Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was accused last night of altering the priorities of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to satisfy his own vanity in trying to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council.

In persistent Senate estimates ques-tioning over the value of the govern-ment's bid to win a temporary seat onthe Security Council in 2013-14, Liberal senator Russell Trood said DFAT appeared to be overturning its priorities and spending too muchtime and resources on the UN bid.

"This seems to be more about the Prime Minister's vanity in havingthis country get a seat on the security council ... than advancing the national interest," Senator Trood said.

But Special Minister of State John Faulkner dismissed the claim, saying it was simply "not true" to say "the place has been turned upside down".Senator Faulkner said the govern- ment had determined that Australia's international engagement would be enhanced by securing a council seat and a succession of officials had explained its value in terms of increased diplomatic influence.

Earlier, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deputy secretary David Ritchie said the bid was only one of a number of high priorities for DFAT, along with greater engagement with the Pacific and furthering nuclear non- proliferation, for example.

Mr Ritchie said Australia could expect to benefit because it would be a direct party to the security council and would have more direct influ- ence on global security issues.

Senator Trood also asked whether DFAT's newly discovered interest in Africa was motivated by the bid, as the government had outlaid $106 million to boost engagement with Africa, India, Pakistan and Latin America.

But Mr Ritchie said Africa was an area of growing economic import-ance. Almost 300 Australian mining companies had investments worth more than $20 billion there and were growing people to people exchanges.

The government provided $11 million in this year's budget to support the UN bid over the next two years.

Departmental officials also confirmed the funding would support a six-member secretariat at a cost of about $1 million a year. A further $28,000 had also been spent on a brochure to support Australia's campaign, to be handed out at diplomatic receptions and other functions. Extra travel would also be needed to step up the lobbying effort at posts such as Port au Spain in the Caribbean, for example, which is accredited to 14 neighbour- ing countries.

Department assistant secretary Africa division Deborah Stokes said although some African countries had already pledged support for Aust- ralia's bid, it would be unhelpful to the campaign to reveal that information.

Source: Australian Financial Review - John Kerin