Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Furner, move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that:

     (i)   since 2002, Australia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) has held nine rounds of the Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, and

     (ii)   the Australian Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, considers the improvements in human rights in SRV 'a high priority of the Australian government'; and

  (b)   calls on the Australian Government to:

     (i)   encourage the Minister for Foreign Affairs to ensure parliamentary supervision of the Australia-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue by appointing Members to take part in the Dialogue,

     (ii)   encourage more active community awareness of the work of the Dialogue,

     (iii)   ensure Australia's overseas development aid to SRV includes a focus on promoting human rights, and

     (iv)   improve the effectiveness of the initiative by encouraging a more whole of government approach.

Question agreed to.

I seek leave for two minutes, shared with Senator Furner, to make some remarks on this motion.