Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the information of members, I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to the 22nd annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 12 to 16 January 2014 and in Mexico City from 16 to 19 January 2014. As leader of the delegation I am pleased to present this report. The delegation members comprised the member for Throsby, Mr Stephen Jones MP, as deputy leader, the Hon. Philip Ruddock MP and Mr Mark Coulton MP and Senator Deborah O'Neill. A delegation from the Australian parliament has participated at every annual meeting of the APPF, as well as the meetings that prepared for the establishment of the forum.

The APPF is an organisation that is relevant to Australia. The countries that participate are significant to our strategic and economic interests and the APPF meeting agenda addresses important issues. All delegates have an opportunity to develop their understanding of these issues and the perspectives of neighbouring parliaments and to reach agreement on the resolutions of the meeting. The 22nd annual meeting was successful: 151 delegates from 21 member countries and one observer country attended. The management of the forum and the organisation arrangements were of a high standard and outcomes were positive and substantive. At the conclusion of each meeting, the leaders of all participating nations signed a joint communique which includes a list of all resolutions adopted by the meeting.

I turn now more specifically to the subject matter of the meeting. There were three broad subject areas on the agenda: politics and security, economic and trade matters and regional cooperation, as well as future work for the APPF. In December 2013 in advance of the annual meeting the Australian delegation proposed resolutions on the following subjects, on which they spoke: strengthening peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region; combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime; trade and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region; cooperation to face climate change outcomes from COP 19; and promoting cooperation in education, culture, science and technology in the Asia-Pacific region. Our delegation members spoke in the plenary on all these topics and negotiated related resolutions through working groups and drafting committees. Mr Ruddock also spoke on the topic of the Middle East peace process. The delegation also participated in all meetings of the drafting committee, where a draft resolutions from the working groups were finalised before they were returned to the plenary and adopted at the final session. Mr Jones and I were the delegation's principal representatives at drafting committee meetings. In the event, the final joint communique of the forum included 22 resolutions, six of which were on the subjects sponsored by Australia. Next year's APPF annual meeting will be held in Ecuador and it will be important that Australia is once again represented strongly at that meeting.

Following the APPF 22 meeting the delegation visited Mexico City for a short bilateral program. During its visit the delegation had the opportunity to develop an understanding of Mexico's economic and security priorities and reform agenda and also learn a little more of Mexico's culture and history. The delegation also visited the headquarters of the Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and learned of its history, role and important work. The delegation considered that the bilateral program was valuable in highlighting elements of existing Australia-Mexico cooperation and opportunities for future collaboration.

I wish to acknowledge the very helpful assistance provided to the delegation in preparation for the meeting. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra assisted us as usual with comprehensive briefing materials, the Parliamentary Library provided helpful briefing material, the International and Community Relations Office provided logistical support, and the delegation appreciates that assistance. In Mexico the ambassador, His Excellency Mr Tim George, deputy head of mission Mr William Bloomfield and other embassy staff provided excellent advice and support both for the APPF meeting and for the bilateral program in Mexico City. I believe the delegation represented the parliament effectively.

Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to place on record my appreciation for the work that we were able to jointly engage in during this important delegation and associate myself with the comments that you have made from the chair, Madam Speaker. Forums such as this are important in enabling members of this place to engage in parliamentary diplomacy, an important factor in ensuring that we make our contribution to peace and stability within our region and economic cooperation between the countries that we represent. You have outlined in your report, Madam Speaker, the six areas that we as delegates from this country contributed to in the debate. I myself spoke on the issue of climate change and the need for Australia to engage with other countries through multilateral fora to ensure that we do everything we can to address this generational challenge. Whilst in this place we have different views on the best means by which we address this important issue, when in international fora we speak with a single voice, and we were able to do that. It was my experience that the Australian delegation acquitted themselves admirably as vigorous participants in all of the debates and in all of the meetings that went on behind the scenes. I say that without exception for all of the members who participated in the delegation.

I want to make special mention, if I may, of the visit to CYMMIT, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. If you had told me at the beginning of the delegation that one of the highlights of the trip would be to visit this particular facility I would have been very surprised indeed, but it was, so I want to place on the record my gratitude to the member for Parkes, as I believe it was his suggestion that we visit this facility. I make two important points: oftentimes Australia's foreign aid contribution is a matter of controversy within this place and within the country at large. But when you visit the wheat and maize improvement institute in Mexico you see the work that is being done with a $48 million contribution over the period of 2012-13 to science, research in genetics in particular, ensuring that we can, for example, produce drought resistant wheat and maize, or corn. These important crops are at the very base of most of the protein that is produced throughout the world and they help to ensure starvation eradication and enable us to deal with climate change. From the fact that 98 per cent of the wheat that is grown in Australia has its genetic origin in the work that is performed by the Wheat and Maize Improvement Center, you can see that the aid we provide is put to a very good use that has direct relevance and direct benefit to things we are doing back here in Australia.

Finally, I will place on the record—and I associate myself with your comments, Madam Speaker—my thanks to the Serjeant-at-Arms, Ms Robyn McClelland, for the excellent work she did in providing secretarial support to the delegation, and to our ambassadorial team in Mexico City, who did an absolutely outstanding job in ensuring that all our needs were met while we were in Mexico City and in Puerto Vallarta. I commend the report to the House.