Remarks at the launch of the new 'Australians helping Japan' website, Brisbane

Transcript, E&OE, proof only

7 April 2011

A lot of the discussion in the last day or so we've been together, has been about the impact of natural disasters.

None of us can even begin to forget the images which have come out of Japan. This was unspeakable, the dimensions of the impact of the tsunami on communities who have literally been washed away and the enormous loss of life which causes our challenges here in Queensland to pale in significance; tens of thousands of people.

And speaking on behalf of the entire diplomatic corps, the feeling is human, it is personal and it is global, of solidarity with our friends in Japan at this time of extraordinary suffering.

So I wanted to use this opportunity to make some comments on two things in relation to Japan.

First is, as the Foreign Minister, and I'm sure you've felt the same in all of your countries, we've been actually inundated with the Australian public about wanting to help the people of Japan.

And our friends from Southeast Queensland would understand this, how do you best coordinate that so that it does not become a burden for the Japanese themselves, but in fact helps the Japanese at a time of extraordinary national tragedy.

So it gives me great pleasure today to launch the Australia helps Japan web portal which will be run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

What is this about? It is about providing an immediate access point for the Australian public, Australian companies, Australian local communities, Australian local authorities to go to, to identify principal relief agencies, principal points of contact in Japan if you've got something to offer or something to give. Also how you can link up with local schools in Japan, with local authorities, the entire fabric and network of sister cities, sister provinces and sister schools across Japan and its relationship with Australia.

We wanted to provide a one-stop-shop for the Australian community to go to, to identify how they can help Japan.

It might be a very small gesture that people have; it might be a very large gesture that a company has, or a local authority - for example, the Mayor of Toowoomba tells us he has a fundraiser tonight in the city of Toowoomba to assist communities in Japan.

So this is one small way which we, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, have decided to assist. And we have worked on this with our colleagues from Japan to make sure it is of assistance to them.

We have had so many Australians talk to us directly about what's gone on in Japan.

For example, there's a fellow in Nimbin in Northern New South Wales who emailed us along these lines 'I'd like to think a well-equipped team or teams of volunteers could get over there and practically help asap. Can anyone help me with suggestions as to how to get the right people to achieve this outcome?'

And that is the dilemma we all face if we are host to a natural disaster in coordinating the incoming efforts.

Obviously, a core part of that lies with governments themselves, making sure we're also responding appropriately to community offers of help and assistance. And that is just one small way which we, the Department of Foreign Affairs are prepared to help.

I should add one thing. There's an eight year old boy in WA who asked us to deliver his letter to the Japanese Prime Minister Kan asking how the children of Australia could help the children in Japan who had been left homeless by the disaster. He began his letter by saying 'I do not speak Japanese, but I hope you speak Australian.'

It's dealing with those offers of help from, shall I say, the children of our country which are as important for the future as concrete offers from communities and corporations and cities in this country.

So Ambassador, again on behalf of the people of Australia, our sympathy to our fellow members of the human family in Japan, this is just one small way in which we propose to help.

The second announcement I have to make again goes to another dimension of what has emerged out of Japan.

And many of us discussed this yesterday, what we do immediately to communicate to our own citizens at a time when there is a natural disaster occurring in another country where our citizens might be? So today I'm announcing the establishment of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Twitter account and that will be a Twitter account titled @dfat and the whole purpose of it is to make sure that instantaneous information can be delivered by the Department to the Australian travelling public as effectively and quickly as possible because they will be wanting to know the latest.

So that account is up and running.

The third goes to again Japan; our bilateral relationship. It gives me very great pleasure to announce Mr Bruce Miller as Australia's Ambassador to Japan.

Bruce has served in Tokyo twice before. His Japanese is pretty darn good - is that true Ambassador Sato? Okay, you can just go back there and test it... bit late now, mate.

Bruce is currently the Deputy Director of the Office of National Assessments in Canberra. Two previous diplomatic appointments to Japan; a first class Australian public servant; a career diplomat with the Australian foreign service and given that we are discussing Japan today in multiple respects, it is a good opportunity for me to announce his appointment to Japan.

END

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