JULIE Bishop is right to consider recovering taxpayer costs from those who, like Greenpeace activist Colin Russell, wilfully ignore consular advice for their own political ends and who press for assistance not normally available to others, such as Bishop's personal intervention ("Bishop signals consular help fee", 4-5/1).
Russell and his colleagues cannot have been oblivious to the consequences of their actions. DFAT's consular advisories are thorough, regularly updated and easily accessible.
They warn of the perils facing those who break Russian law and make clear that Australia cannot intervene to prevent Australians from being processed by the Russian judicial system if they fall foul of it.
The same DFAT advice spells out exactly what our consular officers overseas can and cannot do to assist Australian travellers. For Russell to complain that not enough was done for him is laughable.
Robert Whitty, Griffith, ACT
I CANNOT believe the arrogance and naivety of Colin Russell and the manipulation of him by Greenpeace.
His beliefs apparently mean that he can protest for a cause by trespassing, thus deliberately breaking the law of another country; blame the Australian government for not getting him out of jail, after being arrested for said illegal act; whinge about not having had more done for him, though we now know that Ms Bishop and consular staff worked hard for him; have my taxes spent on him, all for a cause which I do not believe in, nor one which most Australians have as their top priority in life, and all apparently for my and my children's sake.
Protest all you like but leave me, my children and my taxes out of it.
Jill Elias, Dalkeith, WA
I FIND it hard to believe Colin Russell was so naive as not to understand his actions - admirable as they might have been from a conservationists' standpoint - would attract swift retribution from a Putin-governed Russia. I find it even more astonishing that, after $35,000 of taxpayers' hard-earned has been spent assisting him, his family would complain that the government did too little. When adventurous and maverick Australians overseas wittingly get themselves into serious strife or disregard government advisories it is reasonable, as Julie Bishop argues, that there is cost recovery for what amounts sometimes to publicity-seeking, self-endangering self-indulgence.
Ron Sinclair, Bathurst, NSW
WHILE contemplating his next protest, Colin Russell may like to give some thought to whether that money may have been better spent on a half-year package for a cancer nurse.
Peter Curlewis, Yass, NSW
JULIE Bishop has shown a lack of dignity and empathy for the environment with her comments about Greenpeace paying for the consular aid given to the activists in Russia.
Does she seriously think that a courageous organisation like Greenpeace is going to stop trying to expose the ruthlessness and greed of those who would plunder our precious, iconic wildernesses?
How dare she speculate on what Australians want their taxpayers' dollars to go towards.
Alex Hodges, Birdwood, SA
COLIN Russell has got some cheek thinking my tax dollar is bankrolling his hobby.
Ilze Frank, North Adelaide, SA
ALEXANDER Downer once wrote that, as foreign minister, he didn't have the guts to tell travellers that they should take responsibility for themselves when they go overseas.
If they were "too dumb to read travel advisories" then they shouldn't expect the "great nanny in Canberra" to get them out of trouble.
Julie Bishop has the chance to do now what Mr Downer didn't.
Peter Wynd, Bamawm, Vic
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