it ical ▁con ferences ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Den mark ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Est onia ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Finland ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁I cel and ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Lat via ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Norway ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁Sweden ▁Category : Foreign ▁relations ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom <0x0A> </s> ▁Col in ▁Victor ▁James ▁Mason ▁( born ▁ 2 8 ▁October ▁ 1 9 2 6 ) ▁is ▁a ▁New ▁Zealand - born ▁Australian ▁journalist , ▁author ▁and ▁former ▁politician . ▁ ▁Mason ▁worked ▁for ▁ 1 4 ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁foreign ▁correspond ent ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Broadcast ing ▁Corporation ▁and ▁became ▁deeply ▁involved ▁in ▁Asian ▁affairs . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁Dragon ▁Army , ▁a ▁popular ▁history ▁of ▁Asian ▁commun ism . ▁ ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Australia ▁Party ▁and ▁rose ▁to ▁become ▁its ▁national ▁conv ener ▁( 1 9 7 6 ). ▁ ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Australian ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁election ▁as ▁a ▁sen ator ▁for ▁New ▁South ▁Wales . ▁ ▁He ▁and ▁Don ▁Ch ipp ▁( V ict oria ) ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁Australian ▁Democr ats ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Senate , ▁although ▁Jan ine ▁H aines ▁( S outh ▁Australia ) ▁had ▁earlier ▁been ▁appointed ▁to ▁a ▁cas ual ▁vac ancy . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁at ▁the ▁ 1