Andrew Charlton (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. How is the Albanese government strengthening Australia's relationship with India, and what were some of the outcomes of his meeting with Prime Minister Modi this morning?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta for his question. Indeed, it is a good thing that last night I announced the Centre for Australia-India Relations will be based in Parramatta. We also, together with Prime Minister Modi, unveiled a plaque for the 'Little India' Gateway, which will be there in Harris Park. It will be one of the first 'Little Indias', Prime Minister Modi told me, anywhere in the world. It's a great celebration of our multiculturalism and a great celebration of who we are as a nation. It's a nation where we welcome people from around the world, but we encourage them, as well as to be loyal to Australia, to remember their heritage.

This morning I had a very warm and constructive meeting with Prime Minister Modi. It is the sixth meeting we've had since I became PM. As Prime Minister Modi said, 'In the language of cricket, our ties have entered the T20 mode.' We keep meeting very regularly indeed! Today we agreed to take the Australia India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to a new level in the next decade. We signed the terms of reference for an Australia-India green hydrogen task force, which will be so important for renewables. We also witnessed the signing of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement. This is about promoting the exchange of students, graduates, researchers and businesspeople and also expanding our people-to-people ties and enhancing cooperation in preventing the evil scourge of people smuggling. I was pleased to announce the establishment of a fifth Australian diplomatic presence in India—a consulate general in Bengaluru—as well as to welcome India's plans for a consul general in Brisbane.

These processes are all so important in building relations with the country that now has the world's largest population: some 1.4 billion. Over two-thirds of those 1.4 billion people are under the age of 35. Having one of the world's youngest populations will drive economic growth going forward, so that India will be the third-largest economy in the world. In our region, that presents a real opportunity for us to benefit in a mutual way from this relationship.

I thank Prime Minister Modi very much for his visit. It has been well received by the diaspora here as well. Many members here were present at the rather extraordinary event that took place in Homebush last night.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

on indulgence—I join with the Prime Minister in thanking Prime Minister Modi and his delegation for visiting Australia and for paying honour to the relationship. The relationship with India, when we were in government, was quite extraordinary and productive. I want to acknowledge the work of former Prime Minister Morrison and many on the front bench, including Dan Tehan, who was intimately involved in trade negotiations and created the opportunities which, to the government's credit, they've continued in relation to a number of these announcements.

I was late to question time because I'd been meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Sydney this morning. In a way I wish the meeting had gone on a little longer; I would have avoided a bit more of question time. It was a very cordial and engaging discussion. The wide-ranging topics that we traversed gave an indication of the bipartisan support in the relationship. Prime Minister Modi acknowledged that. Of course, as the Prime Minister points out, it followed on from quite an extraordinary event last night. There were lots of people in attendance from both sides of politics. I said to the Prime Minister this morning that every politician there last night was jealous of the fact that he was able to get 20,000 people chanting his surname in unison on the other side of the world.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't get that?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mainly at Labor Party functions, yes. I thought it was an extraordinary event, and I really acknowledge the work of the Indian community in hosting Prime Minister Modi. We have an amazing diaspora community—people who have contributed in many, many ways to our national life. They are an integral part of Australia not only in the present day but in the future as well.