Senate Notice Paper Question Nos 696 & 717
Schedule Number: 300045 & 300046 		Publication Date: 10 March 2009
Hansard: Pages 1174-6

Minister for Defence, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and Parliamentary Secretaries: Overseas Travel

 Senator: Minchin

Senator Minchin asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 27 August 2008:

Did the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary within the Minister’s portfolio travel overseas during July or August 2008; if so:

  1. Where did the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary travel.
  2. What was the duration of the travel.
  3. What was the purpose of the travel.
  4. For each country visited, what was the total cost to the taxpayer of: (a) travel; (b) accommodation; and (c) any other expenses.
  5. How many personal staff accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary.
  6. How many family members accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary.
  7. In regard to staff and family accompanying the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary, what was the total cost of: (a) travel; (b) accommodation; and (c) any other expenses.
  8. (a) How many departmental officers accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary; and (b) what was the total cost of their: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and
    (iii) any other expenses.

Senator Faulkner - The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

  1. to 8. Please refer to the following table.
Minister / Parliamentary Secretary (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Minister for Defence USA 6-19 July 2008 To meet ministerial counterparts and other interlocutors to discuss current military operations, acquisition cooperation and capability issues (a) $18,680.74 2 None (a) $36,060.63 (a) 3
(b) $20,256.66 1 (b) See (4) (b). (b) (i) $52,993.17
(c) $756.00 (c) $1,347.54 (b) (ii) $9,159.65
  (b) (iii) $4,252.04
 
Minister for Defence New Zealand 21-22 August 2008 To attend the annual Australia/New Zealand Defence ministerial talks (a) $2,122.54 2 None (a) $4,245.08 (a) 8
(b) $250.00 (estimate) (b) $450.00 (estimate) (b) (i) $20,402.82
(c) $126.00 (c) $74.66 (b) (ii) $4,048.88
  (b) (iii) $1,549.67
 
Minister for Defence Science and Personnel USA and Canada 10-22 July 2008 Canada: To attend  the Disarmament International Conference and receive briefings from the Canadian Armed Forces
USA: To receive briefings from the US Department of Defense on the US Defence Science Program and to review US armed services initiatives and programs		 (a) $22,531.61 1 None (a) $21,081.53 (a) 1
(b) $3,030.20 (b) $2,003.79 (b) (i) $14,999.42
(c) $6,132.67 (c) $722.15 (b) (ii) $2,156.04
   (b) (iii) $2,252.06
 
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement United Kingdom, France, Spain and the USA 14-30 July 2008 To meet foreign government and defence industry officials to investigate different procurement regimes, to investigate major Australian defence procurement projects overseas and to promote Australian defence industry to US and European governments and companies (a) $10,933.15 1 1 3 (a) $21,878.56 None
(b) $2,148.84
(USA only) 2		 (b) $1,735.32 (excluding family member – covered
in (4) (b)
(c) $2,899.31 (c) $1,606.85
 
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support New Zealand 28 June–2 July 2008 To hold bilateral discussions on a range of defence matters (a) Borne by the New Zealand Government 1 None (a) $3,014.09 None
(b) Borne by the New Zealand Government (b) $496.04
(c) $378.00 (c) $584.55
  1. Includes ministerial staff costs.
  2. Accommodation costs for Europe covered by the Government of the United Kingdom.
  3. Approved by the Prime Minister.

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