Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

This is an important part of transparency and accountability. Notwithstanding the capacity of the parliamentary secretary, who I have a high regard for, he is not responsible for many of these areas of foreign affairs, and the minister should be here.

The federal opposition was surprised and disappointed by the Rudd government’s first budget—disappointed by the budget in general but also disappointed by the foreign affairs component of the budget. I was amazed that, only weeks after the Prime Minister returned from his 17-day world trip telling everyone that Australia will be more engaged, that Australia is back on the world stage and that Australia will be a creative middle-power activist, the Treasurer then in the budget revealed that the government will cut over 300 jobs that carry out exactly this work—sort of a loaves and fishes effect, I think.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio budget statements, the government is cutting 305 jobs from that specific section of the department with primary responsibility for developing and implementing foreign and trade policies on matters of international security, trade and policy and global cooperation that advance Australia’s national interest. I would be very keen for the parliamentary secretary to explain how the government can ramp up activity in a host of areas across the world and do so when they are cutting 305 jobs from that particular area of the department responsible for those activities. These cuts of staff, as part of the—

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