Senator EGGLESTON (2:51 PM) —My question is to the Minister for Justice and Customs. Crime is increasingly an international issue. Will the minister inform the Senate of the significance of the appointment of Federal Agent Andy Hughes to the executive committee of Interpol? Also, what measures has the government implemented in the South Pacific region to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation and security?

Senator VANSTONE (Minister for Justice and Customs) —I thank the senator for his question. Senators on this side take a close interest in law enforcement and, in particular, the excellent job done by the Australian Federal Police. It might have been news to some senators to discover in the context of the question that Federal Agent Andy Hughes was in fact elected to the 13-member Executive Committee at the Interpol General Assembly last week. Andy Hughes is the director of the AFP's international operations section.

Interpol is of course the world's premier international law enforcement organisation. It plays a vital role in tracing wanted criminals and provides assistance to national law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions in 178 member countries. The interesting point about this appointment is that Mr Hughes takes over from Commissioner Palmer, who has just completed his three-year term. The point is that back-to-back terms on the executive of Interpol for Australia represents an unprecedented show of support for the role Australia and the Australian Federal Police have played and are playing in the international arena in the fight against transnational crime. The Australian Federal Police have achieved this reputation among their peers and have been recognised by the nations of Interpol in the election of an Australian, as I said, for the second term in a row to the executive committee. It is a reputation well deserved, in the government's view.

Only last week, as I indicated, the Australian Federal Police led a team of 30 international police and seized some 357 kilos of heroin after a sustained and very difficult and dangerous operation in Fiji in which, I am advised, one of the Canadian policewomen who was there was in fact assaulted late at night. She was quite dangerously put at risk with someone wielding a machete. This is very dangerous work that our people—men and women—of the police force engage in. The drugs were seized before they could enter Australia.

The government's Tough on Drugs policy has enabled the Federal Police not only to intercept large quantities of drugs arriving in Australia but to take that fight offshore. International cooperation and information we have provided to other agencies has involved the Federal Police in operations that have led to overseas police services—not just what we have done here and what we have done in Fiji—disrupting criminal syndicates in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the United States as well as other areas within the Pacific. It is a very significant contribution being made by the Federal Police and their liaison officer network, now in 18 countries.

The Federal Police are placing themselves between Australia and the rest of the world in protecting us against these criminal groups and enterprises who simply want to exploit human misery and suffering for criminal gains and profit. This can only be achieved through cooperation. Only last week we had a management of serious crime course especially put on for 20 Chinese law enforcement officers to complete. The effectiveness of the AFP nationally and internationally is second to none.

In respect of the Solomon Islands, as was asked of me—and if I do not get time to finish this answer, Senator, you might ask me some more, but I have not finished the answer yet and I do not want to go over time—on Thursday of this week there will be the deployment of 20—

Opposition senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order!

Senator VANSTONE —I note senators on the other side do not have any interest in law enforcement. They let the Australian Federal Police run down to a shameful level of funding and resourcing, and it has taken this government to bring them back. (Time expired)

Senator EGGLESTON —Madam President, I would like to ask a supplementary question. Could the minister advise the Senate of other particular successes the federal government has had in policing the drug trade and other forms of international crime in our region?

Senator VANSTONE (Minister for Justice and Customs) —On Thursday of this week there will be the deployment of 20 Australian Federal Police personnel to the International Peace Monitoring Team to the Solomon Islands. The first group of 10 will leave from Townsville; they will be followed by a further 10 in a fortnight's time. They will join 29 other Australian and New Zealand personnel in the implementation of the Townsville peace agreement. The police officers will be deployed to Guadalcanal and Auki to support the indigenous peace monitoring council in its task of trying to restore peace and confidence in the Solomons. As usual on their peacekeeping efforts, the Australian Federal Police personnel will be unarmed and will work closely with their Solomon Islands colleagues in supporting indigenous solutions to the Solomon Islands conflict. The Australian Federal Police members of the IPMT have been selected on the basis of their experience and skills and collectively they have experience in peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, Cambodia, Mozambique, Haiti and East Timor. (Time expired)