The announcement in this week’s Budget that Australians (as well as those from the US, Canada, Japan and New Zealand) will have access to e-passport gates when entering the UK is a welcome sign that Britain is serious about going global. The million or so Australians who visit each year are sure to be delighted by this gesture.
There’s a backstory here: when I was the Australian high commissioner in London, I told everyone in government with ears to hear (including the then-home secretary Theresa May) that Australians were upset about being subjected to long queues at Heathrow while EU citizens went through a special fast-track process. Frankly, given our history of fighting alongside Britain and our shared head of state, it was downright insensitive.
In fact, as foreign minister of Australia, I had introduced the e-gate system at our airports back home.
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