic Interpariiamentary Association to enable me to attend the annual board meeting of this organisation. Benefits As part of my visit to Greece in July 2014 I had the honour of meeting with several prominent Greek Ministers and Deputy Ministers, including the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Akis Gerontopoulos, the Minister for Tourism, Ms Olga Kefalogiannis, the Minister for Administrative Reform and E-Governance, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Minister for Regional Development and Competitiveness, Mr Nolis Mitarakis. I impressed upon all Ministers the need for the Greek Government to keep a cOllsulate presence in Perth, given the significant historical and ANZAC links as well as Western Australia's prominence as the engine room for growth in the Australian economy. By the time I met with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs assured me that he had already been 'lobbied' by his colleagues to this effect and assu.red me that he would deal with the matter expeditiously. After I had left Greece a reil' weeks later Elector ate Qffice: Unit 1, 632 Newcastle St, Leedervillc Postal Address: PO Box 300, Mount HawtllUrIl WA 69 l5 'le!: 6 J 1\ 9228 0503 Fal« 6 1 il 9228 0550 Email: l.eler.Katsambanis@ nlp.w.l.gov.au ...,...,;;,...... ,..,.,.----..... 2 I was informed that the Greek government had made a decision to maintain the Greek consulate in Perth on an on-going basis and had already advet1ised the vacancy for a new Consul to replace Ms Sofia Choli. The President and Deputy President ofth" Greek Parliament provided us with great hospitality and unprecedented access to the Parliamentaty building including fonnal meetings with several Standing Commit1ees of the Parliament and aUendance in the President's gallCly of the Chamber of Deputies where Minister Mitsotakis was debating a public sector workforce reform Bill, which struck a strong parallel with a similar Bill recently passed by the WA Parliament. A week before that Minister Mitsotakis and Minister Notarakis had invited me to auend a lecture on public sector effectiveness in delivering microeconomic reform. This lecture was delivered by Professor Gaty Banks, dean ofthe Australia and New Zealand School of Govellllllent and former long-term head of Australia's o\"n Productivity Commission. It is vety clear from this lecture aUended by 2 senior Ministers, the subsequent legislative refonn and from the discussions r had in Greece that in many ways Australia is seen as a model and a strong example for microeconomic reform that drives productivity, economic growth and prosperity. However, it is also clear that other nations including Greece are embarking on rapid microeconomic refonns of their own which will increase their own competitiveness in international markets. This reinforces the need to continue with microeconomic reform in Australia to ensure that we do not lose any competitive advantage in an increasingly globalising economy. The ANZAC elements ofthe visit were a moving experience for all members of our group and gave us a much beUer understanding of the enonnous challenges that ANZAC soldiers faced when they fought on Greek soil in both world wars. The reverence that ANZAC soldiers are still held in through all places that they were stationed (including Limnos, Crete, Athens, Nafplion and Kalamata where we visited) is difficult to communicate unless you have actually experienced it. Sadly, some elements of our involvement in these great wars has been left largely unrecognised and practically forgotten by official Australian sources. For example, after 73 years no campaign medal has been struck for the ANZACs who fought on Battle of Greece or the Battle of Crete and (in stark contrast to the New Zealane! government) no formal recognition in the form of a 'thank you' certificate or commemorative plaque has been formally provided to Greece or to the various towns in Greece that were so active in supporting and protecting Australian soldiers during aud in the aftelluath of those battles. Practically all memorials of ANZAC baltles in Greece have been driven and largely funded by community efforts. Some of those efforts continue to this very day, including a recent effort by the tiunily of Reg Saunders, Australia's first indigenous commissioned officer, to commemorate the Battle of 42'd Street, the scene of a rare ANZAC success during the BaUle of Crete. It is hoped that with the 75'" anniversmy of the BaUle of Greece and Battle of Crete approaching in 2016, these anomalies can be addressed by the Australian Govenunent to strengthen goodwill betweell the two nations. The wonderful maintenance of the Commonwealth war cemeteries tiuoughout Greece by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission needs to be singled out for praise. They remain a vety filting and moving memorial to all those brave troops and support staff, including many unidentified soldiers, who gave their lives for our way of life. Recent and planned future efforts by the Commission to improve signage guiding visitors to these sites is most welcome as it will raise awareness with locals and tourists ofthe impOt1ance of these memorials and allow many more people tCl (Jay their respects. 