Australia’s live-export supply chains have long been a cornerstone of regional stability, strengthening partnerships in defence, food security, animal welfare and economic cooperation across Asia and the Middle East. The decision to ban live sheep exports risks eroding decades of goodwill, damaging rural communities and weakening Australia’s strategic standing when we can least afford it.

A decade on from ChAFTA’s signing, the dramatic rise in two-way trade, from $98 billion to $330 billion, shows that free trade delivers shared prosperity. Our nations have proven that when economies complement one another and people-to-people ties remain strong, partnership flourishes despite shifting global headwinds.

Labor’s landslide election win was driven less by political strategy and more by voters seeking stability amid global uncertainty, particularly following Donald Trump’s disruptive tariff campaign. Despite Labor’s policy failures and declining popularity just weeks before the election, the global shock pushed voters to stick with the incumbent. The result is not an endorsement of Labor’s record but a demand for steady governance.

Australia should not negotiate with President Trump. We should just ignore him. No gratuitous comments. No supplicant phone calls. No offer of concessions. No response to his illegal tariffs. We are a sovereign nation not to be bullied and intimidated.

President Trump has taken the world back to the 1930’s where depression, unemployment and
growing global conflict was turbo charged by the adoption of protectionist policies across the
developed world.

The undeniable success of free trade is evident in the exponential growth of global prosperity, driven by open markets, comparative advantage, and the removal of protectionist barriers. Yet, while much of the West retreats into protectionism, Asia is forging ahead, embracing agreements like RCEP and CPTPP, fostering unprecedented economic expansion.

It is a great privilege to declare open the 2024 Australia China International Film Festival. The theme of the Film Festival is “Where Dreams Begin”.

Given the mental health crisis facing Australia, the former Federal Coalition Minister, Andrew Robb, today called on all NSW State Parliamentarians to demand urgent amendments to NSW Health Department regulations.

Despite subsequent significant political differences that unfortunately arose between Australia and China, and the prevailing uncertainty, the 50-year development of people-to-people linkages, especially at a commercial level and at the Australian diaspora level, has seen a strong, respectful and prosperous working relationship being maintained between China and Australia.

As a small, open economy international trade and foreign investment has been critical to providing jobs and prosperity by Australians since European settlement over 200 years ago.

There are endless opportunities in Northern Australia; the trick is to have government truly engaged as a partner in attracting the critical investment dollars.