Colin Russell (one of the Greenpeace criminals jailed in Russia) has complained that the Australian Government did not do enough to assist him.
Julie Bishop has come out swinging, noting that Russell’s antics have cost the Australian taxpayer $35,000 and that he had been warned not to participate in the Greenpeace action in Russia.
While I have argued that Australian passport fees – used to pay for consular support – are among the highest in the world, Russell deliberately put himself in danger and acted criminally. Greenpeace is an organisation of pirates.
There are genuine consular cases where the Australian Government should provide support to its citizens – for example when a person is killed in a country that is not on the do not travel list.
But where a person, such as Russell, acts deliberately and recklessly costing the taxpayer a significant sum, the money should be recovered to consolidated revenue.