Sada-e-Watan Sydney ™
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Hon. Stephen Smith
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith Will Visit Pakistan
The Foreign Minister of Australia Mr. Stephen Smith accepted the invitation for official visit to Pakistan. According to diplomatic sources, there is possibility that Australia’s Foreign Minister will visit to Pakistan in the next year 2009.
Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith was sworn in
as Minister for Foreign Affairs on 3 December 2007.Mr Smith was born in Narrogin,
Western Australia and spent his early years in Narrogin and Southern Cross. He
received his secondary school education at Christian Brothers High School
Highgate in Perth.
Mr Smith is a Barrister and Solicitor by profession. He completed his Bachelor
of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Western Australia. Mr Smith
practised as a Barrister and Solicitor in Perth, then completed a Master of Laws
at London University, and subsequently lectured and tutored in Law in London.
From 1987 to 1990 he was the State Secretary of the Western Australian Branch of
the Australian Labor Party and from 1983 to 1987 he was Principal Private
Secretary to the Attorney-General of Western Australia.
During 1991 and 1992, Mr Smith was Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of
Australia and Senior Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer of
Australia, Paul Keating. Mr Smith has been the Federal Member for Perth since
March 1993.
In his first Parliamentary term he was Chair of the Joint Parliamentary
Committee on Corporations and Securities and a member of the House of
Representatives Standing Committee on Banking, Finance and Public
Administration. During 1996 and 1997, Mr Smith also served as a member of the
Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and
Trade.Prior to his appointment as Foreign Minister, Mr Smith held a range of
Shadow Ministerial positions including Shadow Minister for Trade, Shadow
Minister for Resources and Energy, Shadow Minister for Communications, Shadow
Minister for Health, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Shadow Minister for
Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations.
From December 2006 until the federal election in November 2007, Mr Smith was the
Shadow Minister for Education and Training. Mr Smith and his wife Jane live in
the electorate of Perth and have two teenage children, a son Hugo and a daughter
Madeleine. Mr Smith enjoys watching cricket and hockey.
