About the Council

The Council meets a number of times each year to provide guidance on the program of exchanges and discuss future directions. Nominations by the major political parties for positions on delegations travelling overseas are also considered at Council meetings.

The Council's activities are funded by the Federal Government and secretariat services are provided through the Department of Finance and Deregulation. The Council also receives in-kind donations from organisations and individuals.

The Minister wih portfolio responsibility for the political exchange program is the Special Minister of State, the Hon Gary Gray AO MP.

The Council itself is made up of six members who are selected by the Principals of the Council.

The Principals

The Principals of the Council are the Parliamentary Leaders of the four main political parties in the Federal Parliament. The Principals are:

• The Hon Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister and Leader of the Australian Labor Party;
• The Hon Tony Abbott MP, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia;
• The Hon Warren Truss MP, Leader of The Nationals; and
• Senator Bob Brown, Leader of the Australian Greens.

The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition each nominate two representatives to the Council and the Leader of The Nationals and Leader of the Australian Greens each nominate one representative . The Prime Minister also appoints an independent Chairman.

Council Members

The membership of the Council is:

Chairman

• The Hon Robert Ray (appointed August 2009)

Members (in order of appointment)

• Mr Paul Neville MP, Federal Member for Hinkler and The Nationals Whip (representative of the Leader of The Nationals, appointed November 1998)
• Mr Brian Loughnane, Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia (representative of the Leader of the Opposition, appointed February 2003)
• The Hon Kevin Andrews MP, Federal Member for Menzies (representative of the Leader of the Opposition, appointed February 2008)
• Senator Michael Forshaw, Senator for New South Wales (representative of the Prime Minister, appointed June 2008)
• Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia (representative of the Leader of the Australian Greens, appointed April 2009)
• Mr George Wright, National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party (representative of the Prime Minister, appointed June 2011)

Last Updated 21 Jnue 2011

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