Pacific Solution Drains Coffers

20 November 2002

Dear Sir or Madam:

A recent article "Pacific Solution Drains Coffers" published in the Herald Sun by Andrew Probyn incorrectly claims that there has been a 34-fold increase in Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) consultancy costs, and also makes a number of other factual errors in his story.

The report ignores the fact that the definition of consulting has been broadened significantly to include infrastructure works in Australia, provision of service to asylum seekers and humanitarian and settlement services.

If the same definitions had been applied to the 2001-02 Annual report as were applied in the previous Annual Report indications are that the reported figure for spending on consultants would have been comparable to the $2.1 million reported last year in the 2000-01 Annual Report.

Stewart Foster
Director
Public Affairs