Howard names Bill Farmer as new envoy to RI
Howard names Bill Farmer as new envoy to RI
Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Australian Prime Minister John Howard named on Sunday Bill
Farmer, the head of country's embattled Immigration Department,
as Australia's new ambassador to Indonesia.
Farmer, one of Australia's most senior and adept career
diplomats, will replace the present ambassador, David Ritchie.
The Australian Embassy's counselor in public affairs,
Elizabeth O'Neill, confirmed Farmer's appointment.
"Yes, Bill Farmer has been named as Australia's new
ambassador. Our prime minister announced this today," O'Neill
told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Presse-Agentur wire service reported from
Sydney that Farmer had resigned as head of the troubled
Immigration Department.
Farmer, who joined the Australian Foreign Service in 1969, had
been secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural
and Indigenous Affairs since December 2001.
During his four-year stint, the Department of Immigration had
been under spotlight for its stringent measures, some criticized
as being inhumane, against prospective immigrants to the country.
It came under severe criticism recently when it wrongfully
deported a sick Australian women to the Philippines. It also
locked up a mentally ill Australian women for months in a
detention center.
A government-appointed inquiry bombarded the department for
the blunders.
But despite all this, Howard's trust in Farmer has apparently
not dwindled.
"Bill Farmer has been a very loyal and professional and very
effective person in the Department of Foreign Affairs, and he's
also led immigration during a time of unprecedented strain on the
resources of the department," Howard said when announcing his
appointment.
Farmer, who has a Master's degree in economics from the London
School of Economics, will take up his new position in Jakarta
later this year.
During the early part of his career, Farmer served at
Australian missions in Cairo, London and Suva.
He was moved to the United Nations in New York in 1984 with a
designation of minister. He also worked as deputy representative
of Australia on the UN Security Council.
Farmer has been ambassador to Mexico (1987-1989), Papua New
Guinea (1993-1995) and Malaysia (1996-1997).
Prior to his position as immigration secretary, Farmer was the
deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
in Canberra.
In recognition of his services to the nation during his 36-
year public career, Farmer was awarded an Order of Australia in
June this year.
O'Neill said Ambassador Ritchie -- who submitted his
credentials to then president Megawati Soekarnoputri on Feb. 13,
2003 -- will be going back to Canberra.
"Ambassador Ritchie will be appointed as deputy secretary of
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra," O'Neill
told the Post.