John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to take the opportunity to speak yet again about the Australian Labor Party’s participation in the Australian Political Parties for Democracy, or APPD, program. I do so because of the commitment of the Australian Labor Party to accountability and transparency in its APPD programs. As I have said in an earlier speech, I intend to keep the Senate informed of progress on these issues.

The APPD program was established by the Australian government in 2006. Funding for the program is set at $1 million per annum per grant recipient. The ALP has committed to use the APPD program for our international activities, including the provision of practical training to political parties in the Asia-Pacific. In relation to our international activities I can report to the Senate that the ALP has used APPD funds to build on relations with China and to further dialogue and exchange with China on key issues such as trade, security, economic development and political, industrial and social rights. We also plan to maintain multilateral links with political parties in Asia and the Pacific through organisations such as the International Conference of Asian Political Parties.

The former Western Australian Premier Dr Geoff Gallop took part in the fourth International Conference of Asian Political Parties, the ICAPP, general assembly in Seoul in September. ALP international projects will continue to strengthen links between progressive political parties around the world and will continue our engagement with multilateral organisations that serve to promote or consolidate democracy.

We supported the visit to Australia of Carl Gershman, President of the National Endowment for Democracy. That visit included speaking engagements and meetings with key ALP stakeholders involved in democracy building.

We are building professional linkages with the National Democratic Institute of International Affairs, the NDI, the United States progressive democracy building institute, in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines and Washington. ALP staff and officials have participated in NDI training activities and will continue to do so throughout the coming financial year. Senior representatives of the NDI will take part in ALP international project activities throughout 2006-07.

We will continue to participate in the Socialist International where appropriate. In November we supported the involvement of IPDC committee member and former ALP international secretary—not to mention former senator—Sue West in the SI annual conference and Socialist International Women’s Caucus in Santiago, Chile.

In relation to our technical assistance program, APPD projects will help political parties in Asia and the Pacific develop better infrastructure, become more democratic, improve their campaigning and election strategies and become more effective in their policy development processes. To provide a focus for our programs, the ALP in fact identified a group of six target countries for technical assistance: Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji. To ensure local relevance our technical assistance and training programs are undertaken only after in-depth evaluation of country conditions and local needs and demands. We have now conducted evaluation missions in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Philippines. We will soon deliver training to political parties in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea as they prepare for their general elections next year.

The first of our technical assistance programs to be undertaken in Australia was conducted this November. Representatives of the major Indonesian political parties were invited to take part in an organised study program to observe the Victorian state election, which was held, as you know, Mr President, very recently—polling day was 25 November 2006. In fact, I note that since democratisation began in 1999, the Indonesian people have faced only two competitive elections. So this study tour provided delegates with briefings and seminars about modern political strategies in competitive electoral systems. Key themes included media and communications strategies, party administration structures, policy development, polling strategies and marginal seat campaigning. Along the campaign trail, the delegates had an opportunity to visit marginal seat campaigns in Caulfield and Geelong. The visit is going to be followed up by workshops in Indonesia, and through APPD we will continue to build our relationship with political parties in Indonesia through the development of a memorandum of understanding.

For the interest of senators, I seek leave to table the ALP national secretariat’s Australian Political Parties for Democracy program funding application, which was lodged with the Department of Finance and Administration.

Leave granted.