Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the 'EU-Australia Leadership Forum' was launched by Minister Bishop at Parliament House on 18 October 2016 following the European Union in Brussels, presented by Minister Bishop and European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini on 8 September 2016;

(b) the Forum will bring together a broad representation of talented individuals in government, business, academic and civil society from both Australia and the European Union to discuss common challenges and opportunities;

(c) Australia and the European Union are liberal democracies that share unwavering commitment to the rule of law and open markets to secure peace and prosperity for their citizens; and

(d) the Australian Government intends to encourage closer economic cooperation with the European Union through the negotiation of a European Union-Australia Free Trade Agreement; and

(2) welcomes these positive developments in the European Union-Australia relationship.

The personal links between Australia and the European Union are deep-rooted and profound. Over the past two centuries, from every corner of Europe, immigrants have come to Australia and contributed to our culture and our way of life. Just as important have been the Australians who have journeyed to Europe and returned. From the First Australian Imperial Force to the backpackers who travel today for work and new experiences, Australians have visited Europe and forged links between our continents that will never be forgotten.

Today, our respective peoples share a fundamental commitment to core values. The nations that gave us the Magna Carta, the Enlightenment and the Geneva Conventions believe unswervingly, as we do, in democracy, freedom and the rule of law. In the future, in this ever-increasingly uncertain world, close cooperation between Australia and the European Union is going to be critical to our security and our prosperity. According to the Institute of Studies on Conflicts and Humanitarian Action, the combined military resources of the European Union represent the second-most-powerful armed force on earth, while its combined GDP is more than US$16 trillion. As was demonstrated last year in the release of the new Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union, the member states of the union use and will continue to use this power and influence in the pursuit of objectives that are closely aligned to our own.

In the fight to defeat Daesh and prevent international terrorism, we work together through Europol and the Australia-Europe Counter Terrorism Dialogue. We cooperate as part of the anti-Daesh coalition and in the International Syria Support Group. In opposing Russia's expansionist actions in recent years, Australia and the European Union have been united in condemnation and in the imposition of sanctions. Closer to Australia, in the South China Sea, the European Union has added its considerable weight to our own calls for all parties to resolve their disputes by peaceful negotiation, while on North Korea the EU has led in seeking strong sanctions to restrain that country's aggressive and dangerous nuclear weapons program.

In economics, the EU is already our second-largest trading partner and the single largest source of foreign investment into our country. At a time when, in some parts of the world, there is an emerging sense of disillusionment with globalisation and an enthusiasm for protectionism, the continent of Adam Smith remains committed to the building of prosperity for all through liberalised international trade. With 500 million people, political stability and US$16 trillion in GDP, this will always be a market that Australian businesses want the best possible access to.

This government recognises the critical importance of the EU-Australia partnership to our future and has taken active steps to create ever-closer links. The Minister for Foreign Affairs should be commended by the House for her work in driving forward this agenda and building the strong relationships we need with the EU decision makers.

The EU-Australia Leadership Forum is just such a relationship-building initiative. Great ideas come from collaboration. By working together and sharing and developing our visions at an early stage, we can diversify and intensify our partnership with the EU. That is what this initiative will achieve. The project is unique among the EU's diplomatic activities. No government other than ours has forged this link. It is generously funded by the European Union, with a grant of nearly $3 million. Over the next three years, the EUALF will bring together key European and Australian leaders from government and opposition, business, media, education and civil society to provide input and ideas on growing our relationships in the future. The project's multi-stakeholder steering committee has already met for the first time, while the first meeting of the full forum will take place in Sydney between 2 and 6 June this year.

This government also has the foresight to recognise the importance of the next generation in continuing this ongoing work. That is why the project includes a second stream: the Emerging Leaders' Forum. This will bring together young and energetic professionals, MPs, academics and policymakers from both Australia and Europe to engage in discussions around the future of the EU-Australia relationship. They will contribute their ideas and recommendations to the Senior Leaders' Forum. The government should be commended for this successful, ongoing work.

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