Alan Cadman (Mitchell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to the 14th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, held in Jakarta from 15 to 20 January 2006 and Papua New Guinea from 21 to 25 January 2006. As the leader of the delegation, I am pleased to present this report and note the presence in the chamber and gallery of my colleagues who were on that delegation—Senators Sterle and McEwen and the member for Kingston.

The APPF has great significance for Australia. It is an assembly of members of 27 national parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region which has met each January since 1993 to discuss matters of mutual concern. Its member countries include the United States, China, Russia and Japan. Australia has traditionally played a substantial role in these meetings, which provide a valuable opportunity for us, as members of parliament, to have discussions on matters of common interest with colleagues from the wider region.

The formal objectives of the forum ensure that annual meetings provide opportunities for us, as parliamentarians, to:

• deepen our understanding of the interests and policy concerns of countries in the region;
• examine the major political, social and cultural developments resulting from economic growth and integration; and
• foster the roles we have as national parliamentarians to promote regional cohesion and cooperation.

As is customary at APPF annual meetings, the agenda had a regional focus. It was framed around three main subjects: political and security issues, economic and trade issues, and regional cooperation. The delegation’s report discusses the resolutions proposed by Australia and the delegation’s contributions to debate and negotiation. The three resolutions we proposed addressed:

• international terrorism, which was debated by Senator Sterle;
• poverty alleviation and the Millennium Development Goals, covered by Senator McEwen; and
• pandemic disease, on which I spoke.

The member for Kingston spoke on cooperation on empowering the economies of the developing and least developed countries.

As well as participating in debate in the plenary, the delegation took a very active role in all formal meetings of the drafting committee and in a number of its informal meetings, where we negotiated the text of draft resolutions. The delegation also participated in a number of very successful meetings, including ones with President Yudhoyono and the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Mr Laksono.

Apart from the APPF activities, the delegation was delighted to be able to visit a World Food Program project that operates at a primary school in East Jakarta and is supported by AusAID. We were also pleased to meet participants in an Australian-Muslim exchange delegation.

Following the APPF meeting, the delegation travelled to Papua New Guinea, where it participated in meetings and visits in Port Moresby, Goroka, Kundiawa and Mount Hagen between 21 and 25 January. Although our time was brief, we met a range of people and gained an understanding of the issues that are important to them. We also learned something of their perspective on Australia and its relationship with their country.

We were grateful for the preparations by the APPF organising committee and staff of the Indonesian House of Representatives. Their hospitality was exceptional. On behalf of the delegation, I wish to express our gratitude to the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Mr Bill Farmer, and to Steven Barraclough from the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

In Papua New Guinea we also received impressive support, and for this I particularly wish to thank the Australian High Commissioner, Mr Michael Potts, and Tim Paterson. I also wish to mention Dame Carol Kidu, who was kind enough to arrange some informal discussions and to accompany us in Port Moresby when we visited the parliament and local settlements.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade helped to prepare us, with excellent advice and briefing material, as did the Parliamentary Library. I also wish to thank the Parliamentary Relations Office, which assisted with these arrangements. The delegation is grateful for the support we received from Mr Philip McDonald of the Australian Federal Police, who accompanied us in both countries. In conclusion, I wish to thank my fellow members of parliament for their support as delegation members. We were Australians through and through and worked as a great team. I want to thank them for their involvement. (Time expired)

Mr Speaker, I have here a letter from you relating to the report. I wonder whether it would be possible to have your letter, which would be helpful to future delegations of this type, incorporated in Hansard.

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