Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has announced millions in aid for a besieged Philippine city. [...] The assistance is in addition to the A$920,000 emergency food and other supplies assistance that the Australian Foreign Minister had announced last June 20, 2017.

General George Brandis and a senior DFAT official have defended Julie Bishop’s #fashiondiplomacy as a “huge asset” to Australia. [...] Senator Brandis told the hearing it was “integral” to the Foreign Minister’s role to promote Australian interests and businesses in response to questions from Labor senator Kimberley Kitching. “The fashion industry in Australia, I’m told, contributes $12 billion to the economy every year and employs 220,000 people,” Senator Brandis said.

Netball Australia is proud to be a key partner in the Australian Government’s $1.4 million Asian Sports Partnership (ASP) program [...]. Under the program, [...] One Netball Asia which will work with countries within the Asian Netball Federation to increase participation levels among women and girls in netball and contribute to health and leadership outcomes. 

Diplomacy may be an expensive business but the $400,000 cost racked up by the Australian government for foreign diplomats to cuddle koalas and other marsupials is too hefty, the opposition has said.“International diplomacy has a role and soft power is very important, but you’ve to get the balance right. Sometimes this government goes over the top because they don’t care about the money.” 

It wouldn't be senate estimates without senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials having to justify the presence of a $6300 ping-pong table in the 'InnovationXchange' ideas hub.[...]  "Senator you call it a ping pong table, I call it a meeting table," he said. "It is used all day for meeting and not for ping pong. It is actively used throughout the day and sits 10 or 12 people around it."

It's been dubbed “fashion diplomacy” but critics of Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop say the ­Louboutin-loving politician’s hosting of overseas runway shows has gone too far. From celebrating Australian designers creating “modest wear” at an Islamic fashion festival to a fashion showcase in the Taj Mahal, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on promoting Australia as “a creative and innovative nation.”

Diplomats with these koalafications don't come cheap. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop could barely contain her glee when she was filmed with the furry foursome of Paddle, Chan, Pelita and Idalia at the launch of Singapore Zoo's new koala exhibit last week. But Australian taxpayers might not be so happy to learn that the diplomatic donation – made to mark 50 years of Australia-Singapore relations – cost them $133,100.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has opened one of the world's biggest collections of Pacific artwork at an event in Sydney. More than 60,000 artefacts from 16 Pacific nations and territories are on display at the Australian Museum's Pacific Spirit exhibition, which opened today.Ms Bishop told Pacific Beat she "jumped at the chance" to support the gallery, as part of a wider campaign of cultural outreach within Australia and across the Pacific.