Aussie News - Issue 22 - August 2006
Message From the High Commissioner
Australian High Commissioner
Ian McConville
It is a pleasure to once again issue our quarterly newsletter – as well as to introduce you to our new revamped website – which I encourage you to access.
We are in the process of updating our contact database to ensure we are reaching those people who are interested in the activities of the Australian Government, and the Australian community more generally, in the region. Let us know if we can improve our systems even further, expand our address list, or add useful links to our website that aren’t available already.
On a sad note, it is time to farewell our Consul and Senior Administrative Officer, Stuart Shaw, his wife Linda Ryan and two children Audrey and Isabella. Stuart and Linda have been terrific contributors to the community in Mauritius over the past three years and will be sorely missed by us all. Stuart’s work has also taken him as far as Madagascar, Seychelles (twice) and Rodrigues so our more far flung Aussies will also be sad to hear this news. His replacement, Peter Cantwell, is however stepping immediately into the breach, and we look forward to introducing him to you at an early opportunity.
The big regional issues has been elections – we have already called on the new President of the Comoros following his successful election in July, and I will shortly be calling on President Michel in the Seychelles to pass on the personal congratulations of the Prime Minister of Australia following his re-election last month. In other news, I had a chance to meet President Ravalamana in Madagascar in April, and to discuss increasing Australian investment in the mining sector. We also had a very interesting two weeks holiday in southern Madagascar in late July which enabled us to visit a number of areas where Australian companies are active.
Our relations with Mauritius continue to move comfortably along and cooperation continues in numerous sectors, particularly education. On the High Commission front, we had a successful Anzac Day gunfire breakfast in April (all are welcome to attend this next year), and we are gearing up for a Melbourne Cup festive evening at the end of October as well as our Aboriginal Art Exhibition.
I look forward to keeping in touch with you all and seeing you at our future function.