3 From a WA perspective, the visit to the Prevelly Monastery in Crete was a special highlight as it provided us with a clear understanding ofthe enormous struggle people like Geoff Edwards and his colleagues had to endure just to get to the mO,nastery, climbing over a series of l'IIgged mountains and having to navigate through dangerous ravine; 'whilst been pursued by German troops, The monastery itselfis a living tribute to the ANZAC soldiers who stayed there allld who were then sllluggled off the island with the active assistance of the monks of the monastery at the time, Whilst rightfully proud alld humbled that a town in WA has been named in honour of the monastery and a chapel has also been built in the WA town, the cUlTent Abbot! of the monastery lamented that there were few regular modern day links between the two places, This is an anomaly that can be con'ected at a community level WiU, better engagement from both sides utilising modern telecommunications as well as possible future visits through school exchange programs, The Abbot! pointed out the strong animal husbandry focus of this monastery and suggested that one unique way of strengthening ties would be for the WA government to provide a gift of some native Australian animals such as kangaroos! Obviously such an idea would require significant feasibility work to establish whether it was poss ible, Because this trip was so multifaceted and I am limited to a short report, I have concentratcd primarily on some aspects of the visit not covered by my other colleagues, However, [am happy to expand on any other aspects at any time, I would also like to pay tribute to my friend and colleague from the Victorian Parliament, Hon John Pandazopoulos, for his tremendous assistance in making this visit a reality, Hon PctCl' I Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of thc completion of the trip. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet collates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constitnents and/or parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community and/or the State of Western Anstralia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. NAME OF Nathan MOI·ton MLA MEMBER: DESTINATJON/S: Japan DATE OF Depart Perth: 16 'h July 2014 Arrival at Perth: 28 'h Jnly 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: The purpose of this trip was to further enhance relationships between the Western Australian Government and industries in Japan. Our focus was to look at Aquacuiture, Agriculture and Radio-Astronomy and other scientific collaboration. Furthermore, we saw fit to meet with several of Japan's trading houses who have significant interests in Western Australia. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Benefits derived from the visit are listed below: 1. Established relationships with several universities and trading houses. 2. Met with Itochu post-trip with their Australian executive team to discuss potential opportunities in Western Australia - this included meetings with the Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries; Water and Forestry; and Transport and Finance. 3. After our visit to Itochu in Tokyo, we were told that the Perth Office of ltochu had opened a "Foods Department" and are lookiug to expand their interests in grains here in Western Australia. 4. After our trip, we also met with the UW A, especially their Agricultural Institute and the Oceans Institute to link them up with their counterparts in Japan at the various universities and other organisations that we met with during our time in Japan. 5. During my meeting with NAOJ, they mentioned that the Science Council of Japan had just recently recommended that the SKA Project become one 01'28 projects that the Japanese Government should undertake to becomc involved with - this would obviously have benefit for Western Australia. 6. After the trip, we were invited to the Japanese Counsel Generals residence for dinner and to di scuss our trip to Japan and what some of th e potential mutual benefits may be. 7. I have also enclosed a copy of our itinerary, which was developed by the Department for State Development and coordinated by Mr Cra ig Peacock courtesy of th e Western Australian Government's North Asia Agency in Tokyo, for your perusal. Page 2 't!f!t}iIl Government of Western Australia j)i~T1 Department of the Premier and Cabinet . J; .....:-J. PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM NAME OF Hon Nick Goiran MLC MEMBER: DESTlNA nON/S: London, UK DATE OF 18 July 2014 - 27 July 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: To attend seminars conducted by the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies ("ICPS") from 21 - 25 July 2014. