Interesting discussions last week at the Senate Estimates hearings on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade portfolio. One of the key interrogators, Senator Trood, has confirmed our view that our diplomatic services are perilously close to critical condition.

In an ABC interview with Monica Attard last month, the new Secretary of DFAT, Dennis Richardson, called the under-resourcing of his department 'the great hangover', a reference to 'the contraction in the size of the department between the early 90s and 2008'. While the Australian publlic service grew by around 25-30 per cent from 1996-2008, he told Ms Attard, DFAT shrank by 11 per cent. Richardson used the evocative 'hangover' metaphor again in Estimates last week.  Read more....