Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I find Senator Coonan’s attitude disappointing in that she takes such a negative approach to what I thought was a fairly broadly supported desire to improve the engagement of the Asia-Pacific region, to ensure that we work more cooperatively with our neighbours in our mutual interests. We on this side, on the government side, actually think that such engagement is in our mutual interests, and we would urge you to provide the support that I think is warranted for that greater engagement. We face a number of global challenges, be it the financial crisis or climate change, and the government believe working closely with our neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region is in our national interest. I would urge you to join us in that approach.