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM TI-lE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: In my capacity as a Member for the South Metropolitan Region I attended the seminars conducted by ICPS. This is a specialist training course leading to a Level 5 CMI Certificate in Management and Leadership. Upon completion of this week-long course and subsequent written tasks, candidates are awarded a Level 5 CM! certificate in Management & Leadership showing the CM! units achieved. In addition, candidates receive a transcript from the ICPS certifying the specialisation in Parliamentary Capacity Building. This course has been designed for all those who have a professional interest and involvement with the effective functioning of Parliaments and Assemblies in their respective countries. Details of the programme are available at: htt p://pa ri iament. pariicentre.org/ The course is outstanding and! recommend it to members. Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet !! i'i PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of the trip. The Deparhnent of the Premier and Cabinet collates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constituents and/or parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community and/or the State of Western Aush·alia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. NAME OF Matt Taylor MLA MEMBER: DESTINATION/S: Japan DATE OF Depart Perth: 21'1 July 2014 Arrival at Perth: 28 lh July 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: The purpose of this tt·ip was to further enhance relationships between the Western Anstralian Government and Japanese institutions. Our aim was to investigate aquaculture, agriculture, scientific collaboration and business development opportunities. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Benefits derived from the visit are listed below: 1. Established relationships with several universities including Kinki University, Kobe University and the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. 2. Prior to our trip, Nathan Morton MLA and myself met with UWA to receive a briefing of their capabilities and research interests of relevance to our travel purpose so as to better inform our discussions in Japan. 3. We again met with UWA following our trip to communicate what we learnt in Japan including relationship, collaboration and research opportunities. Most of these opportunities related to the UW A Agricultural In stitute and the Indian Oceans Marine Institute. Tmentioned these opportunities in my conversations in Japan and I collected extra business cards in Japan and supplied them to the relevant UWA counterparts for expected follow up. 4. I have recommended to the Premier's office that there should be someone in the Office of Science who Members of Parliament should contact as a matter of course prior to international travel to discuss what W A science should be promoted in their destinations and what relationships and collaborations should the MP seek to establish. The person from the Office of Science should then talk to UW A, Cm·tin , Murdoch, ECU aud Notre Dame coordinators and feed that collated information back to tbe MP. There should also be a reversed debrief for when the MP returns. 5. Established relationships with senior Japanese Diet Members including Senator Dr Kuniko Tnoguchi wbo has requested closer and greater exchange of teachers and students between Japan and Australia. I will be following this up with Foreign Minister Bishop in person. 6. Established relationships with senior executives from the tlu'ee largest Japanese trading bouses; Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Itochu. We learnt about their businesses, communicated our support for their activities and interests in Western Australia, and encouraged them to invest in agricultural and aquacultural production in Western AustTalia. 7. After our visit to Itochu in Tokyo, we were told that the Perth Office of Itochu was establislling a Food Department (on 1" August 20 14) to manage and expand their grain interests as well as look for opportunities to invest in agricultural and aquacultural production in Western Australia. 8. Met with Itochu Australia executives (incl CEO Oceania) post-trip and arranged and facilitated productive meetings with the Ministers for Agriculture and Fisheries; Water and Foresh'y; and Transport and Finance to discuss potential investment opportunities of mutual benefit to Western AustTalia and Itochu. 9. After the trip, we had dinner with the Japanese Consulate General at his residence to discuss our trip to Japan, new relationships and opportunities of muhml benefits. 10 . Below is a copy of our itinerary, which was developed by tile Department for State Development and coordinated by Mr Craig Peacock courtesy of the West em Australian Govenullent's North Asia Agency in Tokyo. ITINERARY FOR JAPAN W ESTERN AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY STUDY VISIT Mr Matt Taylor MLA, Member for Bat eman Fina l Itine ra ry 16 July 2014 July 21 to 27, 20 14 page 2 Governrnent of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Depattment of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within tlVO months of the completion of the trip. