Josh Wilson (Fremantle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report entitled Visit by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to India and Singapore 10 to 16 December 2023.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—It was a privilege to lead the delegation of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to India and Singapore in December last year and to have as a member of that delegation my good friend the member for Spence. Australian's engagement with the Indo-Pacific region, and certainly with those two nations, has grown substantially in recent years. They are relationships of great significance to Australia. Without doubt, a key theme of that growth has been the bilateral, regional and plurilateral treaties and agreements which Australia and Indo-Pacific nations have together forged.

The delegation's visit to India and Singapore allowed members of the committee to discuss and examine firsthand the impacts of the various treaties and agreements which are shaping our engagement and collaboration. Our visit was guided by special focus on several agreements which have recently entered into force, such as the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, the Australia-India Audiovisual Co-Production Agreement, the Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement and the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement.

In India, we visited Kolkata, where we met with a range of importers and retailers to discuss the benefits of the Australia-India economic cooperation agreement, including importers of Australian pulses, retailers selling a range of Australian products and the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. While businesses had clearly seen the benefits of tariff reductions which were front loaded under the agreement, it was clear that small and medium enterprises were not as aware of the benefits the agreement could create. There's nothing strange about that, and we note that awareness raising for this sector both in Australia and elsewhere should always be a priority.

During our time in Kolkata, we were able to visit members of the thriving Bengali film industry. Bengali is one of the largest language groups on the planet, and that industry is centred in the neighbourhood of Tollygunge and is known as Tollywood, as you might expect. We met with representatives of the local film industry, and we were able to see a surprisingly tram based tribute to Australian horror movies while taking part in discussions about how the 2023 Audiovisual Co-Production Agreement enables greater co-investment, creative collaboration and broader cultural exchange between our two countries.

Travelling to New Delhi, the delegation shifted focus to examine and discuss the significant tertiary education market opportunities that exist in India and the enormous potential growth in wine exports. As part of our time in Delhi, we very much valued meeting Mr Mahesh Jethmalani, a member of the Rajya Sabha—or upper house—of the Indian parliament. We were fortunate to attend the first official public address by Australia's High Commissioner, Mr Philip Green OAM, in which he spoke of maritime cooperation, two-way trade and investment in green energy transformation, as well as a range of focus areas for our burgeoning relationship with India.

Singapore and Australia have a deep and longstanding relationship which encompasses trade, education, arts, tourism, green energy, defence and security. Notably, last year marked 20 years since the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force. In that context it was very helpful to benefit from in-depth briefings with the High Commissioner, Allaster Cox, in relation to the next stages of Australia and Singapore's comprehensive partnership. The delegation also participated in a wide-ranging discussion with the Singapore ministry of trade on a range of economic and green energy measures, including ways to improve Singaporean investment into Australia. It was a special privilege for all of us to visit the Singaporean parliament and call on the Speaker of the Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng, who spoke warmly of the strong relationship between our countries. On one afternoon of heavy clouds, it was an honour for the delegation to attend, learn about and lay a wreath at Kranji War Cemetery, a sombre and beautiful place of commemoration for the Australian servicemen and women who lost their lives in the course of duty during World War II.

I want to acknowledge the participation of my fellow delegation members, especially the member for Spence and also Senator Canavan from the other place. I thank them for their thoughtful, hardworking and collegiate participation in what was a packed and fast-moving program. We were provided with excellent support from DFAT, both in India and Singapore. In addition to High Commissioners Green and Cox, we appreciated the in-country assistance of Ms Rowan Ainsworth, the Consul-General in Kolkata; Mr Tom Overton-Smith in New Delhi; Mr Alistair Davis in Singapore; and Mr Ivan Caran from the Australian Federal Police. I also express our appreciation for the excellent planning and preparation undertaken by Renae Onitiri in the International Parliamentary Relations Office and, of course, the work of the JSCOT secretariat, especially our secretary, Pauline Cullen, who accompanied and supported the delegation. I commend the report to the House.