Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

For the information of honourable members, I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Singapore and Indonesia, 28 October to 8 November 2008.

In commencing my remarks, I extend my sincere thanks to my fellow delegation members: the deputy leader of the delegation, the member for Mackellar, the Hon. Bronwyn Bishop; the shadow minister for immigration and citizenship, the member for Murray, the Hon. Dr Sharman Stone; the member for Newcastle and chair of the public accounts committee, Ms Sharon Grierson; and the member for Blair, Mr Shayne Neumann. All delegates were enthusiastic participants in the visit, and each contributed significantly to the purpose of the delegation visit in a spirit of bipartisanship and goodwill. I thank them all for their contribution.

The bilateral visit to Singapore formed the first leg of our journey, from 28 October to 1 November. The warm reception received from the parliament and government of Singapore left us in no doubt as to the continuing strength of our relationship with this very important regional partner, and the visit provided an excellent opportunity to renew and reinforce these ties at all levels. Discussions with the Singaporean ministers and officials addressed topics of great relevance and timeliness, including water resource management, industrial relations, defence and security, scientific research and development, air services and the global financial crisis. Delegates found the frank and informative discussions on the financial crisis with representatives of the Monetary Authority of Singapore to be of particular benefit, while all were impressed by Singapore’s innovative and highly coordinated approach to water supply and management. While in Singapore, the delegation visited Kranji War Cemetery, where over 2,500 Australian war dead are buried or commemorated. Delegates laid a wreath at the Singapore Memorial in honour of those who lost their lives. All were moved by the stark beauty of the site and by the great sacrifice made by men and women of all ages and nationalities in the defence of our region.

The delegation’s visit to Indonesia began with a friendly Sunday soccer match in Jakarta between staff of the Australian embassy and a team from the local newspaper Rakyat Merdeka. Delegates were ably represented on the field by the member for Blair, who, being a Queenslander, was prepared to brave the tropical heat and soaring humidity. Despite his best efforts, however, Rakyat Merdeka ultimately triumphed—four goals to three. During its time in Jakarta, the delegation was very cordially received by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, His Excellency Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Vice President, His Excellency Jusuf Kalla. Discussions with the head of state and his deputy addressed a range of topics of bilateral significance, including efforts to combat climate change and the important role played by parliaments in maintaining strong connections between countries. Valuable talks were also held with Indonesian foreign minister, Dr Hassan Wirajuda. The delegation also attended the 20th anniversary of the Australia-Indonesia Institute at which foreign minister Wirajuda made the key speech acknowledging the valuable work done by the institute in building the relationships between our two countries.

At a parliamentary level, the delegation had informative discussions with the three speakers of the Indonesian parliament and with members of the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia. This was a valuable opportunity to learn about the Indonesian parliamentary system and to discuss the many elements of parliamentary life shared with our Indonesian counterparts. Delegates who had previously visited Indonesia noted that the relationship had strengthened significantly in recent years—a view shared by a number of our hosts. Australia’s assistance to Indonesia in the wake of the 2004 tsunami and the losses suffered by both nations as a consequence of the 2002 Bali bombings were identified as factors that had served to deepen the friendship through shared awareness of tragedy. The very ability to raise and discuss difficult topics, such as the execution of the Bali bombers and Australia’s travel advisory in relation to Indonesia, was in itself seen as a positive aspect of the relationship.

The final leg of the delegation’s journey took us to the province of Central Kalimantan in Borneo, where we were able to take a firsthand look at some of the outstanding work being done under bilateral initiatives such as the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership and the Australia-Indonesia Basic Education Program. The delegation was impressed by the excellent flagship rehabilitation work being carried out in an area of previously cleared peatland forest in Sebangau National Park and by the labour of love being undertaken by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which is reintroducing captive and orphaned orangutans to the wild. The chance to attend the official opening of Katingan Hilir 5 Junior Secondary School in the village of Kasongan Lama was a highlight of our visit. The new public school, constructed under the Australia-Indonesia Basic Education Program, can accommodate up to 240 students. It significantly enhances the educational opportunities for less well-off children in the Katingan District, which has had a lower-than-national-average secondary school enrolment rate.

In closing, on behalf of the delegation, I wish to thank the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, and his staff; the speakers of the Parliament of Indonesia, Dr M Hidayat Nur Wahid of the MPR and his staff, Mr HR Agung Laksono of the DPR, and Dr Ginandjar Kartasasmita of the DPD. I would also like to thank Mr Doug Chester, Australian High Commissioner to Singapore, and his staff, including Dr Lucinda Bell; Mr Bill Farmer, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, and his staff, in particular Dr Stephen Barraclough, Jeffie Cane and Emma Wilson; the delegation secretary, Ms Vivienne Courto; Fiona Way from the PRO; and our AFP liaison agent, Wayne Smith. On a personal note, I would like to thank my senior adviser, Christopher Paterson, for his guidance.

I commend the report to the House.

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