Warning for 'lazy' tourists

It's time for "lazy or silly" Australian tourists who get in trouble overseas to take responsibility for their own actions, says former Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer.

In an article written for the Adelaide Advertiser, Downer cites the case involving Melbourne woman Annice Smoel, who was accused of stealing a bar mat from a Thai bar, the Schappelle Corby case, and the evacuation of thousands of Australians from war-affected Lebanon in 2006.

"After about 10 minutes as Foreign Minister I was a little surprised to learn I was 'responsible' for miscreant Australians who got into trouble in foreign countries," he wrote.