Page 2340 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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I have already explained the basic occupational health and safety standards that all workers in this country should receive; but, Madam Speaker, I also take this opportunity to dispel any myths that may surround the work of this particular department. The Liberal Party Opposition, both Federal and ACT, have not ignored the appalling working conditions of the Foreign Affairs and Trade officers; they have gone so far as to infer that they deserve to work under these conditions because they are only probably cocktail-sipping, jet-setting diplomats anyway.
When an officer is posted overseas he or she is basically on call 24 hours a day. When Australians travelling overseas experience difficulties of one kind or another, they rightly turn to the Australian overseas mission for assistance. Typical duties can and do include the recovery of bodies of Australian tourists from plane wrecks, bus wrecks and so on; visiting convicted Australians in overseas gaols; assisting tourists when a family member dies; advising families in Australia when a family member fails to send that regular postcard. In some countries they experience conditions of war and survive coup d'etat and civil unrest. They have the delight of air travel with some pretty questionable airlines, and experience extremes of living conditions, from Western countries to the poorest nations in the world. They are working in areas such as Cambodia, working - - -
Mr Cornwell: What has this to do with the motion? Nothing.
MS ELLIS: It has a lot to do with it, Mr Cornwell. They are working with the Cambodian people to build up their country from nothing. They work in areas such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and Eastern Europe. Can you imagine what sort of heart-rending, stressful work the officers in the Australian embassy closest to Somalia are doing right now?
Mr Cornwell: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. I do not believe that Ms Ellis is being relevant to the motion before us. She is at the moment giving us a fairly detailed outline of the services provided by Australian diplomats overseas. I thought we were discussing the development of York Park for the Australian base of the department.
MS ELLIS: I will get to that.
Mr Cornwell: I do not mind the Cooks tour, madam; it is just that I do not know that it is relevant to the matter before the house.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Cornwell, following Mr Humphries's advice on the matter, I said that I would listen carefully. I have been listening carefully. Because Ms Ellis is talking about York Park and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and these are people who work there, I do believe that it is relevant, and I would like Ms Ellis to finish her speech.
MS ELLIS: Madam Speaker, I was referring to the Australian officers posted overseas nearest to Somalia, or Yugoslavia, or Burma, or many other countries we could name, where conditions are far from ideal. That is the sort of work officers of Foreign Affairs and Trade do. However, there are many officers employed here in Australia at Parkes. In fact, approximately half the officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade currently work in Australia, most of them at the Administrative Building in Parkes. They are your normal, everyday
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