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet co ll ates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of yo ur trip to your constituents andlor parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community andlor the State of Western Australia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. NAME OF Josie FalTer MEMBER: DESTIN ATION/S: Vancouver, Canada DATE OF 23 - 25 July 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: AT-CURA Conference - Youth Strengths & Prevention of Delinquency and Gang In volvement: Academics and Community Acting Together BENEfITS DERIVED FROM H IE TRIP fOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: (A brief report of no more than 2 pages may be attached if required) Acting Together- Community University Research Alliance (AT-CURA) is a strength-based approach with a goal to identify factors that protect youth from involvement in violence and criminal gang activities, and to support community resilience-promoting initiatives. The AT-CURA team shares a view that protecting youth from involvement in violence and criminal gangs is a shared responsibility of all; parents, teachers, researchers, service providers, police and Jlolicymakers. While focusing on youth who are vulnerable and at-risk has a value, it is equally important to ensure that youth who are currently not at-risk continue to negotiate their adolescence smoothl y. Importantly, maintaining the well-being of youth requires strengthening not only the yo uth but also the ir context; i. e., the immediate and larger community. When the larger community is armed with evidence-based knowledge and action plans to nurture Jlsychologically healthy youth, the efforts go a long way toward creating a sustainable protective context for youth. The Kimberley currentl y has a high juvenile crime rate and the state, a high rate of indigenous incarceration. Knowledge, evidence-based research, and best practice models with a foc us on strength s and positi ve approaches to prevent youth from entering a life of crimes, violence, and gangs were shared that benefited me in representing my constituents in the Kimberl ey. I will soon be rel easin g a report on behalf of the Kimberley Alternative Juvenile Justi ce Working Group which outlines these issues and offers recommend at ions as solu tions to the contributing causes of juvenile dysfunction and crime. Page 2 Parliam entary Travel Report, Republic of Korea (South Korea), 24. August 2014- 31. August. 2014 lan Blayney MLA, Member for Geraldton Chair, Economics and Industry Standing Committee This claim for travel allowance is to cover most of the cost of a trip to Republic of Korea. The Economics and Industry Standing Committee has undertaken the first part of its work into Floating Liquified Natural Gas production, to look at the effect of the adoption of this system, on the Western Australian economy. The first report, "The Economic Effect of FLNG on Western Australia' was handed down in May 2014. The committee is now undertaking further work in this area, in the areas of opportunities for Western Australia from this adoption, and sa fety of the system. As a part of this further work, the committee requested funding from the Speaker for travel to look at safety in particular, but also economic opportunities, in the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland. The committee also wanted to look at the Prelude vessel being constructed in Korea, and to visit a gas import terminal. Both areas are relatively expensive to visit, and no cheaper to visit combined. It was therefore decided that committee members would choose between the two areas, and if they wanted to visit both, they would have to cover most 01 the costs of the second trip themselves via their parliamentary travel allowance. This report covers some of the costs from myself, and the Member for Moore, who had both elected to join the group vis iting Korea, having visited Europe, and also undertaking a short extension to visit a number of other places in Korea of Significance to Western Australia. The amounts claimed are: -Ai rlare Perth/ Seoul! Perth, and Seoul! Busan and Ulsan/Seoul $2150.25 -2 nights accommodation $442.77 -4 days incidentals $1130.00 -car hire $716.01 TOTAL $4439.03 1 Sunday, 241h August. Caught late afternoon flight to Singapore, and connected to flight to Seoul Monday, 25 1h August. Arrived Inchon, Seou l, transferred to Gimpo Airport for flight to Busan. Checked into hotel in Busan, afternoon visited United Nations War Cemetry in Busan, which is where Australian soldi ers who were killed in the Korean War are buried. Tuesday, 26 1h August. Caught taxi in morning to Goeje, which is the site of the Samsung shipyard in which the Shel l Prelude vessel is being constructed. Afternoon visited the Tongyeong Gas Import Terminal, with the other members of the committee. Th e t erminal is one of three operated by Kogas- the others being at Inchon, near Seoul, and at Pyeongtaek, also close to Seoul. South Korea is the second largest importer of LNG in the world, and Kogas the