On 5 July 2004 The Hon Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia, gave a talk on "International security - making progress in uncertain times".
Alexander Downer has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 1996 when the Liberal-National Party Coalition was elected to Government.
Prior to that he was Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and before that he was elected Federal Member for Mayo in South Australia in 1984. He served as Shadow Minister in a number of portfolios before becoming Leader of the Opposition in 1994.
Alexander Downer has held numerous Parliamentary positions from Shadow Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Environment to Shadow Treasurer to Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party.
From 1982 to 1983 he acted as Political Adviser to the former Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Fraser, and Political Adviser to the Federal Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Andrew Peacock.
Before entering Federal Parliament, Mr Downer worked as an economist at the Bank of New South Wales. He was also a diplomat in the Department of Foreign Affairs, serving at the Australian mission to the EEC, and Senior Foreign Affairs Representative in South Australia.
Mr Downer is a member of the National Security Cabinet Committee. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics and Economics and is a Doctor of Civil Laws (honoris causa).
