Ministers (including Parliamentary Secretaries or Assistant Ministers) may need to travel overseas for a variety of reasons, for example, to undertake negotiations and discussions with overseas counterparts, to put Australia’s view at international meetings, to represent Australia on significant occasions and to gain first hand experience in areas of relevance to their duties.
The following guidelines for overseas visits by ministers outline the process involved in arranging visits and provide guidance on the sorts of issues to take into account when ministers are considering overseas travel.