Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I present the committee's report entitled Report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Indonesia and Tonga: 24September—1 October 2011. During September 2011 members of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters visited Indonesia and Tonga as part of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Committee Exchange program. Indonesia, with its population of over 200 million, and Tonga, with a little over 100,000 people, are demographically very different countries in the Asia-Pacific region. One thing they have in common is that both are making the important transition to democratic governance, with Indonesia starting its democratic journey in 1999 and Tonga holding its first democratic election in 2010.

The delegation greatly appreciated the time and effort of the many individuals and organisations in Indonesia and Tonga that met with us during our visit. The program included a combination of high-level meetings and opportunities for delegates to hear firsthand the experiences of individuals of their country's democratic progress and their aspirations for a democratic future. This greatly assisted delegates to better appreciate the democratic transition underway in these still relatively new democracies.

Through its governance and electoral support programs, Australia is playing a role in assisting these countries to make practical democratic improvements. This visit provided a valuable opportunity for delegates to gain an appreciation of the strong relationships that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AusAID and the Australian Electoral Commission are building with electoral authorities and key stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific. The effective conduct of elections is an important component of good governance and viable democracies, and was of particular interest to the delegation. It is important for Australia to remain engaged in Indonesia and Tonga and the broader Asia-Pacific region, and to provide the governance and electoral support needed to help our neighbours realise their democratic aspirations. On behalf of the delegation I thank the organisations and individuals who met with and assisted us during our visit to Indonesia and Tonga. I also thank my fellow delegates for their participation and commitment to the demanding program and their contribution to a productive and informative delegation visit. I also certainly want to put on the record my thanks to the secretary of the delegation, Ms Samantha Mannette, for the excellent work that she did, and to the other staff who assist her in the secretariat of the electoral matters committee.

I commend the delegation report to the House.

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