Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson. Boris is a good friend to Australia who I believe will bring our two nations even closer together. He lived here briefly as a young man, in the seat of Indi, in fact, where he taught the great triad of Latin, English and physical education at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar. Recently, as foreign secretary he did much to build a strong relationship between our two nations. His tenure included announcements to increase the UK's involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, with new diplomatic posts in Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu; and plans for the Royal Navy to have a greater presence in the South China Sea. I for one welcome this commitment to our region from Australia's oldest friend and ally. Boris comes to the prime ministership during one of the most fraught chapters in modern British history. He faces the great challenge of delivering Brexit and uniting his country.

In Mandurah, in my electorate, more than 12 per cent of my constituents were born in the UK. Over 17 per cent have one parent born in the UK. I know they follow their mother country very closely, having made the personal Brexit themselves to down under. On behalf of Canning, I say: congratulations, Boris; we are gunning for you as you navigate the ship of state through the difficult shoals ahead.