Senate Notice Paper Question No 2553
Schedule Number: 300308
 Publication Date: 24 February 2010
Hansard: Pages 1129-32

Minister for Defence and Parliamentary Secretary: Overseas Travel

 Senator: Johnston

Senator Johnston asked the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 11 January 2010:

For the period 1 October to 31 December 2009:

  1. (a) Did the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary travel overseas on official business; if so: (i) to what destination, (ii) for what duration, and (iii) for what purpose; and (b) what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.
  2. (a) Which departmental officers accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary on each trip; and (b) for these officers, what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.
  3. (a) Apart from departmental officers, who else accompanied the Minister/Parliamentary Secretary on each trip; and (b) for each of these people, what was the total cost of: (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, and (iii) any other expenses.

Senator Faulkner - The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

  1.  
    1. Yes, the Minister for Defence travelled overseas on official business.   The Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support did not travel during this period.
    2.  
      1.  to ii. All costs of official overseas travel by Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, accompanying spouses (where relevant) and accompanying staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 are paid for by the Department of Finance and Deregulation (Finance). Finance has advised that expenditure for visits to Slovakia, United States and Afghanistan/India have not yet been reconciled.  Dates, destinations, the purpose and costs of all official overseas travel are tabled in the Parliament every six months in a report titled Parliamentarians’ Travel Paid by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. These reports are now also published to the Finance web site.

        Where Ministers undertook travel via special purpose aircraft (SPA) the Schedule of Special Purpose flights for 1 July to 31 December 2009 will be tabled in June 2010.  This schedule is tabled every six months.
      2. Some Ministerial expenses are a direct portfolio cost to Defence and where reconciled those costs are reflected under item 1(b)(iii).
  2. to (3)       Please refer to the attached table.
  3. (i) to (iii)   Costs for additional persons accompanying the Ministers & Parliamentary Secretaries are stated where known. Spouses did not accompany the Ministers & Parliamentary Secretaries on overseas travel during the period of 1 October to 31 December 2009.
Minister / Parliamentary Secretary (1) (a)
(i) (ii) (iii)		 (b)
(i)(ii)(iii)		 2(a) (b) (3)(a) (b)
Minister for Defence East Timor from 2 to 3 October 2009.  The Minister met with government officials and Australian troops, and opened Sparrow Force House. The Minister was accompanied by two ministerial advisers and six defence personnel.

Travel from Darwin/East Timor/Canberra was via Special Purpose Aircraft.   Defence staff travelled commercially from Canberra to meet the aircraft.		 (i)  Nil 1. Dr Ian Watt, Secretary
2. LTGEN Ken Gillespie, Chief of Army
3. LTCOL Mick Ryan, Military Adviser
4. WO Stephen Ward, Warrant Officer of the Army
5. FLTLT Patricia Bell, Aide de Camp to MINDEF
6. BRIG Andrew Nikolic, First Assistant Secretary Regional Engagement.		 (i) $3,578.19 Advisers:
1. Mr George Thompson, Deputy Chief of Staff
2. Mr Colin Campbell, Media Adviser 		(i) Nil
(ii) Nil (ii) $399.00 (ii) Nil
(iii) Nil (iii) $754.17 (iii) $593.00

Minister / Parliamentary Secretary (1) (a)
(i) (ii) (iii)		 (b)
(i)(ii)(iii)		 2(a) (b) (3)(a) (b)
Minister for Defence Slovakia and Indonesia from 21 to 27 October 2009.    

The Minister visited Slovakia to attend the Non-NATO ISAF Countries Ministerial Meeting in Bratislava, host the Regional Command (South) Meeting and hold bilateral meetings with Ministers in attendance. The Minister was accompanied by one ministerial adviser and six defence personnel to Slovakia.

The Minister visited Indonesia to meet with his Indonesian counterpart to discuss a range of bilateral issues.  The Minister was accompanied by one ministerial adviser and eight defence personnel. Mr Duncan Lewis, National Security Adviser also accompanied the Minister on this visit.  		(i)  awaiting reconciliation by DOFD Slovakia and Indonesia:
1. Dr Ian Watt, Secretary
2. ACM Angus Houston, Chief of Defence Force.
3. FLTLT Naomi Gill, CDF Aide de Camp.
4. FLTLT Patricia Bell, Aide de Camp.
5. CPL Joshua Munro, Signaller
Slovakia only
6. Mr Simeon Gilding, First Assistant Secretary International Policy Division.
Indonesia only:
6. VADM Russ Crane, Chief of Navy
7. LEUT Bernard Dobson, Flag Lieutenant
8. BRIG Andrew Nikolic, First Assistant Secretary Regional Engagement.		 (i) $145,757.01 Advisers:
Slovakia and Indonesia
1.  Mr George Thompson, Deputy Chief of Staff

Indonesia
1.  In addition to departmental staff and an adviser, the Minister was accompanied to Indonesia by Mr Duncan Lewis, National Security Adviser.  Mr Lewis’ costs are not known to the Dept of Defence.		 (i) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(ii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD (ii) $9,851.01 (ii)
awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(iii) $548.18 (iii) $3277.14 (iii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
Minister for Defence United States from 2 to 7 November 2009.  The Minister visited Washington and met with government and defence officials.  The Minister was accompanied by two ministerial advisers and four defence personnel.
.		 (i)  Not reconciled by DOFD 1. Dr Ian Watt, Secretary
2. ACM Angus Houston, Chief of Defence Force.
3. FLTLT Naomi Gill, CDF Aide de Camp.
4. FLTLT Patricia Bell, Aide de Camp.		 (i) $49,286.32 Advisers:
1. Dr Kate Harrison, Chief of Staff
2.  Mr Colin Campbell, Media Adviser		 (i) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(ii) Not reconciled by DOFD (ii) $6,741.62 (ii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(iii) $7,352.32 (iii) $5,822.59 (iii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD

Minister / Parliamentary Secretary (1) (a)
(i) (ii) (iii)		 (b)
(i)(ii)(iii)		 2(a) (b) (3)(a) (b)
Minister for Defence Afghanistan and India from 10 to 12 November accompanying the Prime Minister.

The Minister accompanied the Prime Minister to Afghanistan and was accompanied by one ministerial adviser and four defence personnel; and

The return visit was via a short transit in Mumbai, India, where a bilateral dinner was scheduled.  However, the short separate defence program could not be completed due to inclement weather in Mumbai (cyclone) and the VIP aircraft was diverted to New Delhi.   The Ministerial delegation returned to Australia via commercial aircraft from New Delhi. 		(i)  Not reconciled by DOFD 1. Dr Ian Watt, Secretary
2. ACM Angus Houston, Chief of Defence Force.
3. FLTLT Naomi Gill, CDF Aide de Camp.
4. FLTLT Patricia Bell, MINDEF Aide de Camp.
  		(i) $24,870.59 1. Dr Kate Harrison, Chief of Staff
2.  The Minister accompanied the Prime Minister and party.  Full delegation details and travel costings for the Prime Minister’s delegation are not known to the Dept of Defence.		 (i) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(ii) Not reconciled by DOFD (ii) $153.64 (ii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD
(iii) Not reconciled by DOFD (iii) $1,218.48 (iii) awaiting reconciliation by DOFD

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