As sent to me this morning from out Media folks


Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Mr HARDGRAVE (2.41 pm)-My question is to the Prime Minister.
Would the Prime Minister advise the House how last week's successful
APEC leaders summit in Sydney has advanced Australia's national
interest?

Mr HOWARD-The APEC meeting in Sydney last week was a great
success. It was a good meeting for Australia. It was a meeting that put
the best aspects of our nation on display: our openness, our
friendliness and our modernity. Any of those associated with it-and many
people on both sides of the House were associated with the gathering and
the attendant bilateral visits-would know what a great success it was.

By far the most important statement to come out of the APEC meeting was
the Sydney declaration, which, for the first time, joined China and the
United States-the two major emitters of greenhouse gases-in a commitment
to work towards an aspirational goal to contain the growth of greenhouse
gas emissions. It also contained a quite specific commitment to a 25 per
cent decrease in energy intensity within the APEC area by 2030 and a
20-million-hectare increase in forest cover by 2020. The APEC meeting
also called on those nations who can make the biggest difference to work
towards a successful outcome to the Doha Round and stressed the
importance of reaching agreement on that multilateral trade approach.
There were also some key decisions made regarding the institutional
arrangements within APEC, including a policy support unit and increased
budgetary contributions.

There were a number of very important bilateral visits: from the
President of the United States, the President of the Russian
Federation-the first ever Russian head of state to visit Australia-the
President of China and of course today a bilateral visit to Canberra
from the Prime Minister of Canada. Overall, it was by far the most
important international gathering held in this country. It was a great
success, a reminder that the future of this country lies very much in
the Asia-Pacific region and a thumping endorsement of the capacity of
this country to deal productively, simultaneously and in a very positive
fashion with the great trading and defence powers of the world-the
United States and China-and also with our other neighbours in the
region. Indeed, it was a meeting that did Australia proud and a meeting
that did Sydney proud.

I take this opportunity to thank all members of the APEC Taskforce, led
by Mr Alan Henderson of my department, for their work. I thank the New
South Wales government for its cooperation, and I congratulate the New
South Wales Police on their handling of the security
arrangements.

[HANSARD is the official reporting of all things said in the Parliament,
during session.]

I didn't take the time to read through the rest of the session, though
to be thanked in Parliament (even vicariously) is kinda nice. Of
course, there's no report on what was said at the "'all'-staff thank-you
morning tea" which I have mentioned about earlier (having the people at
the coal-face not able to attend due to being on 'Time-In-Lieu' or
bumping out the venue at the time it was planned for) apart from razorgirl_au getting a DangerMouse-esque autograph by the PM on
National TV. For the PM to ask what "Cripes, Chief!" means (on a
photo of GWB and himself) means he had an inkling, and then to follow up
and say "This will probably come back to bite me..." (or words to
that effect) probably means that his spider-sense was tingling. However,
it would be interesting to hear just what was said at the 'all' staff
gathering - and IF anything was said about those who could not make it
because they were busy doing the work whilst others were schmoozing with
the 'important people'.

Bitter much? Yes, I guess so, but only towards the 'important' people.
Kinda like having a call at 9:45pm last night to go out to an
end-of-project 'party' being thrown by one of the major sponsors. It had
been going on for about 3 hours or so (with an open bar) - and it was
only due to the professionalism/kindness of my boss that I (read: we-the
workers) even knew about it. A further example of: 'those who did the
work not being recognised and/or respected by others'. (I must admit
that I could have gone to the drink-fest at The Cargo Bar on Sunday
night, too, but after getting home I was just not going to leave the
house again; and I could have gotten to the 'All'-Staff thank you, but I
was tired, asleep, and frankly more than peeved at the attitude toward
those who were still working; and I also could have gone out last night
at 10pm to the sponsor's gig, but again it was 10pm and being
told then -on a 'school-night'- and not told beforehand seemed again to
be very much in the same vein. Still, my boss's boss is a nice guy and
for him to call me personally was really quite nice.

Then there's today where we (IT) all received 'Purple Hearts' from out
General Manager for surviving this 'campaign' (he's ex-military, and a
very nice (and frighteningly smart) fellow). He did say that mine was
especially due to surviving my tenure at the Taskforce (see earlier
entry regarding the 4 month security investigation, regarding my
suitability of remaining with the Taskforce [which was brought about due
to overzealousness of 2 people in the Security area, and them being
uncomfortable with the way I am quite happily 'out' at work]). Suffice
to say that my General Manager (and the IT Manager I must add) was the
ones who simply told the 'investigators' to go fornicate themselves and
supported me (here in the office) whilst the crap was being flung. For
the record, there was no real basis for the investigation, they were
'trying to find something on someone who didn't fit their model
of behaviour' - a witch-hunt. However, I survived, and so having the GM
say that was kinda touching too :)

Oh well, back to the grind of bumping out.