Greenpeace activists, Julie Bishop and Consular Charges.

The Bureau of Meteorology has released information saying 2013 was the warmest year since records began in 1910 with the Conversation having a nice overview by several BOM climatologists.
So much for Climate deniers and even Skeptics who reported no warming trend since 1986!

This makes the current Federal governments War on the Environment more concerning than ever. Since the release of the Greenpeace protesters from Russia, Australia's Foreign Minister, 'ice queen' Julie Bishop has mentioned she might charge Greenpeace for consular assistance costs.

Gamer's Sign: Perhaps for the rest of the world?

Imagine yourself as a businessman in some of the less salubrious parts of the world (more than half of the countries I would suspect). Have you heard suggestions business should also pay for the consular assistance they receive, I would imagine more regularly than Greenpeace does?

Its a farce and a dangerous one at that.
One of the civil contracts between citizens and their governments is that we can receive consular assistance in times of troubles. Be that emergency evacuation in times of troubled conflicts, earthquakes etc or visits and pressure applied to make other governments treat us with respect when detained.

As a citizen we expect our governments, police and emergency personnel to provide these services without fear or favour, not because we can pay, but because the entire population feels this is an appropriate service. Its a community service that the Federal Government has responsibility for.

Have we become so committed to user pays ideology that common sense is on the back foot?