Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question and say that Australians expect and deserve a government that advances the nation's interests in a mature and serious way, and we've been very pleased to welcome a great number of high-level international visitors here this year, including the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and the foreign minister of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand's newly appointed foreign and defence ministers, 17 international ministers and a head of state at the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, China's foreign minister yesterday, and today and tomorrow the British foreign and defence secretaries. And, of course, earlier this month Australia hosted a dozen world leaders from ASEAN and Timor-Leste at the special summit in Melbourne.

Each visit is an opportunity to advance a more peaceful, stable and prosperous world, one in which we operate by rules, standards and norms, where each country's sovereignty is respected and where each country can pursue its own aspirations. The ASEAN special summit commemorated 50 years since Australia became ASEAN's first dialogue partner, another prescient decision by Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. We agreed with ASEAN leaders a vision statement and a Melbourne declaration setting out practical cooperation and shared aspirations for the future, and there was a lot of discussion about how we boost economic engagement, accelerate the clean energy transition and increase maritime cooperation.

South East Asia will be the world's fourth-largest market after the United States, China and India by 2040. After the neglect of the previous government, the Albanese government is re-engaging with South East Asia. We've launched Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. I thank Nicholas Moore for his work. We are creating opportunities for Australian businesses and jobs to grow. We've announced a $2 billion investment financing facility to boost investment in South East Asia—more trade, more jobs, more business for Australians and a stronger region.