National Commission of Audit calls for travellers to pay costs for Australian consular assistance

TRAVELLERS who get into trouble overseas could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars extra under a proposed “travel tax”.

A travel tax ... it could be a reality if adopted by the Abbott government. Picture: Thin

TRAVELLERS who get into trouble overseas could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars extra to get help from government officials, if Tony Abbott takes up a recommendation to scale back Australia’s diplomatic footprint.

The National Commission of Audit has urged the federal government to consider moving toward a system of “cost recovery” for consular assistance, meaning travellers who find themselves in trouble would have to pay new charges to get help from one of Australia’s overseas embassies.

The report said Australia should follow the United Kingdom, where its citizens have to pay $237 an hour for consulate assistance, prompting warnings travellers on a shoestring would avoid asking the government for help.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s office last night refused to rule out introducing “cost recovery” measures last night, confirming the issue was already under review.

“The Foreign Minister has already established a review into how consular services are delivered and the review called for and has received public submissions.,” a spokeswoman for Ms Bishop said.

“A report from the review is being drafted.”

But Labor seized on the commission report to accuse the Abbott government of getting ready to slap Australians with a new “travel tax”.

“This proposed travellers tax was not mentioned by Tony Abbott prior to the election. In fact, Mr Abbott explicitly promised there would be no new taxes,” Labor’s parliamentary secretary for Foreign Affairs Matt Thistlethwaite said.

“This travellers tax will mean Australians who fall victim to a crime or unexpectedly ill will have their troubles compounded by this ill-considered tax,” he said.

Under the proposed overhaul, travellers could also find it harder to get assistance from the consular officials, with Commission of Audit’s recommending the government “re-examine the need for embassies in high-cost locations.

Ms Bishop said the Australian government had already announced its intention to move its embassy into the same location as the British in Baghdad, and she said the government was “pursuing other opportunities in other high cost locations”.