SENATE Official Committee Hansard
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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Committee Hansard FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE (Consideration of Estimates) TUESDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 1996 BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA 1996 Tuesday, 24 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation FAD&T 401 SENATE Tuesday, 24 September 1996 FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE Portfolios: Foreign Affairs and Trade; Defence (including Veterans’ Affairs) Members: Senator Troeth (Chair), Senator Forshaw (Deputy Chair), Senators Bourne, Ellison, Evans and MacGibbon Substitute members: Senator Cook to substitute for Senator Evans for the consideration of the 1996-97 Budget estimates. Senator Hogg to substitute for Senator Forshaw for the consideration of the 1996-97 Budget estimates. Senator Sandy McDonald to substitute for Senator Troeth on 19 September 1996 from 3 pm. Senator Woods to substitute for Senator Ellison for the period 16 to 20 September 1996 Participating members: Senators Abetz, Bolkus, Brown, Brownhill, Cook, Eggleston, Faulkner, Harradine, Hogg, Kemp, Margetts, Ray, Schacht and West Senator Forshaw for the period 16 and 17 September 1996 Senator Lees for the consideration of the 1996-97 Budget estimates The committee met at 9.11 a.m. DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE Proposed expenditure, $2,038,201,000 (Document A). Proposed provision, $4,532,000 (Document B). Expenditure from the Advance to the Minister for Finance, $2,762,666 (Document D). Consideration resumed from 23 September. In Attendance Senator Short, Assistant Treasurer Senator Hill, Minister for the Environment Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade— Subprogram 1.3—Interests in Americas and Europe Mr Justin Brown, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Americas and Europe Division Mr Ian Forsyth, Assistant Secretary, West Europe Branch Mr Jeff Benson, Assistant Secretary, Central Europe, Russia and Eurasia Branch Subprogram 1.4—Interests in South Pacific, Africa and Middle East Mr Rob Laurie, First Assistant Secretary, South Pacific, Africa and Middle East Division Mr Mark Pierce Ms Victoria Owen, Acting Assistant Secretary, Middle East and Africa Branch Mr Bob Bowker, Director, Central and Southern Africa Section Mr Mal Skelly, Director, Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq Section FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE FAD&T 402 SENATE—Legislation Tuesday, 24 September 1996 Mr John Crighton, Assistant Secretary, Office of Pacific Island Affairs Mr Steve Henningham, Director, South Pacific Political Section Mr Frank Yourn, Director, Fiji, Regional Trade and Services Section Mr Colin Hill, Director, South Pacific Multilateral and Resources Section Mr John Burgess, Assistant Secretary, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea Branch Mr Gerry McGuire, Director, New Zealand and Nauru Section Mr Bob David, Director, Papua New Guinea Section Subprogram 1.5—Multilateral Trade Policy and Negotiations Dr Geoff Raby, First Assistant Secretary, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Mr Michael Carney, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Ms Joan Hird, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Mr Milton Church, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Ms Elizabeth Young, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Mr Iain Dickie, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Ms Jean Dunn, Trade Negotiations and Organisations Division Subprogram 1.6—Trade Strategy Development and Business Liaison Mr Tony Hely, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Economic and Trade Development Division Mr Philip Sparkes, Assistant Secretary, APEC Branch Ms Pamela Fayle, Assistant Secretary, International Competitiveness Branch Mr Peter Urban, Chief Economist Ms Michelle Marginson, Assistant Secretary, National Trade Strategy and Business Affairs Branch Mr Nicholas Coppel, Director, International Economics and Finance Section Mr John Pulley, Divisional Coordinator Mr Mike Adams, Director, Trade Impact Section Subprogram 1.7—Global Issues Mr John Carlson, Director of Safeguards, Australian Safeguards Office Mr David O’Leary, Assistant Secretary, International Organisations Branch Ms Meg McDonald, Assistant Secretary, Environment and Antarctic Branch Mr Paul O’Sullivan, First Assistant Secretary, International Organisations and Legal Division Mr Peter Hussin, Principal Adviser Mr Peter Heyward, Division Coordinator Mr Ian Cousins, First Assistant Secretary, International Security Division Mr Bill Barker Mr Matthew Neuhaus, Acting Assistant Secretary, International Organisations Branch Mr Michael Mugliston, Acting Assistant Secretary, Environment Branch FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE Tuesday, 24 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation