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Is Australia seeking to escape its obligations to travelling taxpayers?

Don't Bother Us We're Too Busy, Aussie Travellers Told by Foreign Ministry

Wednesday, December 3, 2014
PHUKET: Foreign Minister Julie Bishop launched a new strategy for Australia's consular officials today, warning Australian travellers and expat residents to stop expecting the government to bail them out if they get into trouble.

The expectations of globe-tripping Aussie taxpayers are being lowered as the government began a spin session designed to ease the load on the staff at its embassies around the world.

It's certainly true that Aussies in trouble on Phuket with jet-ski scammers, property crooks and motorcycle crashes immediately think that their government, for which their taxes provide revenue, might step in to assist.

They would be seriously mistaken.

On the holiday island, popular with Australian tourists, resident honorary consul Larry Cunningham helped out where he could for years until his retirement in September, 2013.

His replacement remains unconfirmed. Australian tourists in trouble over the past 15 months have been obliged to turn to Region 8 police volunteer Wal Brown in Patong or even, on occasions, to make a telephone call to Phuketwan.

Fly-in consular help does appear occasionally in extreme cases, but for the Australian Government to not have anyone on Phuket available to help Australian tourists for 15 months makes a mockery of the spin from Canberra today.

Overseas envoys are being overworked by idle complaints from Australians who don't understand the system? Not on Phuket.

The need is real here and not being met.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the department's acting secretary, Justin Smith, said there were ''escalating expectations'' from the travelling public over what they thought the government could or would do.

''Sometimes there's a basic ignorance about what consular is and isn't,'' he said.

''Often we're guilty of it as well, we talk about consular assistance and just assume people know what that means but they don't.''

The Bangkok embassy - recently the subject of a myth-building reality television series in Australia - deals with the most requests for assistance, followed by Bali, Manila, Los Angeles and Dubai.

Bali has a fully staffed consulate-general in operation. Phuket, the second most popular island destination for Australians in Southeast Asia, only has police volunteer Wal Brown.

On Phuket, Australians continue to be left to their own means most of the time. The spin coming out of Canberra isn't true - and if it's not true on Phuket, then there are probably other locations in the world where travellers are on their own.

To justify the claim that consuls are overworked, the department listed 20 cases of extreme requests, following the theory that if you can make them laugh, they might believe you.

Twenty weird requests of DFAT:

.. A traveller who was destitute in Europe refused to return to Australia without their pet bird, which could not be returned for quarantine reasons

.. A mother who wanted the embassy in Bangkok to book accommodation and a return ticket to Australia for her son, then provide an embassy driver to take him to the airport

.. A request from an Australian traveller for DFAT to feed her dogs while she was away

.. ''I'm attending a conference overseas with a large group of Australians but I have heard it is a dangerous city. Can the High Commission arrange for a risk assessment and some armored cars. We only need them for a week.''

.. Multiple enquiries to embassies overseas as to the closest pub televising State of Origin games

.. An Australian who had his laptop stolen overseas requested that embassy staff pick him up from the airport, loan him a laptop and provide him with office space for a few days

.. A traveller who asked whether the sand in Egypt would affect her asthma

.. Panicked callers regularly reporting Australian travellers missing overseas, after not hearing from them within the first few hours of arriving in country. Consular officers usually explain that getting through customs and immigration can take time

.. ''Why won't the Australian embassy come and pack my bags for me? I'm an 80 year old architect travelling by myself and too old to pack my own bags''

.. ''I left some items on an aircraft when I changed flights. Can the embassy collect it from the airline lost property?''

.. ''Can the embassy obtain prescription medicine from Australia and send it to me so I can continue my holiday?''

.. Requests for embassies to store luggage, hold mail, provide banking facilities or arrange tours for Australian travellers

.. ''What is the best way to get a pole cat our of your roof?''

.. ''I'm going on a cruise. What will the food be like? Can you drink the water on the ship?''

.. Some travellers evacuated from civil unrest in Egypt on government funded flights questioned why they were not entitled to frequent flyer points. Similarly, some travellers evacuated from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami made seat requests, including for first class

.. A caller to DFAT's Consular Emergency Centre wanted to know the average salary for an expat to expect in Thailand

.. ''Does the embassy know if there are any hotels in Phnom Penh with vacant rooms?''

.. ''Can the embassy tell the local police that I have an excellent driving record in Australia and should not have to pay those outstanding speeding fines?''

.. ''What is the best hotel in Phuket?''

.. ''On my last trip to the Philippines I had some trouble with the law. What is the number of the embassy in Manila so I can call them to get me out of jail when I go back?''

