ADF spend time in the big house

ADF participants in the Parliamentary Program. From left to right: FLGOFF Andrew Koop, LCDR Susan Cunningham, LCDR Natalie Read, LTCOL Graeme Finney, LTCOL Clay Sutton, WGCDR Rowley Tompsett.

Photo: PO Kev Bristow

Two Navy officers are among six members of the ADF who have spent a week in Australia’s halls of power.

LCDR Natalie Read and LCDR Susan Cunningham were part of the 2004 ADF Parliamentary Program which gave them a first hand look at Federal parliamentary processes and the day-to-day work of Parliamentarians.

The exchange also gives Members of Parliament a taste of life in the ADF.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for ADF members to see how the democratic process takes place,” Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Fran Bailey, said.

The other participants are LTCOL Graeme Finney, LTCOL Clay Sutton, WGCDR Rowley Tompsett and FLGOFF Andrew Koop.

“As part of their program, these six officers received briefings on the role of government, the law-making process and the workings of House and Joint Committees,” Fran Bailey said.

LCDR Read said she hoped to gain a better understanding of how Parliamentarians and their staff related to Defence and the ADF.

During their week in the Parliament, they met the Clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Ian Harris, and attended a reception hosted by the Presiding Officers in the Speaker’s Suite.

As well, they worked in the office of their politician host for the week and attended Members’ Statements and Question Time.

Their hosts were Senator Alan Ferguson, Senator David Johnston, Senator Nigel Scullion, Sharon Grierson MP, Michael Johnson MP and Kim Wilkie MP.

.