Steve Georganas (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This Albanese Labor government has given extreme significance and importance to our relationships with our international partners, especially with the United States. We have rebuilt—we have spent nearly the last two years rebuilding—our relationships that needed to be restored and Australia's international reputation by recognising and acting on climate change. We've rebuilt our diplomatic capability and demonstrated leadership in the multilateral system and on global issues. This Albanese government has restored our relationships with France—as we heard from the member for Parramatta earlier—and concluded a roadmap to an enduring and positive partnership with them.

Australia is a trusted partner of Europe, and nothing underscores this more than being one of NATO's partners. We are valued for our insights in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, as one of NATO's partners in the Indo-Pacific, we were able to attend as observers the 75th NATO Summit. This underscores our importance, and it does so because we're valued for our knowledge and our work in the Indo-Pacific. We know that developments in the Indo-Pacific could quite easily affect Euro-Atlantic security. So the strong relationships this government is building and has built around the globe help us to address the world's challenges and the challenging strategic circumstances of our time.

When it comes to the US alliances, we know that there is nothing more important on the international sphere. We heard this morning that Prime Minister Albanese rang Mr Trump and congratulated him. We look forward to working with the Trump administration, as we've worked with the Biden administration, as we've worked with the Obama administration, as we've worked with the Bush administration. Regardless of who was in government here and regardless of who the presidential players were in the United States, our relationship and friendship and our alliance are far stronger than individuals, and it will continue to get stronger. Australians and Americans are great friends, and we all heard in different speeches on both sides of the House here today of those dark times in World War II, where Darwin was bombed and we had foreign submarines on our shores. Australia was under real threat at that time, and it was the Americans that came to our rescue. Therefore, in that particular moment, there was a friendship and a bond that was secured between the United States and Australia. It has continued, it is growing strong and it will grow stronger.

Our nations are bound by a history of shared sacrifice and commitment to common values and, above all, that respect and affection between our people. Recently, AUKUS is a huge, huge issue in my electorate—a huge issue of importance—because it is a partnership that's focused on enhancing regional stability and safeguarding a secure and stable Indo-Pacific while setting the highest standards of nuclear nonproliferation. Through AUKUS, Australia seeks to replace the existing capability with a new capability of nuclear-powered submarines. But, also, it is so important to South Australia, my own home state, and to my own city of Adelaide because of the high-tech technology and jobs that it will create, and it is already doing that. So, as a South Australian, I know the importance of the alliance, and I know the importance of the partnership, but, more so, I know the importance of the future—creating jobs and creating a great economy for our nation and specifically for South Australia. Already we're seeing companies and businesses set up in South Australia, businesses. I have Lot 14 in my electorate. Cutting-edge research is being done there, and this is due to the capabilities that Australia will be able to get in the future. We're talking about approximately 30,000 jobs being created.

It gives me great pleasure to know that last year both sides of the United States Congress—both Democrats and Republicans—voted for the AUKUS legislation. That shows great support from the US for the AUKUS partnership, which also has great support here in Australia. (Time expired)

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