Mr TEHAN (Wannon) (09:38): I thank the assistant minister for his statement and the release of the consular state of play. I say to the assistant minister: thank you in particular for giving a shout-out to Andrew Barnes, who has been doing outstanding work in Lebanon. If you could just say to Barnesy from me that I wish him all the best, and keep doing fantastic work. He epitomises everything that is wonderful about the work that our consular officials do. I also acknowledge all the wonderful work that they do, often in very unexpected circumstances. Sadly, we've seen an example of that over the last 48 hours, with those two teenagers who recently travelled to South-East Asia and now find themselves seriously ill, fighting for their lives in a hospital in Thailand. It just goes to show that it is critically important that we have consular officials who can provide the assistance that's needed when these unexpected things happen. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those two girls at the moment, and I know I speak for the whole parliament. It reiterates for all of us the important role that DFAT and our consular officials play, because Australians do love to travel, they love to venture overseas and they love to venture overseas to literally every single country across the globe. There's nowhere that Australians don't like to go—sometimes for travel, sometimes for work and sometimes to live. That's why it's so important that we have a network of consular officials right across the globe that are there to help Australians in their time of need, and that help can vary in many ways. The year has flown by, because it seems like it was only yesterday that we were discussing this very issue. I think I might have detailed that, in a former life, I was a DFAT official and spent three years at our embassy in Mexico City, and I did some consular work in Cuba and Central America. It hit home to me then how important the role is. We've seen, through what we've been able to do over the last 12 months, how that work continues to be so important. Thank you, Assistant Minister, for your statement and for releasing the Consular State of Play. The information provides an important snapshot of the work the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides right around the globe to assist Australians overseas. There is no end to the unexpected and quite difficult situations that people, including Australians, can find themselves in when they are travelling far from home, far away from loved ones and friends—the very people that would be rallying to help them when things go wrong. That's where our consular officials can step in. So, for many in these circumstances, the consular officials at Australia's embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world play a very important role at very critical and often very emotionally charged and distressing times. Of course, for the Australian officials providing the help that people are looking for overseas, it can sometimes be a challenge. But they never shirk the issue, and they're always prepared to step up and provide that help, even if there is a challenge in doing so. When trouble strikes, people can learn very quickly that systems and processes, particularly health systems, immigration systems and, all too frequently, judicial systems, are not always to the standard that we have come to enjoy and expect in Australia. We often realise at those times that we do live in the best country in the world. Sadly, when you get in trouble overseas, there is that stark reality that things do not work as well as they do in Australia, especially when it comes to health systems and judicial systems. They are nothing like what we have here. So, for our officials working to resolve sometimes complex matters around visas and immigration, it can be challenging, but, every day, our people around the world rise to that challenge. It is important that this House today, in a bipartisan fashion, like we did last year, acknowledge and thank those officials for their dedicated work. We know that very often these times of crisis do not occur during regular office hours, and there are many situations where our officials are working extremely long hours, without sleep, in order to care for Australians in distress overseas. We see that with the call centres which are set up to provide 24-hour advice here in Australia or with the work that is done overseas. In recent months we have seen, sadly, many Australians assisted to leave danger zones—war zones—in the Middle East and it is important that we thank those officials who have worked tirelessly to get Australians out of danger and to safety as quickly as possible. That work has been in this financial year, so it is not reflected in the data of the document just presented by the assistant minister, but I think it's important that we note that effort here today, just as last year we acknowledged the work to assist Australians in Israel after the October 7 attacks against Israel by Hamas. I would also like to use this opportunity, as the minister has done, to remind Australians to plan their travel well so as to avoid risk and danger. Risk and danger can happen no matter how well you plan your trips, but if you don't plan your trips, often that risk and danger can hit you in very unexpected ways. No trip anywhere should begin without checking the Smartraveller website for the latest advice and information about destinations you are visiting. Especially for those who are young, the idea of checking Smartraveller might not seem necessary because you think you're bulletproof and nothing can happen to you, but as we've seen on so many occasions—sad occasions—that often isn't the case. That's why everyone should remember to check Smartraveller. It provides very good information not only about visa and immigration processes but also about the personal and wider security environment. An absolute must for everyone before heading overseas is also to make sure that you've got travel insurance. Travel insurance shouldn't be seen as a luxury; it should be seen as something that's vital to you, because if the unexpected does happen, it can save you a lot of pain financially. Making sure that that is something that is absolutely part of your plans is essential. Each and every year in this report we see stories of Australians injured, sometimes critically and, sadly, sometimes fatally, as a result of vehicle accidents, often involving motorbikes, who only discover that without travel insurance they are left facing bills in the tens of thousands, often hundreds of thousands, of dollars. While our officials will go above and beyond to help, they cannot meet these sorts of expenses. That is why travel insurance is so important. If it means postponing your trip for a week or two just to make sure you've got enough money to afford travel insurance, just do that extra couple of weeks of work. In the end, it can be so important. As the assistant minister said, it's also important to get the right insurance because, according to the countries or regions you are visiting and the activities you are planning to undertake, insurance can vary, and the assistant minister was absolutely right in saying that it's important to check the details around your insurance. We talked about Smartraveller. Register with Smartraveller so you can also be alerted to risks. If a security situation or a natural disaster occurs where or near where you are, you can be alerted and contacted. It's not just a matter of checking Smartraveller; also make sure that you register. Australians should be aware of and show respect for the cultures, traditions and laws of the country or countries they are visiting. Make sure you do that little bit of research to understand the nature of the country or countries that you are visiting and any cultural sensitivities. That can make a big difference as well. We've all seen the stories of Australians behaving badly and, too often, encountering law enforcement agencies as a result of their behaviour. Whilst officials will, of course, provide as much assistance as they can, Australians, like the nationals of any other country, are subject to the laws of the land they are visiting, so stop and think about your behaviour, because just one silly thing can get you in a lot of trouble. As I mentioned earlier, judicial systems in other countries are often not the same as they are here. What seems like something that might be thought of as an innocent prank can turn into something pretty serious if you're not careful. Of course, sometimes, despite the best preparation, planning and precaution, things can go wrong. When they do, robberies leading to the loss of vital travel documents, illness and accident can occur. It is to the credit of the thousands of individuals working in our posts and around the world that Australians have somewhere to go for assistance, and we acknowledge and thank them for their work. I'll just finish on this note, in the same spirit that the assistant minister gave his speech: a huge thank you to all our consular staff and to all the DFAT officials who provide consular support. Sometimes it can be DFAT officials who work in other areas who are called in at an hour's or two hours' notice to respond to major consular events. Everyone puts their best foot forward to try and help and assist those Australians in need. A very big thank you to all of them.