Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I must be having hearing difficulties today, Mr President; it comes with age, I'm sure. But let me start at the beginning. I'd be very happy to send Senator Wong the collected works so that she had ready access to a vast range of remarks! In fact, Senator, I'll have it dropped down to the chamber for you any time—and in fact I'll even table it, if that would assist you with your consideration.

I think what the Australian government has clearly set out—and, indeed, what the Prime Minister talked about at the Lowy Institute—was prosecuting a case for our national interest, and that includes through multilateral institutions. As you know, the Prime Minister instituted the multilateral audit and asked my Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to carry out that audit. Part of that process has meant examining over 100 multilateral institutions, processes and fora, and that has underpinned everything that we have done. What the audit findings have shown us is the value of focusing on our national interest and ensuring that, in doing so, we work within the appropriate systems to achieve outcomes for Australia in our national interest, which should always be the premise upon which—