Judi Moylan (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Cambodia from 21 to 26 April 2007, and to the 116th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, held in Bali from 27 April to 4 May 2007.

At the outset may I acknowledge the contribution made by delegation members to the work of this delegation. Harry Jenkins, the deputy leader, Kay Hull and Senator Gavin Marshall each made an invaluable and enthusiastic contribution to the bilateral visit to Cambodia and also to the work of the 116th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. I also thank the delegation secretariat, Neil Bessell and Alison Purcell.

During our visit to Cambodia, it became very clear that a strong bond of cooperation and friendship exists between Australia and Cambodia on a government to government and people to people basis. On arrival at Siem Reap, the delegation was met and well taken care of by Senator Chhit Kim Yeat, and in Phnom Phenh by Senator Ung Huot, both of whom have lived and worked in Australia and remain dual citizens of Australia and Cambodia. The delegation records its heartfelt appreciation to both senators for making the visit memorable.

In the aftermath of the Pol Pot regime, Cambodia has been assisted by Australia in rebuilding a devastated country. Work with Cambodia’s government towards its development goals remains the cornerstone of our bilateral relationship. Australia is one of Cambodia’s major development partners, indeed the fourth largest donor, providing more than $150 million over the past five years. Two major new programs commencing this year will continue to support agricultural productivity and strengthen the criminal justice system.

The delegation observed the number of Australians working in both paid and voluntary capacities in various activities in Cambodia. There are increasing business opportunities in mining, banking, tourism and agriculture, as well as unfinished work to ensure a better quality of life for the Cambodian people. Australia has been active in supporting the World Food Program, the establishment of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, AusAid development projects, HIV-AIDS prevention programs and mine clearing. The delegation visited many of these projects, recognising that there is still much work to be done, while acknowledging the economic progress which has seen growth averaging six per cent over the last decade in Cambodia, reaching a high of 13½ per cent in 2005.

One of the highlights for the delegation was a visit to the seat of the ancient Khmer temples at Angkor Wat. Each year, 1.5 million tourists visit the temples, yet the province of Siem Reap remains one of the poorest in Cambodia. The delegation had the opportunity to discuss with the Governor of Siem Reap the potential for economic benefits to flow to the local population.

Although Cambodia has achieved a degree of stability and peace following many years of devastating conflicts, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The United Nations Human Development Index ranks Cambodia 130th among 162 countries in terms of quality of life, with a GDP of $US459 per capita per year. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the delegation found the Cambodian people to be industrious and cheerful. They certainly made our delegation feel very welcome. As I said, many Australians work in Cambodia, and there is a very high regard for them by the local people.

On behalf of the delegation I thank the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, Margaret Adamson, and the highly knowledgeable and experienced team of senior officers at the embassy there, including Naomi Viccars, who did an outstanding job in organising the delegation’s program.

I also thank Ms Louise Hand, the Deputy Head of Mission in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Mr Bruce Cowled, Consul-General in Bali and, in particular, Ms Adelaide Worcester, Consul in Bali, for their assistance during the IPU 116th assembly. The delegation also very much appreciated the assistance of Mr Claude Mannucci and the other Australian Federal Police in Bali, for securing the delegation’s safety.

In relation to the IPU, the delegation’s report has been compiled. As usual, it is a comprehensive report, and I commend it to honourable members. I commend the delegation’s report to the House.

Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have pleasure in joining the leader of the delegation, the member for Pearce, in making comments about this delegation. Cambodia is a fascinating country. We were able to enjoy learning about the ancient kingdoms through our visit to the temples at Siem Reap. We have gone from the point when they were discovered, overgrown by trees, to the point now when we are worried that perhaps the temples are being loved to death.

At both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, we were able to see the great work that is being done by a number of Australians involved in aid work. It is very important that we emphasise that we have a great relationship with modern Cambodia—a modern Asian nation with a horrific recent past. The delegation went to places and witnessed some of the memories of that past. We look forward to there being some sort of closure through the extraordinary council process. We hope the process will deliver some justice to those who were victims of the Khmer Rouge.

We acknowledge that there are a number of Australians who work through the different non-government organisations and through Foreign Affairs, AusAID and the other professionals that we have up there. But the leader of the delegation has made mention of people such as the two senators that entertained us, Senator Chhit Kim Yeat and Senator Ung Huot. Both fled Cambodia during the time of Pol Pot, made their homes in the south-east suburbs of Melbourne and contributed greatly and committed to their new homeland, Australia. But when the opportunity arose to go back and do their bit to make sure Cambodia develops into a great nation, they were quite willing to do that. The strength of that connection was something that impressed me and made me realise that we do have a lot to do to assist Cambodia in the way forward. I am sure, as is the leader, that they will be able to do that because they are industrious people. There are a number of non-government organisations there and that indicates there is a developing civil society in Cambodia that will ensure that the checks and balances are there that will, hopefully, mean that we will not see the occurrences that we saw 20 to 30 years ago.

The other comment I would make about the IPU is that intuitively I have always felt that there was a great advantage in having continuing members of delegations to bodies such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The member for Pearce, Judy Moylan, the member for Riverina, Kay Hull, my Victorian comrade Senator Marshall and the secretary Neil Bessell have all been to previous IPUs. The strength of their understanding of the processes and the friendships they have made in previous times were great contributions to the way in which Australia could make a contribution to the overall work. I think that is important. I thank them for their friendship throughout the whole of the delegation. I also indicate that there is a place for people to be exposed to the machinations of a thing like the IPU.

Finally, although the thankyous are made in the report, I thank Claude Mannucci, who looked after our safety. I thank my shadow, Gatra, and Putu, Uddi and Ayu, his colleagues, for the close personal protection provided by the Indonesian police. We thank them for ensuring that we did return safely. We thank them also for their friendship along the way. These delegations are important; I urge members to have a look at the comprehensive report. I regret that we do not have more time to debate the issues that we raise.