SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1:
| The Committee recommends that DFAT continue to
explore sharing arrangements with other countries to increase
the reach, effectiveness and efficiency of Australia's consular
services. (Paragraph 2.31) |
Recommendation 2:
| The Committee recommends that funding for consular
activities at Austrade posts be separately identified. (Paragraph
3.21) |
Recommendation 3:
| The Committee recommends that funding be provided
to continue to expand the Honorary Consul system. (Paragraph
3.40) |
Recommendation 4:
| The Committee therefore recommends that DFAT provide
staff assistance for Honorary Consuls who have a heavy consular
workload. (Paragraph 3.43) |
Recommendation 5:
| The Committee recommends that the Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade examine options to enable locally
engaged staff in Australian posts overseas to undertake notarial
acts. (Paragraph 3.48) |
Recommendation 6:
The Committee recommends that DFAT:
- investigate the possibility of producing Travelling
Overseas? in languages other than English;
- pursue sponsorship for the production of Travelling
Overseas?; and
- consider the need for more topic specific publications,
in particular publications directed at backpackers and independent
travellers. (Paragraph 5.38)
|
Recommendation 7:
| The Committee recommends that the global limit
of traveller's emergency loans be reviewed to have regard to
the cost of living of each country in which it is issued. (Paragraph
5.79) |
Recommendation 8:
| The Committee therefore recommends that the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade institute measures to impound passports
of travellers, to prevent the person from travelling overseas,
while they owe a debt to the Commonwealth arising from a repatriation
or medical evacuation, except in special circumstances. (Paragraph
5.96) |
Recommendation 9:
| The Committee also recommends that the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade put in place arrangements whereby,
with the agreement of the recipient, the debt incurred through
a repatriation or medical evacuation can be registered against
existing Government entitlements or added to the recipient's
future tax liability. (Paragraph 5.97) |
Recommendation 10:
| The Committee recommends that DFAT establish a
free call service for callers to the Consular Branch from within
Australia. (Paragraph 5.132) |
Recommendation 11:
| The Committee recommends that the Department should
continue, with the travel industry, to highlight the need for
adequate insurance cover for travellers. (Paragraph 5.139) |
Recommendation 12:
| Accordingly, the Committee recommends that DFAT
should negotiate with State and Territory Governments and with
the Coroners to make arrangements for grieving or distressed
families in their respective States and Territories to have
access to their counselling services. DFAT should also maintain
a list of private counsellors to provide to families. (Paragraph
5.156) |
Recommendation 13:
| The Committee recommends that the Department should
institute a formal counselling program of consular officers
as soon as possible.
(Paragraph 5.159)
|
Recommendation 14:
| The Committee recommends that, where necessary,
the mission should continue the practice of obtaining legal
opinion from local lawyers if it believes that an Australian
has not been given due process, has been or may be subject to
cruel punishment in international human rights terms or has
been subject to discrimination on nationality grounds. (Paragraph
6.55) |
Recommendation 15:
| The Committee recommends that Australian posts
overseas take steps to ensure that, as far as practicable, the
lawyers included on lists provided to Australians in need of
legal advice are reputable. Where applicable, the jurisdictions
in which each lawyer can practice should be shown. (Paragraph
6.61) |
Recommendation 16:
| However, in the case of Australian victims of crime
and those facing serious charges in overseas jurisdictions,
the Committee recommends that DFAT provide them with translator
and interpreter services. (Paragraph 6.65) |
Recommendation 17:
| The Committee recommends that in the case of the
victims of crimes special consideration should be given to ensure
that they have access to adequate legal representation, if required,
in a foreign jurisdiction, that travelling and in country expenses
be provided if these are not met by the foreign government and
that funding for these services be provided under the Special
Circumstances (Overseas) Scheme. (Paragraph 6.81) |
Recommendation 18:
| The Committee recommends that the Attorney-General
seek the co-operation of the States and Territories to implement
the arrangements necessary for the introduction of the international
prisoner transfer scheme. (Paragraph 6.123) |
Recommendation 19:
| The Committee recommends that the Attorney-General's
Department ensure that appropriate consular officers are advised
when an Australian national is to be extradited to a foreign
jurisdiction and that the person being extradited be informed
of the assistance that may be provided by Australian consular
officials to persons in gaol overseas. (Paragraph 6.134) |
Recommendation 20:
| The Committee recommends that, given Khmer Rouge
General Paet's central role in the whole David Wilson hostage
crisis including the death of the hostages, the Australian Government
should take the strongest possible action at an international
level should he be captured or defect and not be brought to
trial for the death of the hostages. (Paragraph 7.132) |
Recommendation 21:
| The Committee therefore recommends that the provision
of information to families, in such distressing circumstances,
be a high priority for DFAT and any mission abroad. (Paragraph
7.141) |
Recommendation 22:
| The Committee recommends that, in any future hostage
crisis or similar event, DFAT provide guidance to the media
rather than ignore the media. The Department should also explain
its media strategy to a hostage's family. (Paragraph 7.177)
|
Recommendation 23:
| The Committee recommends also that Australia continue
to urge regional countries to accede to The Hague Convention.
(Paragraph 9.54.) |
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