largest in the world. Kogas was established by the Korean government in 1983. It is the only importer of LNG into Korea. Kogas distributes gas via a network of 2739 km of pipelines throughout Korea. The Tongyeong terminal has a nominal annual capaci ty of 17 mt LNG, and was opened in 2002. The site contains 2 jetties and 16 tanks. Korea aims to buy 25% of its gas from WA by 2020. Kogas have taken a stake in Shell's Prelude project-Inpex of Japan have 17.5%, Kogas 10%, and CPC ofTaiwan 5%. Wednesday, 27" August. This day was spent with Shell, at the Samsung shipyard at Goeje. Th e committee went over the Prelude vessel from bow to stern, went to the top of the vessel, and into one of the storage tanks. We also inspected the modules being built on the dock, ready to be placed onto the vessel. 2 Prelude is the largest floating vessel ever made. Some of its statistics are: Length: 488m Width: 74m Steel used : 260 000 t Weight in operation: 600 OOOt Cost approx.: $12 billion Prelude will process 3.6 mt of gas, 1.3 mt of condensate, and 0.4 mt LPG per annum. Thursday, 28 th August. The rest of the committee departed in early morning for Perth. Myself and the Member for Moore were collected from our hotel, to drive to our first appointment in the itinery organised by the Department of State Development's Seoul office. Meeting with Gyeungsangbukdo Provincial Council, Daegu. We met with the Chair of the Council, Mr Dae-Jin Jang, the Chair of the Operations Committee, Mr Jin-Gyu Hong, and the Chair of the Planning and Economic Committee, Mr Hui-Su Kim . The Provincial Council has some formal links with WA, and wants to continue to develop these. The visit was conducted to follow on from a visit by the Speaker to the Provincial Council in October last year. Gyeungsangbukdo Province has 19000km2, which makes it about 19% of South Korea's area . The province has a population of about 2.7 million people. We spent about an hour and a half at the Daegu Provincial Museum, which has an extensive collection of artifacts, the Province being the home of the former Sil la Kingdom (57 BC to 935 AD). Friday, 29 th August. Pohang, on the coast, is the home of POSCO. In the 1960s Pohang had a population of about 50 000 people. It now has a population of 520 000. Pohang was chosen as the home of Pohang Iron and Steel Company- POSCO, set up by the Korean Government, and starting production in 1972. Steel production in 2011 was 39 mt, split between 2 integrated steel mills at Pohang, and another, newer plant at Gwangyang on the south coast. It is also a 12.5% shareholder in the Ray Hill project in the Pilbara. We visited the corporate visitor's centre, and had a tour of the plant. Ulsan. Ulsan is another large city, with a population of 1.1 million, Korea's seventh largest. It is the home of the world's largest car plant, owned by Hyundai Motor Company, and the world's largest shipyard, owned by Hyundai Heavy Industries. It is also the home of the SK Oil Refinery, which is the second largest in the world. It was not possible to visit the Hyundai car plant. 3 We were able to visit the SK Oil Refinery. SK is the new name for the third largest of Korea's chaebol. It was formerly known as Sunkyoung Group. It is involved in chemicals, petroleum and energy, as well as communications. The SK oil refinery is either the second, or third largest oil refinery in the world, depending on what you read. Its capacity is 840 000 bpd. Its product range includes LPG, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt. The refinery started in 1964. The complex includes 34 large scale crude storage tanks. Our final visit was to the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard, the largest in the world. I think it turns out a ship every 4 days. Usual employment is 60 000, although this can go up to 80 000 including subcontractors. Hyundai build a large number of ships, including a 19000 container vessel that was under construction, oil tankers, and the engines that drive them, oil rigs. They are also currently building the modules for Gorgon. They expressed concerns to us that hold ups in delivery were causing problems, because it tied up their construction space. Saturday, 30. August. We then flew to Seoul and spent the next day at the De Militarised Zone, (DMZ), north of Seoul. We flew out of Seoul that evening. Conclusions. South Korea has been called the land of miracles. At the end of the Korean War, it was the fourth poorest country in the world. Between 1962 and 1994, the economy grew at an average of 10% pa. By 1995, it was the 11th biggest economy in the world. It's now the seventh biggest country in world trade, and a founding member of the G20, and APEC. South Korea has the world's 10th largest defence budget. Koreans are highly educated, and the country's spending on R&D as a proportion of national income, is the second highest in the world. It's the 5th largest producer of nuclear power in the world. The Seoul National Capital Area is the second largest population area in the world. It truly is a land of miracles. 