Declaration of Interest: In July next year, Phuketwan journalists Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian face a continuing trial over criminal defamation and Computer Crimes Act charges brought by the Royal Thai Navy, citing a 41-word paragraph from a Pulitzer prize-winning Reuters special report on the Rohingya boatpeople. Reuters and other news organisations in Thailand that published the same paragraph have not been charged.

Morison, an Australian, has asked the Australian government to apply for return of his seized passport, so he can return home to visit his 91-year-old father. Earlier this year, the British government asked for and achieved the return of the passport of Briton Andy Hall, who is facing similar charges. The Australian government declines to follow the British precedent.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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Aussies do not have to worry because French are getting a much more colder welcome for any help when contacting French consulates around the world.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on December 3, 2014 10:48

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I wonder how they will keep busy when the new monster 100 million dollar embassy is completed in Wireless Rd, the old Sathorn Rd embassy always seems half empty? Maybe they will staff up when that is done.

Posted by coxo on December 3, 2014 11:12

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Actually these are valid requests besides a few obvious jokes. What would be the total costs per year?

Posted by Drsheswag on December 3, 2014 11:20

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what happened to the Aussie mate ship.... mates must help each other

Posted by wm on December 3, 2014 12:01

Editor Comment:

That mate ship has been turned back like all the other boats, wm.

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some of the aussie questions are similar to the inane questions on tripadvisor thai forums

Posted by ayjay on December 3, 2014 13:22

Editor Comment:

Most envoys expect those kinds of questions. The people who ask them aren't the types who read about what they should and shouldn't be asking. To a certain extent, telling people what they should know about consuls is not the solution. A percentage of their time will always be consumed by people who don't know any better.

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I'm not mates with Arab and Sub Continent invaders looking to jump onto Australias welfare system. Why should Australia let frauds in and then house, hospitalise and feed them? Not to mention provide for them and their families for the rest of their lives when we have our own people in serious need. As far as not having representation on Phuket goes, there's something seriously wrong when we have that many people there and the government would rather penny pinch than give support.....They're as weak as p##s.

Posted by It's too late on December 3, 2014 13:22

Editor Comment:

Could that be self-interest shining through there, It's Too Late? Perhaps Australia was created in such an isolated position from the rest of the world for a good reason: all the heartless people could live there, and not have to worry about the others.

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This article and even some responses show how little many people really know what Embassies are there for.

Their main mission is to take care of diplomatic relationships with the host nation, NOT to look after their citizens like a 3rd parent.

Surely Australian tourists, just like those of any other nation, get into trouble on Phuket quite often but that is not the responsibility of the Embassy. It's the responsibility of the individual.

The funniest thing about all this is that one can hear so many Aussies whine about their "Nanny State" and how much they love to escape it but apparently quite a few suddenly expect the Embassy to turn to their personal nanny when abroad.

Grow up.

Posted by Herbert on December 3, 2014 13:38

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All these queries are easy to solve, 'click'!

Posted by Manowar on December 3, 2014 14:01

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"Perhaps Australia was created in such an isolated position from the rest of the world for a good reason: all the heartless people could live there, and not have to worry about the others."

Ha ha, thank you for the Laugh Of The Day Ed!
You have a good sense of humor sometimes! :)

Posted by PhuketFriendly on December 3, 2014 15:55

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sounds about right for Liberal party policy in Australia expect nothing if its not election time.

Posted by slickmelb on December 3, 2014 15:59

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The issue is that the tourists do not bother to do any research before they leave Australia, and then wonder why life is not the same as in Australia. If they bothered to do a little reading, they wouldn't fall prey to things like the jet ski scams. It is also about taking a bit of responsibility for your own actions and not depending on someone else to solve your problems.

Posted by Rowdy on December 3, 2014 22:36

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Iv missed a important story somewhere Ed what happened with Michelle Hawryluk designated appointee to the Australian Honoree consulate on Phuket expected to replace Larry Cunningham.

Posted by slickmlb on December 3, 2014 23:25

Editor Comment:

Unfortunately she's still awaiting approval of her credentials by the government.

