DFAT not told of Labor's East Timor plan

The foreign affairs department was not consulted before Labor announced a new policy to reopen good faith maritime boundary talks with East Timor.

An East Timor activist sits down near their protest poster during a protests in front of Australian Embassy in Dili, 20 December 2013. Source: AAP

Labor did not consult the foreign affairs department before it pledged to reopen good-faith talks with East Timor on maritime boundaries with Australia.

It did not seek any advice about the legal and financial implications of the move, a Senate committee was told on Thursday.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek, who visited East Timor in 2015, announced the new policy on Wednesday.

It later emerged that Australia's ambassador in Dili did give Ms Plibersek a briefing during the visit.