Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 39th AIPA General Assembly held in Singapore in September 2018. I ask leave of the House to make a short statement in connection with the report.

Leave granted.

I'm pleased to speak to the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 39th AIPA General Assembly. I was the deputy leader of the Australian delegation to this year's general assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, which was held in Singapore in September. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the leader of the Australian observer delegation, whom I travelled with, the President of the Senate, for his contribution to the visit. The interest of the President, Mr Ryan, in the region proved to be very valuable during our formal and informal discussions and meetings.

The 39th general assembly was an important occasion for AIPA and for Singapore and an opportunity for meaningful engagement and discussion between the Australian observer delegation and the countries of ASEAN. It was a pleasure to participate in the general assembly, representing Australia as an observer country, and to discuss the interests and concerns that are shared with all the countries in our region. The delegation enabled us to reaffirm the very valuable relationships and cooperation which Australia has with ASEAN, to establish friendships with other parliamentarians in the region and to learn more about individual nations and cultures et cetera.

The theme of the 39th AIPA General Assembly was 'Towards a resilient and innovative community'. It was noted during the assembly that the success of ASEAN over the past 50 years can be largely attributed to its ability to continually evolve, and this includes the establishment of an ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. It was agreed that this year's theme of the general assembly enhanced the community building efforts, and it's clear that AIPA member countries are committed to reaching the goals of the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025.

The dialogue session with us, Australia, was well attended by parliamentarians from the ASEAN nations and provided an opportunity to hold constructive discussions on climate change and active ageing. At this forum, it was agreed that climate change is a major threat to the region and beyond, and that combatting it must begin at the highest levels. It was noted that an ageing population is also a significant issue throughout the region; however, it was agreed that living longer should not be viewed as a problem but rather as a blessing. We will be judged by future generations on how we treat the environment and our elderly.

The leader of the delegation was given the opportunity to officially meet not only the Speaker of Singapore but also the President of Singapore, which I am sure were highlights of the trip. The delegation also welcomed the opportunity to meet privately with the Secretary General of AIPA and attend side meetings, which were kindly arranged by the Australian High Commission in Singapore. In addition to the formal meetings and dialogues, the social functions of the assembly were quite enjoyable opportunities to engage with our neighbouring parliamentarians. Additionally, appreciation was expressed for Australia hosting in March 2018 the first ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Sydney.

Australia is clearly held in very high regard by the countries in our region. Many parliamentarians from ASEAN nations have a strong connection to Australia. They either have family living here in Australia, have themselves lived here in Australia or have family members studying here in Australia. Throughout the general assembly the delegation was very warmly received. On behalf of the delegation, I'd like to record thanks to host nation Singapore for its friendly hospitality and the professional organisation of the 39th AIPA General Assembly. I believe the 39th AIPA General Assembly presented a valuable forum for the further strengthening of bonds between the parliaments of ASEAN, encouraging cooperation and understanding on the many issues that face us all in the region.

I'd also like to say a special thank you to Sarah Fielder, our secretary, who ensured that we were on time and did all the logistics for the conference. Without her help and support I'm sure it would have been much harder for us, so a big thank you to Sarah Fielder. I commend the report to the House.