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The following is a letter sent by Alexander Downer, former foreign minister in the Howard Government, to the Adelaide Advertiser. It may help people understand the Foreign Affairs Departments reasoning in these matters:

"I DON'T know about you, but it's always nice to get emails. Once upon a time you'd look with pleasure at a handful of letters which dropped through the letter box. Now all you get are those threatening looking envelopes with windows. Or if you're Tom Koutsantonis, those nasty missives which tell you about passing unknowingly through a speed camera.
But this is a generalisation. At the height of the Schapelle Corby affair I received 5000 emails in one day from fellow Australians pleading with me to save "our Schapelle" from the horrors of the Indonesian legal system. Or, to be a bit more honest, the few I looked at said that.
I'm sure my successor as foreign minister, Stephen Smith, had his in box bursting last week as people demanded he save the beer mat mum, Annice Smoel, from the ravages of the Thai police.
I felt for him especially when the media started demanding he "do something" to save her.
After about 10 minutes as foreign minister I was a little surprised to learn I was "responsible" for miscreant Australians who got into trouble in foreign countries.
No, no, no, don't get it wrong - drug traffickers, drunks, kleptomaniacs and fraudsters weren't responsible for their own stupidity - I was.
It's about time that great nanny in Canberra, the Federal Government, turned around and told people they are responsible for their own decisions.
I was in Lebanon the other day and went down to the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre. They're fascinating places - old Crusader castles, bustling souks, colourful little food stalls with generous owners offering you a taste of their wares.
But I couldn't help remembering the awful events in those same places three years ago when Israel went to war with Hezbollah.
There were said to be 20,000 Australians in Lebanon at that time and a hefty percentage of them were demanding the Australian Government save them and fast.
Lebanese support groups hit the airwaves screaming that the Government was too slow getting those Australians who wanted to be evacuated to safety. But hang on, Australia's about 15,000km from Lebanon and we don't dock ships in the eastern Mediterranean ready to ferry Australians to safety.
And there was something else. We'd issued a travel advisory months earlier warning Australians of the dangers of southern Lebanon and the risks of going there.
It didn't matter - apparently we had to get them out.
We were lucky. The Australian ambassador, a petite, charming professional called Lyndall Sachs, worked day and night chartering ferries and providing comfort to the evacuees, who hadn't cared about the travel advisories, and whisked them to safety.
It was one of the great achievements of an Australian diplomat. Almost single handedly, she managed to get around 5000 Australians to Cyprus and Turkey.
We then chartered planes to take them back to Australia. I hope they built shrines to her. Some did, at least metaphorically.
But some just whinged. They felt seasick on the ferry and that was our fault. Could they get frequent flyer points for the free flight back to Australia? And all this cost around $30 million dollars - your dollars.
I'll tell you this - I didn't get 5000 emails of thanks but I got plenty of abuse because we weren't fast enough, the ferries didn't go from their port of choice and we were slow because we were racist, and so on. I mean, we'd warned them and told them not to go to the south of Lebanon. They went all the same. And when the proverbial hit the fan it was, you guessed it, "our fault".
Then there was Hurricane Katrina, which flooded much of New Orleans. A mother of an Australian who arrived in New Orleans the day the hurricane hit came to see me in Stirling and demanded I get her son out. Americans couldn't get out but I had to get her son out. I asked if he'd heard the warnings from the U.S. Government that week to avoid New Orleans.
She started shouting. He doesn't follow the news, he doesn't watch TV or read the newspapers. I see, I said. It was my fault he was in New Orleans, was it? What were we to do? Fly helicopters from Australia to America and pick up Australians and leave the Americans behind?
I didn't have the guts to say this as foreign minister but don't you think you should take responsibility for yourself when you go overseas?
If you're too dumb or idle to read the travel advisories and too mean to take out travel insurance when you go overseas then you ought to take responsibility for your own behaviour.
Sure, if there's a catastrophe like the Bali bombings or you're trapped in a corruption scam the government should try to help. But not if you're too lazy and silly to help yourself.
Remember two things when you travel. First, there are no special laws for Australians overseas. Foreigners make the laws over there, not us. And secondly, foreigners do things differently and they're entitled to.
If you go to a Muslim country and get wildly drunk and women start dressing down (if you know what I mean) it can be bloody offensive to the locals. You'll soon be in trouble.
And learn to take responsibility for your own behaviour. Stealing is wrong, even stealing beer mats. I know, I know, the beer mat mum had a few drinks but, no, she wasn't drunk and she was charmingly polite to the local police.
But she was in a foreign country with a different culture and all of us ought to respect that."
Alexander Downer was Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister from 1996 to 2007

Posted by Arthur on December 4, 2014 01:43

Editor Comment:

Thanks, Arthur. It's an interesting debate. But people do pay taxes and they naturally feel entitled to some level of support. Downer seems to think the individual has total responsibility. But the passports are all owned by the Australian Government. The only thing that might actually work is some kind of education process as the passports are issued. But no, that would be too time-consuming for all those overworked officials.

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I can think of nothing worse than having to deal with dumb self righteous Australians . I've always thought the average intelligence of Aussies is around 50 you've confirmed it is even lower . Why should the Embassy have to mother these idiots unless it is a serious request .

