Ross Lightfoot (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question, the last question I will ask in this chamber, with some sadness, is addressed to Senator Faulkner, the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Given that the nations of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and many others all recognise Kurdistan as a separate entity within Iraq and have official representation in Australia, can the minister clarify for the Senate why, after my representations and those of the representative of the Kurdistan regional government, the government has not altered its negative travel advice for the Kurdistan region?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank Senator Lightfoot for asking me this, his last question; but I would have preferred to have been thanking him for not having asked this particular question of me! I am not aware of the actions that my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs has taken on this issue, but I certainly undertake to Senator Lightfoot that I will provide that information to the Senate when Mr Smith makes it available to me. I do have to say to Senator Lightfoot that at the moment the Minister for Foreign Affairs is travelling overseas on ministerial duties, but I will undertake to come back to the Senate on this as quickly as I can.

Ross Lightfoot (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Special Minister of State for undertaking to take that question on notice. I ask that the Special Minister of State also take my supplementary question on notice if that is the case. One of the department’s reasons for this dire travel warning is that there is inter alia a severe threat of avian influenza. Why is this considered a grave threat for travellers when the last recorded fatality was in 2006, a point stressed by the British Commonwealth office?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am certainly happy to also ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to respond to that supplementary question in relation to avian influenza.