Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Faulkner. Given that at Senate estimates in October last year the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave assurances that an internal review of the Britt Lapthorne case would be held and given it has now been five months since a commitment was made to better coordinate consular relations, what changes have been made to ensure that no other Australian family has to go through what the Lapthornes did?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have just checked to see if I have any detail on follow-on activity by the department in relation to the Britt Lapthorne case. I am afraid I have to indicate that I believe I do not have information specifically on that matter. I can say that I took up directly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs the issues Senator Fielding and others raised at the Senate estimates. I drew those to his attention. I will undertake to find out for you what specific actions on this matter the department has taken in its internal arrangements and I will come back to you at the earliest opportunity. Specifically in relation to the Britt Lapthorne matter, I do not want to provide any information to the Senate that is not accurate. This is a case that has had very significant ramifications. Ms Lapthorne’s family, as Senator Fielding is aware, have had an extraordinarily difficult time. It is something that I know the foreign minister has taken a very close interest in. (Time expired)

Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given that the Age newspaper today reports that an examination of the operations of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade by an expert review panel found that the department is badly underfunded, do you support comments by the head of the panel, Allan Gyngell, that staff shortages, underfunding and lack of skilled diplomats have often resulted in a failure by the department to assist desperate Australians in trouble overseas?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would say in commencement of my answer to your supplementary question, Senator Fielding, that I would not necessarily draw a comparison between that report—and the period of time it dealt with—and the Britt Lapthorne case. It is true that the Lowy Institute undertook an independent assessment of the adequacy of Australia’s instruments of international policy. There is no doubt that the report you refer to deals with a decline in resourcing of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It covers the period from1996. It does indicate that DFAT’s overall staff levels are about 20 per cent lower today than they were in— (Time expired)

Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given that more than 1,100 Australians have signed a petition started by me and endorsed by Dale Lapthorne calling for changes to allow the families of Australians missing overseas to be informed immediately of their disappearance, isn’t it time the government acted and listened to Australians who want this bureaucratic red tape around privacy stopped so families can be told when their loved ones are missing?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I think it is really important, on an issue as sensitive as this, to make sure that the issues that are raised in such questions are related. I can say to Senator Fielding that, as he may be aware, the Prime Minister did commit in his national security statement to build over time ‘diplomatic resources that are more in-depth and more diversified than currently exist’. That certainly is a clear objective of the government. The report earlier referred to by Senator Fielding supports the Prime Minister’s statement about the increasing challenges that Australia faces. In relation to Ms Lapthorne’s case I will take on notice that issue specifically for you, Senator Fielding. I want to provide a serious response to a serious matter.