Trent Zimmerman (North Sydney, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the release on 5 October 2017 of the Consular State of Play 2016-17 (State of Play), which provides an overview of the Government's provision of consular assistance to Australians in the last financial year;

(2) acknowledges the hard work and dedication of Australian consular officials who have provided high-quality assistance to Australians in distress in 12,454 cases during 2016-17;

(3) notes with concern that a significant number of Australian travellers are travelling overseas without insurance;

(4) reiterates the Minister for Foreign Affairs' remarks in launching the State of Play that if travellers cannot afford travel insurance, they cannot afford to travel;

(5) acknowledges that the Australian Government will provide consular assistance where possible, while noting there are limits to what it can do to assist Australians in trouble overseas; and

(6) calls on Australians to:

(a) draw on resources such as Australian Government Smartraveller advice to inform themselves about their destination; and

(b) purchase insurance appropriate to their activities and circumstances.

Australians are famously avid travellers. Perhaps because of our relative remoteness we are passionate about exploring the world and discovering new cultures, whether it's the 18-year-old on a gap year, the young professional spending time working overseas, someone visiting their ancestral homeland, or an older Australian boarding a cruise ship, the number of Australians travelling is increasing. Our travelling patterns have also changed. Whereas once a major overseas trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime event, now it's a more regular experience. The reasons for this are not hard to establish. Twenty-six years of economic growth has increased our relative affluence and spending power, and simultaneously the cost of travel has fallen dramatically. This is reflected in the price of our perhaps most famous travel route, the kangaroo leg to London.

Just under 40 years ago a return economy ticket to London cost $9,400 in today's dollars, which was six times average weekly earnings. Today, the same trip can be undertaken comfortably for under $2,000, at around 1.08 of average weekly earnings. At any point in time, around one million Australians are resident offshore and in 2016-17, Australians undertook 10.7 million trips overseas. In 1980, that figure stood at just over one million. In one niche area, we have seen a massive growth in the number of Australians participating in a cruising holiday—over a million each year.

Our propensity for travel is unquestionably a good thing, both for individual Australians and for the nation as a whole. The personal enrichment and expanded knowledge and understanding travel brings is matched by the contribution of those with such experience to workplaces, educational institutions and the community at large. The increasing travelling habits of Australians are not, however, without consequences for the resources of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and, more specifically, its consular services.

The Consular State of Play report to which this motion relates documents the extraordinarily large number of cases our missions in 83 nations and our honorary consuls in 51 more face each year. In fact, in 2016-17 DFAT consular offices assisted in 12,454 cases of Australians in trouble overseas. In addition, the Consular Emergency Centre in Canberra responded to 66,000 calls.

We can be extraordinarily proud of the work of our DFAT personnel. I know from my experience in meeting the staff of our embassies and consulates that they represent the best traditions of public service and performance, often under considerable pressure, an incredible role for Australia. Those requiring consular assistance experience that service culture. The consular report makes for interesting reading in highlighting the issues Australians face overseas. In the last reporting year, for example, it records that 1,700 Australians fell ill or were hospitalised. 2,500 were reported, at least temporarily, missing. Over 1,600 Australians tragically died while travelling and a similar number were arrested.

Where they can, our DFAT staff will offer assistance to Australians in trouble. Unfamiliar language, cultural differences and different legal regimes can magnify problems we could otherwise cope with ourselves at home. For the novice traveller, more senior Australians or even someone with regular experience, knowing that an Australian embassy is able to assist can be a source of considerable relief. The report also sends a salutary reminder about the limitations of the services that Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade can reasonably provide. It is worth reflecting on the obligations and understanding we should all have when we embark on a foreign adventure. First and foremost, Australians should take the time to register with and read the very comprehensive Smart Traveller website. It is our obligation to make sure family and friends know where we are and highly desirable to keep DFAT informed by simply registering when we're in a foreign nation.

Similarly, it is our individual responsibility to ensure we have health insurance, with coverage that extends to the nations we visit and the activities we will be undertaking. While 90 per cent of Australians purchase travel insurance, many do not understand the nature of the coverage. And for the increasing number of Australians taking a cruise, it is often not enough to simply rely on ship medical services, as the costs for more serious incidents requiring onshore treatment can be hugely expensive.

DFAT sends a simple message: if you can't afford insurance, then you can't afford to travel. While consular services will assist, they cannot cover the cost of overseas medical care and we all need to bear that in mind. It is also worth remembering that Australia cannot intervene in foreign legal processes in another nation, and we shouldn't expect our embassies to do so. We can be proud of the work of our consulate staff, and I commend this motion to the House.

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