Gary Hardgrave (Moreton, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister advise the House how last week’s successful APEC leaders summit in Sydney has advanced Australia’s national interest?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The APEC meeting in Sydney last week was a great success. It was a good meeting for Australia. It was a meeting that put the best aspects of our nation on display: our openness, our friendliness and our modernity. Any of those associated with it—and many people on both sides of the House were associated with the gathering and the attendant bilateral visits—would know what a great success it was.

By far the most important statement to come out of the APEC meeting was the Sydney declaration, which, for the first time, joined China and the United States—the two major emitters of greenhouse gases—in a commitment to work towards an aspirational goal to contain the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. It also contained a quite specific commitment to a 25 per cent decrease in energy intensity within the APEC area by 2030 and a 20-million-hectare increase in forest cover by 2020. The APEC meeting also called on those nations who can make the biggest difference to work towards a successful outcome to the Doha Round and stressed the importance of reaching agreement on that multilateral trade approach. There were also some key decisions made regarding the institutional arrangements within APEC, including a policy support unit and increased budgetary contributions.

There were a number of very important bilateral visits: from the President of the United States, the President of the Russian Federation—the first ever Russian head of state to visit Australia—the President of China and of course today a bilateral visit to Canberra from the Prime Minister of Canada. Overall, it was by far the most important international gathering held in this country. It was a great success, a reminder that the future of this country lies very much in the Asia-Pacific region and a thumping endorsement of the capacity of this country to deal productively, simultaneously and in a very positive fashion with the great trading and defence powers of the world—the United States and China—and also with our other neighbours in the region. Indeed, it was a meeting that did Australia proud and a meeting that did Sydney proud.

I take this opportunity to thank all members of the APEC Taskforce, led by Mr Alan Henderson of my department, for their work. I thank the New South Wales government for its cooperation, and I congratulate the New South Wales Police on their handling of the security arrangements.