Australia Government
Australia Judicial Assistance
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Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific
Background Notes: Australia, October 1998Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsU.S. Department of StateOfficial Name: Commonwealth of AustraliaPROFILEGeographyArea: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 continental United States.Cities: (1998) Capital--Canberra (pop. 310,100). Other cities--Sydney (4.0 million), Melbourne (3.5 million), Brisbane (1.5 million), Perth (1.3 million).Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.Climate: Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Australian(s).Population (1998): 18.7 million.Annual growth rate: 1.3%.Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 7%, Aboriginal 1%.Religions: Anglican 22%, Roman Catholic 27%, other Christian 22%, other non-Christian 3%, No religion 17%.Languages: English.Education: Years compulsory--to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16. Literacy--99%.Health: Infant mortality rat ... [Read More]
Background Notes Archive - East Asia and the Pacific
U.S. Department of State Background Notes: Australia, November 1997 Released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.Official Name: Commonwealth of AustraliaPROFILEGeographyArea: 7.7 million sq. km. (3 million sq. mi.); about the size of the 48 continental United States.Cities: Capital--Canberra (pop. 310,100). Other cities--Sydney (3.7 million), Melbourne (3.1 million), Brisbane (1.3 million), Perth (1.2 million).Terrain: Varied, but generally low-lying.Climate: Relatively dry, ranging from temperate in the south to tropical in the north.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Australian(s).Population (1997): 18.3 million.Annual growth rate: 1.3%.Ethnic groups: European 92%, Asian 7%, Aboriginal 1%.Religions: Anglican 26%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24%, non-Christian 11%.Languages: English.Education: Years compulsory--to age 15 in all states except Tasmania, where it is 16. Literacy--99%.Health: Infant mortality rate--6/1,000. Life expect ... [Read More]
Australia
Noncitizens arriving at a national border without prior entry authorization automatically are detained. Legal assistance is provided upon request to detainees making an initial asylum claim or application for lawful residence. Individuals may be released pending full adjudication of their asylum claim only if they meet certain criteria such as old age, ill health, or experience of torture or other trauma. However, most did not meet release criteria and were detained for the length of the asylum adjudication process. At year's end, the Federal Government oversaw six immigration detention facilities located within the country. During the year, asylum seekers intercepted at sea also were housed in offshore detention centers, administered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with funding from the Government, in Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. In November, the Government established an alternative residential housing detention facility for married women and m ... [Read More]
Frequently Asked Questions - General Information
Scams (ACCC) Scamwatch (Australian Government) Scamwatch (N.Z. Ministry of Consumer Affairs) ... How do I tell you what I think about the U.S. government? ... If you wish to complain about an internet fraud to the U.S. government, you may contact the Internet Fraud Complaints Center ... [Read More]
Australia
AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Australia as being in compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards for oversight of Australia’s air carrier operations. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s internet web site at www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm. ... [Read More]
Australia
In 2000 the ILO's Committee on Freedom of Association recommended substantial changes to the Workplace Relations Act and the Trade Practices Act after examining complaints of antiunion discrimination raised by both domestic and international trade unions over the Government's role in a 1998 labor dispute involving stevedores. Specifically, the ILO recommended that the Government amend the Workplace Relations Act to eliminate the linkage between restrictions on strike action and legal provisions on interference with trade and commerce. The ILO also criticized the Government's use of serving defense force personnel as replacement workers in the 1998 strike. The Government stated, in response to the recommendations, that the ILO's comments "reflect an inadequate understanding of Australian law." The Government rejected all of the ILO's recommendations. ... [Read More]
Australia
In a 1998 report, the HREOC concluded that the laws did not adequately meet the country's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and recommended that the Government enact a federal religious freedoms act. In 2000 Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade inquired into religious freedom in the country and recommended, in part, that the Government respond to the HREOC's recommendation. The Government had not responded to either the HREOC's or the Committee's recommendations by the end of the period covered by this report. ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]
Australia (12/04)
Howard's conservative coalition moved quickly to reduce Australia's government deficit and the influence of organized labor, and reform Australia's tax and social welfare systems. The Howard government also has accelerated the pace of privatization, beginning with the government-owned telecommunications corporation. The Howard government has continued the foreign policy of its predecessors, based on relations with four key countries: the United States, Japan, China, and Indonesia. The Howard government strongly supports U.S. engagement in the Asia-Pacific region and has sent troops as part of the coalitions in Afghanistan and Iraq. National elections took place October 9, 2004, and likely will take place again in late 2007 or early 2008. ... [Read More]
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