John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia and the United States have a long and storied history. From the dawn of federation through two world wars and across other conflicts, where we have stood as one to defend our values, principles, freedom and to protect the defenceless, to today's peaceful yet troubled times, we have been side by side without exception. Together, with these events, the United States is by far our largest investment partner, with two-way investments standing at $1.7 trillion in 2018. This investment includes 11,000 Australian companies exporting goods to the United States, which, in turn, support around 270,000 Australian jobs. There are plenty of US-owned companies operating in Australia of course, and together they pay billions of dollars in taxes to Australian governments each year. Additionally, Australian-majority-owned businesses operating in the United States generated $71.8 billion in US sales in 2016, which is more than triple the value of Australia's exports to the United States. Clearly, our close relationship is an essential pillar of our respective economies.

The strongest bond, however, are the people-to-people links, deep and diverse. We estimate there are upwards of 265,000 Australians in the United States at any one time, and, for over a decade, I was one of them. I know Americans to be some of the friendliest, kindest, thoughtful, generous, hardworking, entrepreneurial and inventive people on the planet. And, as Hoges showed, they love our sense of humour.

We do not see eye to eye on all things. I've been vocal in the past in this chamber and in that country about my abhorrence at their firearms policy and the tragic loss of life each year. Another prominent shooting over the weekend demonstrates the point that guns, even when held by law enforcement officers, rarely prevent further violence and too often they exacerbate it. Nor are we just America's deputy sheriff, as we have been painted in the past, and again in recent times, by some countries. We stand on our own two feet with confidence and certainty in the global arena, and never more than under the leadership of Scott Morrison, who proudly asserts that this government acts in Australia's interest. This includes transparency in the international arena with decisions based on facts. This maturity and independence forges stronger bonds with our friends and will, in time, gain respect from those who oppose us—respect that will lead to better relations.

Again, we stand side by side in times of civil unrest. The Black Lives Matter campaign may have started in Minneapolis with the murder of one defenceless man but it has been echoed around the world as a symbol that time is up for racism and racists in our countries. We both share histories with times that we should never forget; the mistakes made in the past must be recognised, apologies made and lessons learned to guide us to a better future. The fact is that our inability to confront the injustices in our past has led to ongoing disadvantage for our black and Indigenous people. This must be addressed now. We stand with Black America today, just as Peter Norman stood with those great American athletes back in 1968.

I lived for better part of 20 years in the US, particularly in Georgia, where we have just seen the latest shocking violence against a black man, Rayshard Brooks. I arrived there in the middle of the civil rights era and well remember the sense of overdue progress at the time on the national scale but also the microcosm, including the pride we could see when Arthur Ashe became the first black man allowed and then welcomed into the Richmond country club where we were competing in a tennis tournament together.

Huge strides were taken then, and it's obvious that we have come a long way, but there is a long way further to go until we reach equality. These protests provoked by the shocking death of George Floyd have brought back stark memories of Martin Luther King's fight for equality. Can we now stand again together and fight with the same determination, courage and willingness to sacrifice for equality and fairness for all?

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