Posted by Pwin on December 4, 2014 02:52

Editor Comment:

Er, they're citizens. It seems to me that once a country's bureaucrats start talking down to its citizens, you've got a problem. The answer, in every possible way, is education. But if a government doesn't feel it has the responsibility to educate its citizens . . . I also think you will find, Pwin, that when it comes to idiotic requests, the pompous asses are even worse than the self righteous dumb.

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actually what she said was..." we're not here to pay for jet-ski damage".....Quite obvious this is double speak, or diplomatic language and plain as day who this was directed at isn't it?

Posted by surf starved katoey on December 4, 2014 05:18

Editor Comment:

Perhaps the next quote will be more honest: ''We're not here to govern for everyone, just the wealthy, intelligent people who voted for us.''

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"the pompous asses are even worse than the self righteous dumb."

Ed - In a hole and stop digging seems appropriate given your situation.

Posted by phonus balonus on December 4, 2014 05:55

Editor Comment:

Journalists are obliged to ignore self-interest and tell the truth, PB. Anonymous commenters? Quite the opposite.

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sbs.com.au Australia will pare back consular services to travellers who repeatedly get into trouble overseas and may eventually also introduce a cost-recovery fee: ''Our consular staff are not there to pay for the repairs to your jet ski.''

Posted by surf starved katoey on December 4, 2014 06:10

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...if that would be just COST of repair of jet-ski, there would be no issues about that.
If that is not cost of repair but all-your-money-we-can-siphone-out-you-and-companion-and-relatives then obviously the problem is not repair of the machine itself. I'm sure they there in MFA understand well the matter, but exude non-senses like "cost of repair".

Posted by Sue on December 4, 2014 06:51

Editor Comment:

Perhaps the Australian government might help to prevent jet-ski disputes by more effectively asserting its opinion about scams . . . one of these days. Goodness, the problem might disappear. How dare these people ask for help?

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Pwin,
You must have a low opinion of the average persons intelligence if you consider they are equal or even exceed the level which you have so clearly inherited or acquired.

Posted by Manowar on December 4, 2014 07:44

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20K "Australians" in Libanon. Quite a mark. Most likely with double passports? As it is clear this cannot be tourists but refugees "visiting" home.

A problem every asylum giving country in Europe has also. Having to rescue former refugees from their native country when the proverbial hits the fan. I would have no problem in asking for a refund for their service.

Travel insurance and health coverage is not a joke, it is a good investment and people doing it end up a lot less in embassy care units. So why not charge them also for being "clever" or freeloaders.

This policy change should be advertised nicely and loud and one would see a lot less problems cloaking the embassies.

Then they could start taking care of important cases, like the hunt on Phuketwan's editor and his colleague.

The delay for the canadian aussie-consular in waiting could be a sign of the embassy doing stuff already for you of the radar.

From what the former foreign minister is talking the Phuketwan case is one of those, they seem love to have time to take proper care, right?

Posted by Lena on December 4, 2014 16:55

Editor Comment:

I think the words ''military,'' ''precedent'' and ''principle'' are not well-received in Canberra. If we told lies and apologised for something we haven't done, they'd be pleased.

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Former and current Aussie politicians have threatened to mount a High Court challenge if there is any attempt to make changes to their generous "Gold Pass" free travel for life benefits.

Recent leaked documents showed many former politicians, some who were booted out in the 80's, have been enjoying free business class travel. Most it seems having been flying north for the winter to their holiday homes in Queensland.

Yet if a poor old age pensioner complains about soaring rents and power costs they are told to toughen up and stop belly-aching. Talk about double standards!

Posted by Arun Muruga on December 4, 2014 20:18

Editor Comment:

I find it unsettling to have politicians encouraging voters to laugh at the actions of other voters. The dumbest voter in the country has the same power as the most intelligent. Politicians who seek to belittle people clearly haven't worked that out yet. You don't have to be super intelligent to work out when politicians are up themselves.

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Many politicians have never had a real job. They have sucked on the taxpayer tit their whole lives. Many entered politics after leaving University. Downer went to Geelong Grammar and was a diplomat before spending the majority of his life as a politician. Abbott was similar with his only detour being when he trained to be a priest. He wasn't even born in Australia but most people don't know that.

They spend their whole lives being paid by the taxpayer. The taxpayer pays for their house, car, phones, travel, office and staff. Yet they try to tell us they understand how the average working class guy lives or how a small business should run.

Posted by Arun Muruga on December 4, 2014 21:04

Editor Comment:

Tony Abbott was an expat? Paul Keating would say: ''The priesthood and time overseas . . . that explains everything.''


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