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The 'Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade' ('DFAT') is a department of the Commonwealth Government charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally. It manages the Government's foreign relations and trade policies, and is responsible to the ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The department is headquartered in the Canberra suburb of Barton, near Parliament House.

Contents

History

Objectives

Structure

See also

References

External links

History

The department finds its origins in two of the seven original Commonwealth Departments established following Federation: the Department of Trade and Customs and the Department of External Affairs, headed by Harry Wollaston and Atlee Hunt respectively.^[1]
Until the Second World War, Australia's status as a dominion of the British Empire then realm in the British Commonwealth meant its foreign relations were mostly defined by the United Kingdom. During this time, Australia's overseas activities were predominately related to trade and commercial interests, while its external affairs were concerned mostly with immigration, exploration and publicity. Between 1916 and 1921, the External Affairs Department was dissolved and its responsibilities were undertaken by the Prime Minister's Department.
The political and economic changes wrought by the Great Depression and Second World War, and the adoption of the Statute of Westminster, necessitated the establishment and expansion of Australian representation overseas, independent of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Australia began to establish its first overseas missions (outside of London) in 1940, beginning with Washington, D.C., and now has a network of over 80 diplomatic (and 22 trade) posts.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (renamed from 'external affairs' in 1970) and the Department of Trade were amalgamated by the Hawke Labor Government to from DFAT on 24 July 1987.
In 2005, DFAT became embroiled in the Oil-for-Food Programme scandal after it was revealed it had approved the Australian Wheat Board's (AWB) request allowing it to pay 'trucking charges' to Alia, a Jordanian trucking company with no actual involvement in the trucking of Australian wheat within Iraq. The Cole Inquiry into the AWB was established, however its terms of reference excluded any investigation of the role of DFAT.

Objectives

The department has six key goals, as stated on its website:^[2]

★ enhance Australia's security

★ contribute to growth in Australia's economy, employment and standard of living

★ assist Australian travellers and Australians overseas

★ strengthen global cooperation in ways that advance Australia's interests

★ foster public understanding of Australia's foreign and trade policy and project a positive image of Australia internationally

★ manage efficiently the Commonwealth's overseas owned estate.

Structure

The RG Casey Building in Canberra, DFAT's headquarters.

The department is responsible to the two cabinet ministers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade. The current ministers are Alexander Downer and Warren Truss, respectively. The Foreign Minister is also assisted by a parliamentary secretary, currently Greg Hunt.
DFAT is administered by a senior executive, comprising a secretary and five deputy secretaries. The current secretary is Michael L'Estrange. It has a staff of around 3,300 employees, of which 1,300 are foreign staff employed by missions directly, and 1,500 are Australian employees based in Australia, and some 500 are diplomats serving overseas.
The department maintains offices in each state and mainland territory to provide consular and passport services, and to perform an important liaison service for business throughout Australia. In addition, it has a Torres Strait Treaty Liaison Office on Thursday Island. Additionally, the department manages a network of over 90 overseas posts, including Australian embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and consulates.
DFAT also manages several agencies within its portfolio, including:

★ the Australian Passport Office;

★ AusAID;

★ Austrade;

★ the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation;

★ the Australian Secret Intelligence Service;

★ the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office;

★ and, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

See also

★ List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities

References

1. History of the Department
2. What We Do

External links

★ Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Website