Senate Notice Paper Question Nos 1013 & 1032
Schedule Number: 300105 & 300106 		Publication Date: 16 March 2009
Hansard: Pages 1672-5

Minister for Defence and Parliamentary Secretary: Overseas Travel

 Senator: Ronaldson

Senator Ronaldson asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 25 November 2008:

Has the Minister or any associated Parliamentary Secretary travelled overseas on parliamentary or ministerial business since 25 November 2007; if so, for each trip:

  1. What was the purpose.
  2. How many nights were spent overseas.
  3. What were the dates and venues.
  4. How many meetings did the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary attend.
  5. How many departmental and/or personal ministerial staff accompanied the Minister or Parliamentary Secretary.
  6. What was the aggregate cost.
  7. Can an itemised account be provided of the costs for the following: (a) transportation; (b) travel allowance; (c) accommodation; (d) meals; and (e) other expenses, paid for by the Commonwealth in relation to the Minister, Parliamentary Secretary and their staff.

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

  1. The information provided below in response to the honourable Senator’s question covers the periods 25 November 2007 to 31 March 2008 and 1 October to 31 December 2008.  For the period 1 April to 30 September 2008, see my responses to Senate Questions on Notice 696, 717, 812 and 813.

    In relation to parts (6) and (7) of the question that request information about the cost of overseas travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and their personal staff, I refer the Senator to the report Parliamentarians’ travel costs paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation.  The report is tabled biannually and provides details of the dates and purpose of the travel and the countries visited.  Additional information is also available on ministerial web sites, media releases and media reports. 


    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Scotland from 12 to 16 December 2007, to attend the Regional Command (South) Defence Ministers' meeting. 1

    2 nights for 5 depart-mental staff    		 Edinburgh, 13 December 2007.

    + 1 night in London, 14 December 2007.    		 5 Personal staff: 1
    Departmental staff: 6    		 $74,075.98

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan and UAE from 20-24 December 2007, accompanying the Prime Minister to meet officials and Defence personnel. 3 Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, 21 December 2007.
     
    Afghanistan, 22 December 2007.    		 4


    4    		 Personal staff: Nil
    Departmental Staff: 6     		$35,881.25

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Lithuania from 5 to 10 February 2008, to attend the Regional Command (South) Defence Ministers and the National Defence Ministers’ meeting. 3 Vilnius, 6 – 8 February 2008. 5 Personal staff: 1
    Departmental staff: 6     		$106,121.61

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Canada Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom from 20 to 30 November 2008.

    Canada: To attend the  Regional Command (South) Defence Ministers' meeting.

    Spain/Portugal: To meet with ministerial counterparts and defence industry officials.

    UK: To attend AUKMIN ministerial talks. 

    2 Canada




    2 Spain
    1 Portugal



    2 UK    		 Cornwallis, 20-21 November 2008
    Halifax, 21-22 November 2008.

    Madrid, 23-24 November 2008
    La Coruna 25 November 2008.

    Lisbon, 25-26 November 2008.

    London, 26-28 November 2008    		 1


    6


    2


    2    		 Personal staff : 2
    Departmental staff: 2

    An additional 3 departmental staff joined the ministerial delegation in the UK.    		 $68,702.62

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Japan from 18 to 20 December 2008, to attend the Japan-Australia Joint Foreign and Defence Ministerial Consultations. *
    0 for MINDEF

    0 for 1 departmental staff.

    1 for 2 departmental staff.

    2 for 2 departmental staff.    		 Tokyo,
     19 December 2008    		 7 Personal staff : 2
    Departmental staff: 4    		 $29,948.07

    * Explanation: The Minister arrived in Japan at 0700 and departed, same day at 2300.

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Science and Personnel The United States from 13 to 20 January 2008, to attend the 2nd West Coast Leadership Dialogue. 6 San Diego, 13 – 15 January 2008.

    San Francisco, 16 – 17 January 2008.     		Agenda included multiple sessions and briefings. Personal staff : Nil
    Departmental staff: Nil     		N/A

    Minister (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Solomon Islands from 21 to 22 February 2008, to visit Defence Cooperation projects and to meet with troops. 1 Honiara and surrounds,
    21-22 February 2008.    		 8 Personal staff : Nil
    Departmental staff: 1     		$2,223.83

    Minister / Parliamentary Secretary (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Minister for Defence Science and Personnel Vietnam, from 7 to 9 October 2008, the Minister attended the ramp ceremony in Hanoi and the repatriation of Private Fisher to Australia.  Travel via special purpose aircraft. 2 Hanoi, 7-9 October 2008. 1 Personal staff : 1
    Departmental staff: 3     		$8,696.07

    Parliamentary Secretary (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support  France from 18 to 25 October to attend the inaugural International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations and to conduct a range of bilateral meetings. 4 Paris, 19 to 23 October 2008. 3 day conference and 2 meetings. Personal staff : 1
    Departmental staff: Nil     		N/A

    Parliamentary Secretary (1)
    Purpose    		 (2)
    Number of nights    		 (3)
    Cities / Dates    		 (4)
    How many meetings attended    		 (5)
    Number of personal staff and departmental staff    		 (6)
    Total cost of departmental staff
    Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support Israel from 15 to 21 December 2008 to conduct bilateral engagements with members of the Israeli Government on defence related matters. 3 Tel Aviv, 16 to 19 December 2008,
    Plassan Sassa Rafael, Elbit on 17 December 2008,
    Beersheba on 18 December 2008, and Jerusalem, 19 December 2008.     		16 Personal staff : 1
    Departmental staff: Nil     		N/A

close