10. April 2018

Diccon Bewes – The Englishman who makes the Swiss laugh

 

Diccon Bewes is a best-selling author of books about Switzerland. This Englishman takes a wry yet affectionate look at his adopted country and its people, enthralling his readers as he takes them on a fantastic journey across Switzerland.

 

He is soon embarking on another fantastic journey – TO AUSTRALIA! The Consulate General has organised a couple of book-signing events. Don't miss this opportunity to meet and listen to Diccon as he addresses the kinds of questions often asked by expats in Switzerland – he has a special way of answering them!

 

PERTH:

Date & Venue to be confirmed 

 

MELBOURNE: Wednesday, 23 May 2018

2:00pm & 7:30pm

Swiss Club Victoria

89 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

FREE – register here

 

SYDNEY: Tuesday, 5 June 2018

6:30pm

Goethe Institute

90 Ocean Street, Woollahra

FREE – register here

Tags: news

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News

Diccon Bewes – The Englishman who makes the Swiss laugh
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Health insurance: we’re interested in your experiences!

The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) would like to know about difficulties you have encountered in the area of health insurance and the practical problems that you face as a Swiss person living abroad. This may be of specific relevance to those living temporarily in the Oceania region or those in need for travel insurance when visiting Switzerland. By the same token, if you have had positive experiences or wish to share good practices, please do so!

 

The purpose is to look at ways of improving the situation of Swiss people living abroad in this regard.

 

You can send your experiences and suggestions to us delegates and/or directly to the head office in Bern: info@aso.ch

Have you downloaded the new edition of the Swiss Review yet?
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Spring Meeting of the Council of the Swiss Abroad

The legislative body of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), the Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA), met for its biennial meeting at the town hall in Bern on 10 March 2018.

The meeting followed on an informal exchange with Swiss parliamentarians on Thursday afternoon where a first update on the political issues with relevance for the Swiss Abroad was given. 

 

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Cyclone Gita: Tonga devastated by worst storm in 60 years

The islands of Tonga in the South Pacific have been devastated by Tropical Cyclone Gita. Winds of 230km/h have flattened parts of Parliament House and caused significant damage and injuries across the kingdom, which is made up on 176 islands, though only 40 are inhabited. Thankfully, no reports of causalities have been received. Australia and New Zealand have already dispatched emergency supplies. 

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Automatic Exchange of Information with New Zealand

The Swiss Parliament voted for the Introduction of Automatic Exchange of Information with New Zealand. A summary and comments by Peter Ehrler, New Zealand Member of the Council of the Swiss Abroad

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Mobile passport station to visit Queensland and the Northern Territory in 2018

The Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney informs that it plans to visit the following cities with the mobile passport station:

 

• Brisbane (second half of May – early  June)

• Mackay (second half of May – early  June)

• Cairns (second half of May)

• Darwin (second half of May)

 

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No to the ‘No Billag’ initiative

OSA PRESS RELEASE: Bern, 3 November 2017 – The federal referendum ‘Yes to the abolition of radio and television fees (abolition of Billag fees)’ intents to abolish the reception fees for licensed radio and television broadcasters with a public service obligation. The Federal Council is of the opinion that Switzerland needs a comprehensive public service in the media sector and that it cannot be financed exclusively on a commercial basis. It therefore rejects the initiative.

 

The Executive Board of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), like Parliament and the Federal Council, opposes the initiative, which will be voted on 4 March 2018. Public services in the information sector are of the utmost importance for Swiss Abroad.

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Parliamentarians call for the introduction of e-voting

OSA PRESS RELEASE: Bern, 25 October 2017 – On Tuesday, 24 October, the governors and state secretaries of the Swiss cantons have received a letter signed by ten federal parliamentarians from the most important political parties, demanding that all Swiss Abroad be able to choose their National Councillors in the 2019 Swiss Federal Elections. The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), which has been working for years to ensure that the Swiss Abroad are able to use this voting channel, is delighted about this initiative and fully supports it.

 

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Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) with New Zealand – Swiss National Council says NO!

On 27 September, the National Council (Nationalrat) followed the recommendation from the Economic Commission of the Lower House and rejected implementing the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) with New Zealand. The majority of the members are of the opinion that the Swiss in New Zealand are disadvantaged over other Swiss living abroad, because of the Swiss pension (AHV) being confiscated by the New Zealand Government.

 

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The Federal Council is to provide information on draft law that affect Swiss Abroad

On 19 September, 2017, National Councillor and Swiss Abroad, Tim Guldimann (SP/ZH), together with 70 co-signatories, submitted a motion obliging the Federal Council to inform in the event that a draft law or a proposed amendment affects Swiss citizens abroad. This would allow deliberating such effects at an early stage in parliament.

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Council of States: Swiss banks "too big to fail" to accept Swiss Abroad

The Swiss Council of States yesterday adopted a motion which requires all Swiss banks that are “too big to fail” to accept Swiss citizens living outside of Switzerland. The motion was submitted by Filippo Lombardi (CVP/Ticino) and adopted with 23 votes to 14 and 6 abstentions. The banks in question are UBS, Credit Suisse, Zuercher Kantonalbank, Raiffeisen and Postfinance.

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National Council votes for access to PostFinance for Swiss Abroad

OSA PRESS RELEASE: Bern, 11 September 2017 – the National Council (NC) today adopted, by 178 votes to 4 with 7 abstentions, a motion tabled by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the NC on 4 July 2017. This motion requires that PostFinance revises its universal financial services to extend them to Swiss Abroad in order to enable them to fulfill their financial obligations. PostFinance, the main shareholder of which is state-owned Swiss Post, has a special responsibility towards Swiss citizens.

 

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The new Council meets at the Congress of the Swiss Abroad

In the lead-up to the Congress of the Swiss Abroad held in Basel, 116 delegates from all over the world assembled in the historic town hall on Friday 18 August for the constituent meeting of the new Council of the Swiss Abroad (CSA) for the term 2017-2021.

 

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