4 South Korea is Western Australia's third largest trading partner. Sandwiched between Japan and China, South Korea tends to get overlooked. I think the Government should pursue the following, in relation to South Korea: -At least one, high level, minis terial visit per yea r, specifica lly to South Korea, ie not tacked on to China or Japan, and not to be the first to be dropped off. -Pursue a direct air connec tion between Seoul and Perth. -Commit to building the relationship between Gyeongsa ngbukdo Province and Western Australia -Make su re that the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and South Korea is understood, and benefits to WA maximised. -Consider re-instating the Tourism Promotion Officer to our Trade Office in Seoul. lan Bl ayney MLA, 29. October. 2014 5 Shane Love MLA Member for Moore Report on travel to South I(orea 24th August till 31'\ August 2014 Travel with lan Blayney Member for Geraldton and Economic and Industries Standing Committee 26 1h Clnd 27'h August The Economic and Industries Standing Committee are currently conducting an Inquiry Into Safety related matters relating to I'LNG projects In Australian waters off the Western Australian coast. The terms of reference for the Inquiry are: Tile Committee willlnqllire illto alld report on safety-related matters relatillg to FLNG projects ill Australlall waters off tile Western Allstraliall coast. III particular tile Committee will investigate: I!Itlle measures taken by project proponents to ensllre tile safety of Vlorkers all FLNG facilities, partiClllarly in relatioll to extreme weatller events ami emergency evacuatioll preparedness. tile adequacy of Western Australia's emergellcy capacity and preparedness to respond to a safety or envirOl)melltal incident involving FLNG; and tile role and responsibilities of tile state and federal govemments In relation to FLNG emergency situations. Currently the "Prelude" FLNG vessel Is under construction at the Geoje shipyards of Samsung Heavy Industries. Although travel to South Korea was offered to two Committee members and one officer, this was not made available to all members of the Committee. Despite this I felt that it was essential to my participation in the inquiry that I attend the visit to South Korea. In my opinion this travel also offered the opportunity to gain an understanding of South Korea. In the period 2010 to 2013 South Korea was Western Australia's third largest trading partner with total trude In 2013 of $10.9 billion. Gaining Insight into this nation Is clearly a benefit for any WA Parliamentarian. Before joining the Committee In Geoje, a visit was made to the UN Cemetery in Busan, to honour the over 17,000 Australians who served during the Korean War, of which 340 were killed and over 1,500 were wounded. A further 29 had become prisoners of war. This conflict Is still not resolved with the losses sustained and the tension still existing between the two Koreas playing an essential part of the character of the Korean people. In Geoje, the Committee met with and were briefed by Shell executives regarding the status of the Prelude project Including elements pertaining to the safety case for Its operation. Committee members were able to see first hand the scale of tile project and how the components of the gas treatment plant were being laid out to provide for Its safe operation. As well as visiting the shipyard Committee members were also able to meet and discuss the project with the Australian plant operators currently undergoing training and familiarisation with the Prelude project In Geoje. Committee members also visited the nearby KOGAS facility. KOGAS Imports a large amount of LNG Into South Korea for distribution throughout the country, It has investments including 10% equity of Prelude and a 26 year contract from Shell to purchase 3.64 Mt/a of LNG from 2017 produced by Prelude. On the 28" of August lan Blayney MLA and I left Geoje to travel in South Korea with the assistance of the Government of Western Australia Trade Office in Seoul. A visit was made to the Gyongsangbuk-do Provincial Council. We were met by the Chairmall of the Council Mr Dae-Jin Jang and other oHicials. There Is a history of contact between the council and the WA Parliament. A Lol to promote co development and friendship was signed during a visit in 2007 by then Deputy Premier Eric Ripper, this Vias re-signed In 2012 with the Council keen to see the relationship continue. Whilst in the Province a visit Vias made to POSCO one of the world's largest steel makers, and a firm that Is importing over 30 Mt/a of Iron ore from WA Vlith significant Investments In WA projects. Visits Vlere arranged to other heavy industries In South Korea including Hyundai Heavy Industries, the largest shipyard in the world. The company built the production modules for the Gorgon Project, and discussions were held about that build. On the 30" August a tour to the demilitarized zone Vias taken. As mentioned before the tense stand off between the two Koreas is integral to the society in South Korea, a liberal and very successful