Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in writing, on 24 March 2011:

In respect of the reception for United Nations' representatives from African Union countries that the Prime Minister held during her March 2010 visit to the United States, (a) which countries (i) were represented, (ii) declined to attend, (b) what was the total cost, (c) what was the average cost per attendee, (d) where was this event held, (e) what was the cost of hiring the venue, (f) was entertainment provided; if so, at what cost, (g) what food and beverages were served, and what are the names of any alcoholic beverages served, (h) were any gifts provided to guests; if so, what were they, to whom were they provided, and at what cost, (i) how many people from the Prime Minister's entourage attended, (j) how many consular staff were responsible for organising the event, and how many hours did they spend on this, and (k) what was the cost of advertising and printing.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(a) (i) Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

(ii) The meeting was organised by the Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. We are not aware of any countries declining to attend. However, Malawi and Sao Tome and Principe were not present.

(b) USD825.96 for interpretation services, paper and postage of letters.

(c) The average cost to Australia per Africa Group participant was USD16.20 (825.96 divided by 51 African representatives).

(d) The Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, 305 East 47th Street, 5th Floor, 3 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017.

(e) None.

(f) No.

(g) None.

(h) No.

(i) Seven.

(j) The meeting was organised by the Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. Three staff from the Australian Permanent Mission to the United Nations were involved at different times in liaising with the Office of the Permanent Observer of the African Union on various aspects.

Approximately 10 hours of staff time was spent on liaison with the African Union ahead of this meeting.

(k) USD25.96 for postage stamps and paper for letters.