Senator PATTERSON (12:57 PM) —I would like to thank all honourable senators for their contributions to the debate on the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Bill 1998 . This bill will put in place the necessary domestic legislation for Australia's ratification of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Land Mines and on their Destruction, known as the Ottawa Convention.

The Foreign Minister, Mr Downer, took particular pride in signing the Ottawa Convention on 3 December 1997, the day it was open for signature. I know that for a fact because I saw him very soon after he signed it when he visited Ottawa and then came on to New York to meet with Penny Wensley, the Australian Ambassador to the UN in New York.

I was equally pleased to deliver a statement on the floor of the General Assembly of the United Nations shortly thereafter. Just after Minister Downer signed the convention I was able to give a statement in which I outlined Australia's commitment to a lasting, effective and comprehensive solution to the global landmines problem, including through enhanced international efforts in the fields of de-mining and victim assistance. I was able to highlight some of the things that have been said around the chamber here today about Australia's role in that, about some of the technology that has been developed in Australia for de-mining, about the role the armed forces and the Federal Police have played and also about the pride we have in what Australia has been able to achieve in de-mining. I also mentioned around the traps some of the partnerships that were going on between community organisations in supporting people adopting fields and de-mining them.

So we have a good record. We have a commitment. I also take great pride in having taught some students in prosthetics and orthotics who have contributed to some of the developments in the technology, simplifying the development of prostheses for people who have been affected by landmines. So across the board we have set an example in signing the convention. With this bill we are ahead of the pack compared with some countries. We have a record in contributing to de-mining through technology, through personnel and through assisting people who have been injured. We all have the right to be proud of that but we should never sit back and rest on our laurels. It ought to be noted that this bill has been passed with very strong support on all sides of the chamber. That is not always the case with bills. I have much pleasure in acknowledging that. The passage of today's bill helps bring closer the goal of a solution to the global landmine problem.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill read a second time and passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.