democracy facing authoritarian and unpredictable foe who share the history and geography of the Korean Peninsula. The trip has given me a better understanding of South Korea which will remain Vlith me throughout my parliamentary career. Report of Travel to New Zealand September 2014 Margaret Quirk MLA Member for Girrawheen Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council and Bushnre lit Natural Hazards CRC Conference. Purpose I attcnded the Australasian Fire and Emergency Servicc Authorities Council (AFAC) and Bushflre and Natural Hazards CRC Conference in Wellington, New Zealand between Tue 02 Sep and Fri 05 Sep 2014. AF'AC represents all firc, land management and emergency service agencies ill Australia and New Zealand. The Bushflre Co-operative Research Centre is the peak research body for the Are industry ill this region. Whilst ill New Zealand 1 also met with Wellington Police all matters of mutual interest. BeneAts The conference program (attached) addressed key issues facing the emergency services sector. Discussions were held on the latest scientific research, communications issues sllch as the use of social media, presentations on a wide range of matters including land management, leadership, use of personnel, attraction of volunteers, risk management and developments in technologies which would assist in emergency management. The 2014 conference, held in Wellington, attracted 1110re than 1400 delegates from across Australia, New Zealand, the Asia-Pacific Region, the us and Europe. A trade show was also held concll1'rently which showcased new and state of the art technologies and equipment used in emergency management. As Shadow Minister for Emergency Services it was of great assistance not only to expand my technical knowledge in an area which is dynamic and subject to constant change, but also to have the opportunity of meeting and hearing fro111 a number of practitioners from across Australia and overseas. The discussions with the Police were wide-ranging but covered recent reforms in New Zealand which are being adopted in Western Australia. Government of Western Australia Department of the Premier and Cabinet PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of the trip. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet collates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constituents and/or parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community and/or the State of Western Australia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. NAME OF Robin Chapple MLC MEMBER: DESTINAnON/S : London, UK DATE OF 19-29 June 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: To raise awareness of the Rock Art of the Burrup Peninsula, in order to gain support for its preservation and protection from industry; to promote World Heritage Listing of the region. In order to maximise audience attendance and interest in the topic, the presentations were held in conjunction with a retrospective exhibition of works by the celebrated Kimberley Aboriginal artist Jinuny Pike (dec'd) at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in London. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: The presentations stimulated interest amongst British and European scholars, archaeologists, artists and members of the public in the Burrup Peninsula, its rock art and early history. There is a fascination overseas in Australia's Indigenous heritage, which dates back much further than pre-history sites of Europe. For example, the Lascaux caves in France are estimated to be 17,300 years old, while the rock art of the Burrup Peninsula has been dated as being at least 30,000 years old. Increased interest from Europe will promo\e a greater awareness and care here in Australia, where we tend to take these ancient treasures rather for granted. Scholarly investigations will st imulate public curiosity, which will in turn increase both overseas and local visitor numbers to the north-west, keen to glimpse this ancient art and heritage site. Greater public interest will focus the attention of State agencies entrusted with the care of our heritage sites. It is hoped that additional archaeological work and public scrutiny will provide a greater impetus for the Conunonwealth and State Governments to proceed with World Heritage Listing of the site, which will enslll'e bettcr care than is currently the case. The presentations served to pique the interest of internationally renowned photographers, artists and arts administrators who were present: ex-patriot contemporary artist Em ma Hack is plalUling an exciting exhibition of her special brand of body art cum movie photography cum installation at the BUITup Peninsula; Thomas Alien, who was short-listed for this year's TllI'eadneedle Prize, had a particular interest in the synergies between the Bmrup Peninsula rock art and his 'Contemporary Cave Painting' installation; and Ana Stanic, who is a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Group may prove to be a valuable contact. Regrettably, and unavoidably, I was not able to meet with contacts at the British Museum, who had been firmly Oil my itinerary when planning the trip. They had been recommended by Dr JD Hill, who oversees strategic direction, management and funding of research activities at the British Museum, when I met him during a visit to the WA Museum to see CEO Alec Coles. This left me with time to visit the offices of the Green Party of England and Wales, where I discussed matters of mutual benefit and interest with Senior Policy and Communications Officer Tom Sharman and Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Natalie Bennett. ~ ~l1l Government of Weste rn Australia ; ~~ Department of the Premiel' and Cabinet jYb- .