Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please outline to the House how the Morrison government's recent engagement with international allies and partners advanced our national interests, including through cooperation on the global recovery from COVID-19 and promoting security in the Indo-Pacific?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I thank the member for Wentworth for his question. He understands, like so many in this place and in the chamber, that Australians' safety, security and prosperity depend on our working together with our like-minded partners and allies both within our region and further afield. The recent G7-plus dialogue, or D11 as Prime Minister Johnson referred to it, provided another significant opportunity for Australia to be round the table when there couldn't have been a more important time to be round that table, dealing with the challenges of COVID, the recession that it has caused, the strategic issues that present in the Indo-Pacific. All of these are some of issues that need to be addressed globally as well as regionally and, indeed, by Australia. In those meetings we were able to work together to address the COVID response globally. Australia committed another 20 million doses as part of the G7 initiative to support the work of like-minded countries around the world, assisting developing countries. We worked together on technology solutions to address the new energy economy. Practical hydrogen partnerships were secured with Japan, with Germany and with Singapore, which was secured on the way to the G7.

We worked together to open up new trade opportunities, with an in-principle agreement on the new free trade agreement with the United Kingdom, which will see beef exports go from 3.5 kilotonnes of beef per year to 35,000 tonnes, or 35 kilotonnes, a year in just about 12 months time. These are big changes that are going to open up new markets and opportunities for Australian producers as well as opening up our service economies to support both of our growing economies. It was also about ensuring we work together to make sure that the rules of international trade work. Australia is a trading nation and the rules of law, as they apply to international trade, are vital. There were important breakthroughs in improving the work of the World Trade Organization and particularly its appellate structures, which have been dysfunctional for some time. We need those structures to be put back in place, and there was strong agreement on the need to progress those issues, which is in Australia's interest.

We worked together also on deepening our defence and security partnerships. This has been highlighted most recently by the joint exercises between France and Australia with the LHD Tonnerre and the frigate Surcouf travelling through the South China Sea together with HMAS Anzac and HMAS Sirius. This will be followed up by the UK carrier group, with HMS Queen Elizabeth joined by the German frigate Bayern. This partnership, together with the broader defence deepening of technology partnerships with the United Kingdom and the United States, will work to ensure Australia's security both in the region and more globally. Finally, we're working together to strengthen the multilateral system in which we play a part, particularly the OECD, where I had the good opportunity to meet with the new Australian Secretary-General. (Time expired)