Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to support the report on the delegation’s visit to Singapore and Indonesia presented by the Speaker in the House, and I commend the comments already made by the members for Murray and Mackellar. I know the member for Blair was intending to speak on this report too. It was a committed delegation. I think the members were committed not only to the delegation itself but also the outcomes that were achieved—and to being part of achieving those outcomes, of course.

It was an important delegation. These two nations, Singapore and Indonesia, are of great significance to our country and the visit came at a time of great significance in the world. In that way, the spirit of discussion and dialogue was so terribly open and frank—surprisingly open and frank—because these are challenging times. To visit countries that are grappling with the same dilemmas as us, the same extreme economic situation that we find ourselves in, meant that all of us were so committed to policy development, policy ideas and the sharing of them. The level of open discussion surprised me. It was delightful to know the professionalism of these countries and their commitment to finding ways to resolve the dilemmas.

Singapore is, of course, a unique country—a very small city-nation that has had to be extremely resourceful and resilient. Although many would find some of the controls limiting and constraining, especially those of us who are particularly independent in our thinking, in Singapore you get to understand that that is a luxury that cannot always be afforded in terms of the critical economic viability of that country and what it depends upon. But I did find in discussions with Singaporean parliamentarians that their commitment to providing a high quality of life for all their citizens was the driver, and consequently their policies were absolutely honed to outcomes. I found, perhaps more than in any other country I have been to, that their policy not only reflects desired outcomes but is also, particularly, part of a strategic framework.

Their developments in water management were of interest to all the delegation, but for me the observation of a reservoir located in the CBD was quite astounding. The city of Newcastle, which I represent, experienced an extreme flood and storm situation in June of 2007, and internal flooding in that city was something that I suppose was never anticipated. But it is anticipated in Singapore. We are having more extreme weather, and to see a reservoir located in the CBD for that overflow and surge was quite revealing to me. I admire their engineering abilities and their resourcefulness. It was also interesting to visit a union. While it certainly is a constructed union representation group, I found no less commitment to representation for working people than I would find here. I found discussions with the Monetary Authority of Singapore quite illuminating as they came to terms with having to change their thinking about the economic situation.

As mentioned by the member for Mackellar, the visit to Kranji War Cemetery was very special. When you walk around that beautifully maintained and cared-for cemetery, you find that death does not take sides in war. It is very nice to see that all those who fell in battle, no matter what side they were on, have their graves marked and cared for. It is a small world. I always love it when I travel overseas and run into constituents from my electorate. Some of mine were there at Kranji. People from the Boeing picket line were there with their young niece to show her the world.

In Indonesia we started off, as the Speaker so rightly described, with a football match in which the member for Blair astounded us. The weather conditions were horrific, but what a man of stamina and resolve he is. We are very proud of him. I must say to the embassy staff who were playing in the team against a local newspaper: what aggressive girls they were! It was quite illuminating. I would say those things about the embassy staff in Indonesia because they have probably been tested more than most. They have been through terrible events: the bombing of an embassy and the crash of the aeroplane that saw so many of the staff affected. I found them the most amazing group of people. I pay special tribute to the ambassador and the staff and to the ambassador’s wife, who I know was particularly responsive in providing leadership during that air disaster.

Our meeting with the President of Indonesia, His Excellency Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was for me a highlight. I found a man committed to his nation’s development and his nation’s role in the region. I found him a very significant leader and I was very grateful to have the opportunity to share in his vision for Indonesia as an important country in our region. It is of high importance. I suppose we are all fairly devastated to know that, for a country that had such a high growth rate prior to this economic crisis and that was making such strides for its people, it will be even more difficult for it than for most.

I would also say, as my colleagues have, that to go to the province of Central Kalimantan was an absolute privilege. Jakarta was an astounding capital and city to visit, but to go out to a small community and meet with people on the ground was an absolute privilege. We were very pleased with some of the aid projects Australia is involved in, particularly the rehabilitation of the peat lands. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the efforts by the Borneo Orangutan Survival organisation for the orangutans.

These are challenges that have to be met, and they do not come without fairly high costs and commitments. We were pleased to see those attempts. I express my concern that, since we have been, there have been discussions about resuming palm oil plantations on peat lands. I think that is a great disappointment, but perhaps it is a sign of the times—people resorting to that for economic viability. It is the responsibility of all of us in the region to remember that these regions are the lungs of the world. We need to continue our commitment to assisting Indonesia in maintaining and restoring that capacity for the global environment.

We also attended a school—one of 1,000 schools Australia has built in a program of building 2,000. As a former educator I know the hard work that must have gone into that by all the staff. They were so proud. They looked pretty tired but they made sure there was maximum student involvement. The visit was an absolute pleasure. As the member for Mackellar said, we were the first parliamentary delegation to go to Central Kalimantan. We had an entourage that was probably unrivalled by anywhere that I have ever been to. It was a sign of their commitment to their region and their community.

We went to a Dayak village. It was only accessible by boat. It was a very beautiful place in that the people were coming to terms with the 21st century—the modern way of living. Yes, they had mobile phones but they still had a traditional culture that was as old as civilisation itself. To have little children following you around the village trying to give you lollies was quite a change. It was obviously a place of great community pride, and there was a real commitment to developing the prosperity of that region.

I also need to register my thanks, particularly to the Speaker. I have heard the previous speakers thank the speakers of both parliaments—Singapore and Indonesia. I want to also register my thanks to the High Commissioner to Singapore, the Australian Ambassador to Indonesia and to their staff. But I also want to thank the people here in Australia who assisted us. The Speaker, himself, excelled. If you have ever had the pleasure of travelling with the Speaker then you would know that he is a great ambassador for this nation. He certainly intrigued me in that he has kept records of every visit he has ever made to Indonesia—and there have been several—and he could call on those to recollect, for all of us, conversations and issues that were being dealt with then. That meant, I suppose, that a great deal of trust was extended to us.

As mentioned, it was a highly successful visit by a delegation committed to positive outcomes and to working very collaboratively and positively together in times that are challenging for our neighbours and ourselves. So I commend the report to the parliament.

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