~~ PARLIAMENTARY TRAVEL REPORT FORM Members are to provide a report to the Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet on the cost, purpose and benefits of all overseas trips within two months of the completion of the trip. The Depm1ment of the Premier and Cabinet collates and coordinates the tabling of the reports in Parliament on a quarterly basis. The report below should be clear, concise and focus on the benefits of your trip to your constituents andlor parliamentary processes, the Western Australian community andlor the State of Western Australia. Please do not attach PowerPoint presentations, research reports or reports otherwise available to the Parliament. J NAME OF Mr Tony Krsticevic MEMBER: DESTINATION/S: Croatia DATE OF 20 th June 2014 TRAVEL: PURPOSE OF TRIP: To attend and participate in the first Croatian Diaspora Congress. I was given the opportunity to speak both at the opening of the congress as well as present a speech on Australia/Western Australia and its people on the afternoon of Tuesday 24th June. The cost of the trip was $6946.87. BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE TRIP FOR THE STATE OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: (A brief report of no more than 2 pages may be attached if required) I received an invitation to both attend and present at the first ever Croatian Diaspora Congress. Croatia is Western Australia's 1091h largest trading partner and is considered a tier 2 country in terms of the state's priorities, due to its recent membership of the European Union Trading Bloc. It is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation since April 2009. There are just over 17,000 Croatian born people living in Western Australia. The Western Australian Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 'Co- operation in Education' with Croatia in 2007. We also have two Sister City Relationships, being the City of Cockburn with Split and Fremantle with Korcula. I decided to attend and present at this congress after receiving the following invitation; Tony I Dear sir I am taking this opportunity to invite you on behalf of the members the organizing committee to the Croatian diaspora congress which will take place in Zagreb from the 23rd to the 26th of June this year. With this invitation letter please consult the attachment which will provide information about the congress. Briefly, we will have around 150. pa/iicipants from Australia, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Peru, Sweden ,USA and Croatia who will present different topics which are related to the life experience of Croats in their new countries. Among other things I would like to inform you that we have official support from the Croatian parliament, the mayor of the city of Zagreb, as well as the Croatian bishop's conference. Dear sir it will be a great honour for us if you would accept our invitation and attend and present at the Croatian diaspora congress. Sincerely, President of organizing committee Marin Sopta PhD One of the main purpose of the congress as stated in the fo/ward was to "establish new forms of cooperation with emigrants who have no intention of returning to Croatia ..... The Croatian Diaspora Congress will surely achieve the aims of its organisers in that it will aid in fostering new strategies with regard to Croatian emigrants based on scientific research and with the suppOli of relevant institutions and individuals both within Croatia, as well as among the Croatian diaspora." During my two presentations I spoke about Western Australia's and Australia's economy, trade, tourism, multiculturalism and how Australian Croatians have played their part in building our amazing country. These presentations raised the awareness of Western Australia's capacity and global contributions to Croatian representatives f/"Om all the countries represented at the conference. As a result of the quality of my presentations, I was asked to feature in the local newspapers, radio and television. I was also given a 15 minute live interview on Z1 TV in Zagreb. Apart from listening to a large number of presentations on a wide range of topics and meeting numerous officials from all over Zagreb, I was also able to network with delegates from all over the world. I have already established contact with a number of delegates and hope to foster a healthy and productive working relationship well into the future . Page 2