House debates

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Questions without Notice

International Relations: Australia and India

2:05 pm

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I want to join with the Acting Prime Minister, endorsing his words and wishing the Prime Minister and the delegation every success in what is a crucial opportunity for both of our countries. As the Acting Prime Minister pointed out—I can't say 'Acting Prime Minister' enough, of course, Richard!—the relationship between our two countries is certainly based on our mutual respect for the game of cricket. But it's so much more than that.

When you look at the diaspora community here, there are young students who are escaping poverty and creating a life here in Australia that couldn't have been imagined a generation ago, or two generations ago. The opportunity that they're bringing to their children and their grandchildren, and the role that we play here in that story, is a remarkable one. I want to pay tribute to all Australians of Indian heritage, because they are entrepreneurial, they work hard, they educate their children and they're an integral part of Australian society. Prime Minister Modi points out in discussions the opportunity to export that talent from India into countries like ours.

We will be anxious about the first and second days. For all the cricket tragics in this place, we haven't seen too much cricket in days 3 and 4 in the recent past. I hope that we can tidy it up in the last session of the second day, but we'll see. But we do wish the Prime Minister every success in this opportunity between our two countries.

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