FAD&T 403 Subprogram 1.8—International Legal Interests Mr Tony Vincent, Assistant Secretary, Legal Adviser A Mr Chris Lamb, Assistant Secretary, Legal Adviser B Mr Paul O’Sullivan, First Assistant Secretary, International Organisations and Legal Division Mr Peter Hussin, Principal Adviser Mr Peter Heyward, Division Coordinator Subprogram 1.9—Information and Cultural Relations Mr Ross Burns, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Public Affairs Division Ms Sally Mansfield, Director, Parliamentary Liaison and FOI Section Mr John Quinn, Assistant Secretary, International Cultural Relations Branch Mr Colin Mackenzie, Executive Officer, Australia-India Promotion Section Mr Jim Meszes, Director, Management Administrative Coordination Section Miss Suzanne Stein, Management Administrative Coordination Section Mr Peter Varghese, First Assistant Secretary, Public Affairs Division Subprogram 2.1—Passport Services Mr Bill Fisher, First Assistant Secretary, Consular, Programs and Security Division Mr Robert Hamilton, Assistant Secretary, Consular and Passports Branch Mr Graeme Middleweek, Director, Passport Operations Section Subprogram 2.2—Consular Services Mr Bill Fisher, First Assistant Secretary, Consular, Programs and Security Division Mr Robert Hamilton, Assistant Secretary, Consular and Passports Branch Mr Graham Thompson, Director, Consular Operations Section Subprogram 3.1—Services to Parliament, the Media and the Public Mr Ross Burns, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Public Affairs Division Ms Sally Mansfield, Director, Parliamentary Liaison and FOI Section Subprogram 3.2—Services to Foreign Representatives in Australia Mr Ross Burns, Acting First Assistant Secretary, Public Affairs Division Subprogram 3.3—Services to Australian Government Agencies Overseas Subprogram 4.1—Australia Diplomatic Communications Network Mr Doug Woodhouse, Assistant Secretary, Information Technology Branch Subprogram 4.2—Security Services Mr Bill Fisher, First Assistant Secretary, Consular, Programs and Security Division Mr Keith Baker, Assistant Secretary, Diplomatic Security and Countermeasures Branch Mr Ken Oakman, Director, Security Operations Section Mr Peter Mottram, Director, Australian Technical Security Section Subprogram 5.1—Executive Direction Ms Joanna Hewitt, Acting Secretary, DFAT Mr Kim Jones, Deputy Secretary, DFAT FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE FAD&T 404 SENATE—Legislation Tuesday, 24 September 1996 Subprogram 5.2—DFAT Corporate Services Mr Bob Cotton, First Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Division Ms Sue Tanner, Assistant Secretary, Corporate Services Division Mr Richard Down, Acting Assistant Secretary, Services Branch Mr Mike Ovington, Director, Tertiary and Language Studies Section Mr John Monfries, Director, Personnel Development Section Dr Malcolm Leader, Assistant Secretary, Resources Branch Mr John Rigg, Director, Budget and Resources Section Mr Bob Nash, Director, Locally-Engaged Staff Section Mr Bob Howie, Acting Director, Overseas Resources Section Mr David Peirce, Director, Corporate Accounting Section Mr Allan Dixon, Director, Financial Management Services Section Dr Geoff Shaw, Budget and Resources Section Mr Guy O’Brien, Budget and Resources Section Ms Michele Kafer, Acting Secretary, Corporate Evaluation Branch Ms Lyndall McLean, Director, Evaluation and Audit Section Mr Paul Foley, Assistant Secretary, Information Technology Branch Mr Doug Woodhouse, Assistant Secretary, Personnel Branch Dr Alan Thomas, Director, Staffing Policy and Practices Section Mr Peter Davin Ms Susan Coleman Mr Joe Thwaite, Assistant Secretary, Corporate Evaluation Branch Program 8—Australian Secret Intelligence Service Mr Matthew Peek, Assistant Secretary, Strategic Assessments Branch Department of Finance— Mr Adrian Moss Ms Alexandra Ralph Mr John Martin CHAIR—I declare open this meeting of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee. I welcome the Assistant Treasurer, Senator Short, and officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The committee has completed programs 6 and 7 and subprograms 1.1 and 1.2 of the foreign affairs and trade portfolio. This morning we will continue considering subprogram 1.3 and then consider the remaining subprograms and programs in sequential order. The committee will break at 11.30 a.m. and recommence in committee room 1R1 at 11.45 a.m. A lunch break will be taken between 1 and 2 p.m. There will be no waiting room today and the proceedings will not be telecast on the Parliament House system. Tea and coffee will be available from committee room 2S2. FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE Tuesday, 24 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation FAD&T 405 [9.15 a.m.] Program 1—International Relations, Trade and Business Liaison Subprogram 1.3—Interests in Americas and Europe CHAIR—Are there any further questions under subprogram 1.3? Mr Cotton—Could I just interrupt quickly? I think we were on the