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April 16th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda AUSTRALIA is suffering a diplomatic deficit, even as the government cuts more from the foreign service, with at least 25 of the 96 countries with embassies in Canberra without an Australian equivalent in their capital.
The government’s drive for a budget surplus and its 4 per cent ”efficiency dividend” is expected to cost more than 1500 jobs across the bureaucracy.
While the foreign service is not expected to fare worse than other departments in the budget, the latest round comes on top of more than a decade of cuts, leaving Australia with one of the smallest diplomatic networks of any developed country.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has suffered an overall reduction of 5 per cent since 1996 – with 14 per cent less staff now posted overseas – while the rest of the public service has grown by about 12 per cent in the same period. This is despite an increase in demand for consular services from Australians who get into trouble overseas.
A recent stock-take of overseas representation by the Lowy Institute, shows only New Zealand, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Ireland have smaller diplomatic networks than Australia.
The foreign service is bracing to lose between 60 and 100 jobs from the roughly 1100 staff at its Canberra headquarters.
But diplomats posted to the 77 countries where Australia is represented are expected to be largely protected from the cuts.
A Foreign Affairs submission to a parliamentary inquiry into overseas representation said it had 599 diplomats abroad, with 633 officers from other departments.
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