Pm's Flying Circus Is Quite Some Party
The Age
Wednesday January 17, 1996
Canberra.
The hotels have been block-booked for 66 guests, the protocol officer has driven over the route a dozen times with a stopwatch and the first-aid kit has been loaded with sleeping pills.
Paul Keating's flying circus is on the move again.
When the Prime Minister heads overseas, the logistics range from complex to nightmarish depending on where he is going, why and for how long. Planning time can range from 12 hours, as it did for the trip to the Rabin funeral in Israel, to 12 months, as for each leaders' meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group.
Organising the present trip to Malaysia and Singapore began in November. When the Malaysian leg was confirmed in December, the officers of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Australian high commissions in both places began to negotiate the itinerary.
There are 42 in the travelling party, plus two 12-member RAAF crews for the 707 aircraft. This time there were a few extras - the four-member crews of two Falcon 900 VIP aircraft sent to the rescue after the 707 was grounded in Darwin.
Mr Keating and his wife, Annita, head the official party.
The contingent from his office includes his senior adviser, Dr Don Russell, speechwriter, Dr Don Watson, foreign affairs adviser, Mr Allan Gyngell, plus a media adviser, an assistant media adviser and a personal secretary.
A doctor always travels with the Prime Minister when he goes overseas. Dr Graeme Killer, who has outlived the jokes about his name, briefs the official party on health risks.
He tends frequent bouts of gymnastic stomach on visits to Asia and assists with a nudge into slumberland on long overnight trips back home.
Mr Keating also has three ``shooters" - whose security role has not yet come to that - on official visits.
Places are always reserved for the secretaries of the departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Though they sometimes send representatives, both Dr Michael Keating and Mr Michael Costello have attended this time.
An assistant secretary from the PM's Department, Ms Jennifer Rawson, and the man responsible for logistics, Mr Stephen Brady, have also gone - along with a Government photographer, Mr Bill Payne.
The acting head of the Department of Administrative Services, Mr Brendan Godfrey, has been included, apparently because of the nature of agreements to be signed. Wing Commander Stephen Spencer oversees the air transport side.
Then there are the media - nine newspaper journalists and three photographers, five television journalists and a pool crew of four, and three radio journalists. They pay the equivalent of business class fares.
ANATOMY OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S MISSION.
WHO WENT: Paul Keating, PRIME MINISTER.
Annita Keating.
Dr Don Russell, Senior Adviser.
Dr Don Watson, Speechwriter.
Dr Michael Keating, Secretary of the PM's department.
Michael Costello, Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Dept.
Allan Gyngell, Foreign Affairs Adviser.
Cheryl Griffiths, Personal Secretary.
Tony Melville, Media Adviser.
Pandora Livanes, Assistant Media Adviser.
Dr Graeme Killer, Medical Adviser.
Jennifer Rawson, Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs branch of the PM's department.
Stephen Brady, Visit Coordinator from the PM's department.
Bill Payne, Official Photographer.
Brendan Godfrey, Acting Secretary, Department of Administrative Services.
RAAF Wing Commander Stephen Spencer, Staff Officer (VIP operations).
Security Officers: Detective Superintendent Bob Heggie; Detective Sergeant Rob Hunter; Constable Col Speedie.
FROM THE MEDIA.
Nine print journalists.
Five television journalists.
Three radio journalists.
Four television crew.
Two newspaper photographers.
* Trip to Malaysia and Singapore organised six to eight weeks ago. (But the PM can travel overseas at 12 hours notice).
* Travelling party of 42, including media.
* In addition, two television crew travel in advance to set up facilities, including a satellite dish.
* Prime Minister & Cabinet official goes ahead to become familiar in minute detail with facilities, travel times to various destinations.
* Security officer travels ahead, too, to liaise with local security. (Sometimes, a media adviser also goes ahead to organise media facilities - phones, faxes, photocopiers).
* High Commision staff in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore intimately involved in organising timetables and logistics.
* Prime Minister either travels in one aircraft - a RAAF Boeing 707 - or commercially. (In this case, the PM travelled from Darwin on a private jet because of a cracked windscreen in his Boeing 707).
© 1996 The Age
