Cost of government gifts for foreign officials tops $3.4m in five years

Date
    November 14, 2014                :(


The Australian government has spent more than $3.4 million on gifts for foreign dignitaries and officials over the past five years, with purchases surging in the run-up to the G20 summit in Brisbane.      :(

Australian government contract records show the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has spent more than $2.7 million on official gifts despite long-established government policy that "Australia is not traditionally a gift-giving country".

The government's primary source of official gifts, Melbourne-based promotional company Intandem, has provided more than $432,000 worth of Australian-made gifts and mementos for presentation to foreign leaders and officials in the past two years.


Intandem makes recommendations for official gifts based on "knowledge of the individual, cultural issues, their country importing rules, etc" and maintains "a full database that lists all products given previously to ensure there is never a 'double up' of gifts".

However, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Treasury have looked elsewhere for some special G20-related gifts, spending more than $33,000 at Global Icons, a Sydney-based company specialising in "acquiring actual relics from iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites and featuring these authentic elements enshrined within unique representations of the original icon".

In the case of Australia, Global Icons offers "Kurv", a $595 "European crystal sculpture of the Sydney Opera House that incorporates a red granite cutting removed from the building during renovations". A brushed aluminium display stand costs a further $195.

Dignitaries at G20 will receive Kurv, at a cost of $595

Global Icons executive creative director Paul Bailey says his company's products offer "personal ownership of iconic world heritage to high-wealth individuals". 

The Kurv sculpture's cost exceeds Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet guidelines that set values for official gifts of up to $500 for heads of state or government, up to $250 for senior ministers and $100 for officials. Protocol staff may be given gifts worth up to $25 and drivers and security staff up to $20.

Other agencies purchasing significant volumes of gifts include the Department of Industry, Austrade and the Department of Defence, which acquires large numbers of wall plaques and commemorative mementos. The Department of the House of Representatives has spent more than $26,000 on cufflinks  to present to visiting parliamentarians.

Australian ministers are required to declare all gifts received if their value exceeds $750 in the case of government gifts and $300 for gifts from private and industry sources. 

Recent gifts declared to Parliament by Prime Minister Tony Abbott include two oryx sculptures cast in silver and bronze, presented by the Crown Prime of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and a necklace and watch presented by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

As all the items were valued in excess of the $750 limit, Mr Abbott has advised Parliament that the gifts will be surrendered to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, although the oryx will remain on display in his office during his term as Prime Minister.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/cost-of-government-gifts-for-foreign-officials-tops-34m-in-five-years-20141114-11mow4.html#ixzz3J5Gj8QPZ

The age of entitlement?

Budget emergency.      :( 

wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 8:44am:

Budget emergency.      :(

;D ;D ;D  you f#n#### cause by the labor d##ck heds

rudd and gizzard

aussie100percent wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 9:41am:

wrote on Nov 15th, 2014 at 8:44am: Budget emergency.      :(  ;D ;D ;D  you f#n#### cause by the labor d##ck heds rudd and gizzard

:'(

Debt and deficit disaster™

Caused by Howard putting too much pork barreling and rewarding Lib supporters into the Budget and Costello cutting high income earners income tax too much.

Caused by Howard & Costello feeding a real estate boom, leading to a highly indebted household sector. With interest rates at historic lows there is STILL little appetite for taking on more credit! Tanks John and Pete, thanks for smacking nothing, idiots!

a less brain-dead group than the lefties hear would have read 'last five years'.  guess who was running the show for 4 of those 5 years???  hmm???


damn, some of you are stupid.

I mentioned the debt and deficit disaster.

Swan cut like $150Bn out of the Budget.

The problem is revenue, caused by the Libs trash talking the economy and the high indebtedness of the household sector.

St George of the Garden wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 11:38am:

I mentioned the debt and deficit disaster. Swan cut like $150Bn out of the Budget. The problem is revenue, caused by the Libs trash talking the economy and the high indebtedness of the household sector.

swan increased spending EVERY YEAR and in 6 years increased in 58%.  WAY above CPI.

idiot.

There is that abuse again.

Swan taxed and spent less than Howard as %GDP. Swan CUT $150Bn of wasteful Howard spending out of the Budget, he forced a whole series of 2% efficiency dividends on the PS.

By contrast, Hokey INcreased spending and DEcreased revenue!

Any real deficit disaster is down to the Libs. Steady as you go proper governance and prudent fiscal management would have seen a surplus at about the time of the next election, now a return to surplus might be a decade away.

None of Hokey’s talk of getting a surplus has discussed whether the time is right to try to get a surplus. I believe a series of moderate deficits is needed for some years yet.

longweekend58 wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 11:36am:

a less brain-dead group than the lefties hear would have read 'last five years'.  guess who was running the show for 4 of those 5 years???  hmm??? damn, some of you are stupid.

:D :D :D :D :D :D

Lobo wrote on Nov 15^th, 2014 at 3:13pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Nov 15th, 2014 at 11:36am: a less brain-dead group than the lefties hear would have read 'last five years'.  guess who was running the show for 4 of those 5 years???  hmm??? damn, some of you are stupid. :D :D :D :D :D :D

Great shot.... touche`

The gifts are normal business and  happen whoever is in government and they are not restricted to big conferences.  Defence attaches both arriving and departing carry gift bags.