Documents obtained by The Sun-Herald show problems in Paris began in 2006 after an internal audit of the workings of the embassy revealed a range of ”financial, administrative, and management issues”. The audit was conducted about the same time the embassy was publicly chided for a boozy cocktail party hosted by the then foreign minister, Alexander Downer, during which damage was done to a valuable painting that was on loan from Australia.
Not long after, the then Australian ambassador to France, Penelope Wensley, now the Governor of Queensland, initiated a staff restructure. Ms Wensley declined to comment this week.
According to documents, officials in Canberra pushed for the restructure, which involved retrenching five staff including the union delegate.
But Canberra was worried about the changes, too. ”We can expect accusations of unfair process and discrimination … We cannot rule out some type of union action,” a memo stated.
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