James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Will the minister advise the Senate on the ways in which Australia is protecting and securing our national interests in a challenging world?

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

I thank Senator Paterson very much for his question and particularly for his interest in these key issues, because it is the case that the Morrison government is delivering clear outcomes in Australia's interests—in the Indo-Pacific, in our bilateral engagement and in our multilateral engagement. As I noted in the Senate yesterday, we're the first country to secure a comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN and have formed CSPs with both India and Malaysia in the last two years alone, as well as our Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership with Papua New Guinea—all key regional relationships. We've seen remarkable progress on the Quad over the past two years, from just the first ministerial in-person meeting in 2019 to realising the historic in-person Quad Leaders' Summit in September of this year. We've advanced our cooperation with Quad partners to make the region stronger, more prosperous and more stable through delivering practical outcomes together with the United States, with Japan and with India.

To enhance our national security for decades to come we have entered a partnership with the United Kingdom and the United States to share technology, including cyber, quantum and artificial intelligence, as well as nuclear propulsion systems for a new fleet of submarines. This is a landmark agreement. Only once before has a country agreed to share such nuclear powered submarine technology with another nation, and that was the United States with the United Kingdom in the 1950s—over six decades ago. These outcomes—bilateral and others—are significant steps in our longstanding partnerships and also cognisant of the changing strategic environment, befitting of the depth of, and our shared interests in, the security and prosperity of our region and the interests of the Australian people.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister, for that answer. Will the minister update the Senate on the importance and role of international engagement and partnerships in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic?

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

I thank Senator Paterson for his supplementary question. The crucial word in our cooperation on the pandemic is 'partnership'—based on the needs and priorities of our partners. Our vaccine partnerships in the Indo-Pacific are not just about the sharing of vaccine doses; they're also about training for health workers, cold-chain equipment provision, public information campaign support, and technical advice, so that vaccines reach the arms of the people who need them the most.

It was thanks to our strong relationships with Poland, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the European Union that the government was able to secure 6½ million vaccine doses to also strengthen our domestic rollout. We're partnering with our neighbours' health systems as well, through Australian medical assistance teams and the supply of equipment such as oxygen concentrators, logistics, and testing and surveillance. Through groups such as the Quad, ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum, we're aligning our responses and coordinating with multilateral initiatives, such as the Covax Facility, in vaccine delivery. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Paterson, a second supplementary question?

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will the minister advise of how Australia is working to cement Australia's and our region's economic recovery from the pandemic?

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

I thank Senator Paterson for his second supplementary question. The government is focused on supporting a regional economic recovery that is underpinned by free and open markets governed by transparent rules. We know that jobs and investment in Australia's economy are linked with those of our region. Australia's Pacific Step-up has expanded and deepened our partnerships in the region, maintaining a record $1.44 billion of development assistance to the Pacific in 2021-22. On 2 November, Australia ratified the RCEP, the world's largest free trade agreement, which will bring together nine of Australia's top 15 trading partners into a single economic framework. Following the signing of our Australia-India CSP in 2020, we've now formally resumed negotiations on a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement with India, deepening bilateral trade with one of our most important Indo-Pacific partners. Under this government, Australia is seen as a reliable, consistent and trusted partner, and our commitment to free and open trade is absolute.