REGIONAL NEWS OCEANIA Please Note: Next Editorial Deadline 23 August 2019
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REGIONAL NEWS OCEANIA Please note: Next Editorial Deadline 23 August 2019 ROLAND ISLER To see the full summary, please go to the CSA-Oceania website REGIONAL EDITOR | OCEANIA www.csa-oceania.org COUNCIL OF THE SWISS ABROAD | AUSTRALIA Please take note that issue 4 and 6 of the «Swiss Review» do not Editorial: have regional pages. Issue 5 therefore will be the last one this year to include the «Regional News Oceania». Dear readers, dear compatriots, Issue Editorial deadline Publication date In this issue of the «Regional News Oceania» you find an extract of the ■ July 4/19 no regional edition Thu, 18 July summary compiled by three delegates from Australia ■ September 5/19 Fri, 23 August Thu, 26 September that attended the meeting of the Council of the Swiss ■ November 6/19 no regional edition Fri, 29 November Abroad in Bern on Saturday, 23 March. Your elected team I look forward to receiving your contributions for issue 5 by the of delegates is working on your behalf and resolutely above editorial deadline. Please contact: [email protected] defends the interests of Swiss citizens in Oceania. or +61 (0)412 935 565. Summary of the meeting of the Council of the Swiss Abroad Saturday, 23 March 2019, Bern Town Hall agreement with the European Union, the increasing opposition The legislative body of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad against e-voting and the ongoing efforts to improve the Swiss (OSA), the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), met for its biannual bank situation. A presentation about the Swiss Old Age insurance meeting at the town hall in Bern on 23 March 2019. For the by representatives from the ‘Zentrale Ausgleichsstelle’ (ZAS) second time, the meeting followed on an exchange with Swiss provided helpful information about common AHV questions. parliamentarians for an update on political issues with relevance With a view to the upcoming federal parliament elections in for the Swiss Abroad. October a draft election manifesto was approved. The Council The CSA meeting on Saturday was chaired by OSA President decided for a questionnaire to be sent to members of parliament Remo Gysin. Attending members of the Federal Parliament were standing for re-election. They will be asked on their position to Filippo Lombardi (CVP/TI, OSA Vice-President), Laurent Wehrli topics concerning the Swiss Abroad, notably the right to vote, (FDP/VD, OSA board member), Carlo Zanetti (SVP/ZH, OSA board international mobility, Switzerland’s consular network and the member) and Isabelle Moret (FDP/VD). policy of Swiss banks with expat clients. Attending as delegates from Australia were Carmen Trochsler YOUR AUSTRALIAN DELEGATES INTERVENED IN THE (Adelaide), Beat Knoblauch (Sydney) and Katja Wallimann Gates FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS: (Brisbane). ■ Election of Council Delegates Amongst the political issues discussed were the framework There were critical voices from within the Council against the planned broadening of the electorate (ALL Swiss Abroad registered with a Consulate should be able to vote as opposed to only the Swiss Clubs having voting rights). Continued overleaf Organisation of the Swiss Abroad The CSA Oceania is your elected team of delegates to the Council of the Swiss Abroad – two from New Zealand and four from Australia. Together they work on behalf of the 32,000+ registered Swiss living in Oceania, defending their interests as Swiss citizens living in this region. Visit their website www.csa-oceania.org ■ for links to all Swiss Community Groups, Swiss Organisations and Swiss Consular Representations in Oceania ■ for information about the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad and the CSA Oceania and the services they offer ■ for important information about issues concerning Swiss Abroad For any assistance or advice, contact the CSA Oceania on [email protected] From left to right: CSA Delegates Beat Knoblauch and Katja Wallimann Gates, with Delegate for Swiss Abroad Relations, FDFA, Bern Simone Flubacher, and CSA Delegate Carmen Trochsler Swiss Review / May 2019 / No. 3 SRV_2019_3_Regional_OCE.indd 1 25/04/2019 1:23 pm II Regional News Oceania Katja Wallimann Gates spoke about her experience ■ Budget of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad during the pilot project of all Swiss directly voting for the During the budget debate and setting the goals for the future, it delegates in Australia in 2017. Carmen Trochsler followed became apparent that the CSA needs additional funding to meet up with facts and actual numbers and emphasised that the increasing demand and complexity of business in general. representation of the Swiss Abroad is only possible if A motion by Beat Knoblauch was carried to put the need for all Swiss can vote. Together it was one encouraging and additional funding on the agenda for 2019/2020. positive statement for direct elections. ■ Support of political parties Franz Muheim (CSA from Scotland) presented results While meeting in a scheduled session