Tania Lawrence (Hasluck, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To say that we've underestimated and underplayed our relationship with India is an understatement. India is a country to which I've had the good fortune of travelling for business and for pleasure, and it is one that I feel a great affinity for. The electorate of Hasluck is home to more than 5,600 Indian-born Australians and almost 9,000 with a parent from India, and that number is growing. Punjabi was recorded at the last census as the second-most-spoken language in the electorate, having surpassed Italian, which had been in that position for decades. Gujarati and Hindi are also in the top 10, and all are increasing. Vibrant committee groups have established themselves, including the Sikh Gurudwara Perth Bennett Springs, the Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Ellenbrook Punjabi Council and Indian Australian News and Media.

With the enabling legislation for the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement making its way through the House, we have an opportunity to develop the economic and broader aspects of this relationship. When we compare the $240 billion trade relationship Australia has with China with the approximately $24 billion relationship with India, the opportunity is stark and appears enormous. Look at what we share. We meet in democracy with a Westminster flavour, and yet both countries are federations. English is widely spoken in India, and cricket binds us eternally. Since the 2011 census, India has been our No. 1 point of origin for new migrants, after Britain had been the No. 1 point of origin for so long. There are over 100,000 Indian students studying in Australia right now—incidentally making up a great portion of our export figure. Some of them will end up staying here and making a life as new Aussies. Others will return to India and continue to be a connection between our two countries. I am glad that the agreement was signed back in March by the former government, but it was an agreement that took too long—more than 10 years—and was not given the priority that it should have had. We can do better.

The funding in the budget underscores how seriously this government is taking this relationship. There is $115.7 million in the budget for facilitating trade with India, including $42 million for the Centre for Australia-India relations in Parramatta. I'm sure my friend the member for Parramatta will agree that it is a fine location for the centre, with that region's Indian population being amongst the highest in the country.

I would like to see us develop this relationship to the point where we are working in partnership with India and prospering together. I know the Indian diaspora in Hasluck will agree with me. This agreement presents an opportunity for our two great countries to move on from a transactional trade relationship to create a genuine partnership within business and our communities.