in Bern with Swiss of a working group consisting of delegates from around parliamentarians before the CSA session, discussions were held the world, including Roland Isler, representing Australia. on the coming Federal Elections in October 2020. Your delegates The group is investigating ways for the introduction of mentioned that the Swiss Abroad take notice of the mood of the worldwide direct election of CSA delegates to take place in political parties and their stance in matters concerning the Swiss 2021, based on experience with pilot projects in Australia Abroad. The parties were urged to make a more concerted effort to and Mexico in 2017. The electorate would be the country in get the votes from the Swiss Abroad. general but could also be the consular district or regions. What does online election of delegates mean: Start early ■ Oceania Swiss Club President’s Conference with election preparation. Search for candidates, get them Beat Knoblauch thanked the FDFA officially for delegating checked, inform Swiss Abroad via Swiss Review, social Mrs Simone Flubacher to the Oceania Swiss Club President’s media, local newsletters, vote via e-voting. Conference, held in Sydney in September 2019. In his response (by Given the current resistance within Switzerland against video conference from Dubai), Mr Johannes Matyassy, Director e-voting in general the question remains what would be of the Consular Directorate FDFA, congratulated the organisers appropriate for the election of the delegates and what can and offered, wherever possible, to delegate someone from the be financed. department to attend such events. New Zealand was mentioned The topic will be further discussed at the meeting in as the next venue to host the Oceania meeting in 2020. Montreux in August. NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ■ Wealth Creation through the Swiss Abroad (positive (FDFA) presented by Simone Flubacher, Delegate for Swiss contributions to Switzerland by Swiss Abroad) Abroad Relations: This initiative by Beat Knoblauch, acknowledged by the • Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will participate at the CSA, will be passed on to ‘Presence Suisse’ in Bern. The CSA Congress of the Swiss Abroad in August in Montreux. and the Secretariat have not sufficient funding in place for • The 2018 Swiss Abroad statistic will be published on 28 such an in-depth study: motion carried. March, available through use of an interactive database. www. ■ Cantonal Bank of Geneva eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/living-abroad/publications- Difficulties of Swiss residents in Australia to establish a statistics/statistics.html relationship with the Cantonal Bank of Geneva (BCGE), the • The new virtual desk (Online Desk) of the FDFA had 17,000 new partner of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, had users in 2018. www.eda.admin.ch/countries/rwanda/en/ been addressed by Carmen Trochsler in the lead-up to the home/services/online-desk.html meeting. Discussions between the different parties helped • Young Swiss Abroad are important to the FDFA. to resolve the issues. Contact person for any request to open – A new website for young Swiss Abroad was created to provide a bank account with the bank is [email protected] helpful information including a short film. www.eda.admin. ch/eda/en/home/living-abroad/fifth-switzerland/young- swiss-abroad.html – Successful ‘Jungbürgerfeiern’ have been held at clubs all over the world. The FDFA provides a welcome package for young Swiss Abroad on this occasion. • Goals 2019 / What are the services provided in the future? – Improved digital offers (like Itineris app) – Website for young Swiss Abroad will be completed by webpage for young families abroad. Example: Consulate General in Nyon organised a ‘Kinderfest’. This is only a selection of topics that were on the agenda. To find the full summary, please visit the CSA-Oceania website: www.csa-oceania.org CARMEN TROCHSLER, BEAT KNOBLAUCH, KATJA WALLIMANN GATES COUNCIL OF THE SWISS ABROAD – AUSTRALIA Swiss Review / May 2019 / No. 3 SRV_2019_3_Regional_OCE.indd 2 25/04/2019 1:23 pm Regional News Oceania III Community News and Events PNG: Swiss Embassy makes another walk was done to the Maungaokewa Reserve a difference in remote near Te Kuiti before the Highlands of PNG drive back to Hamilton and 14 February 2019 was a joyful day for Auckland. They were treated the very remote community of Obura, to Swiss sausages and salad Wonenara district. Thanks to the on Friday night and ham donation of the Swiss Embassy Australia and sauerkraut on Saturday. a new double classroom, built by EBC Thanks to Herbert and After an hour or two of foraging, we carpentry team was opened by dozens Willetta for organising this weekend gathered together at the foot of the State of cheering girls. During the last ten and to Vitus for making the sauerkraut. Forest where we prepared lunch. We years the church-run “Girls’ Village Upcoming Events: had fantastic volunteers who helped School” had been operating in an open 10/5: First Card Evening and Medal Jass prepare the mushrooms we gathered for simple ‘kunai-gras’ hut.