Speech
29 May 2009, Adelaide
To the Italian Chamber of Commerce
Introduction
Signore e signori, buona sera a tutti.
Thank you for that kind introduction.
It's a pleasure to be here in Adelaide and to have this opportunity to share a dinner with the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
I thank my colleague Tony Zappia for his kind invitation. Tony has done a great job representing this electorate since winning it at the last election.
His background as mayor of the City of Salisbury, and particularly the work he did on water collection and usage, makes Tony an important contributor to our parliamentary team.
Tony, of course, is also an excellent representative for the Italian Australian community and, more particularly, the Italian community of South Australia.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce is another outstanding part of that community, and I thank them for hosting this evening's dinner.
Robert Berton (President) and his board do a great job in helping facilitate business links between Australia and Italy.
This Chamber, and indeed the network of Italian Chambers across Australia, add real spark to the bilateral trading relationship we have with Italy.
Aside from the professional services the Chamber offers, its work to build people-to-people links adds real strength to the fabric of business networks between Australia and Italy.
I'm also very pleased to see Marco Fedi here tonight and I have been interested to hear his views on Australian-Italian relations and his ideas about how we can do more to build on the strong links between Italians and Australians, particularly in terms of our business connections in what is a difficult time for both countries in dealing with the global economic crisis.
Marco's position, as an Australia-based member of the Italian Parliament is a reflection of the very strong ties Australia's Italian community maintains with Italy.
The ability of Italian citizens living in Australia to vote for a local representative in the Italian Parliament represents a remarkable cross-over between our democracies.
I welcome the energy Marco brings to his role as an Australia-based Italian MP and the work he does to strengthen the social, cultural and commercial ties that link our two countries.
I take this opportunity to pass on to Marco, as a representative of Italy, Australia's heartfelt condolences at the tragic loss of life suffered in L'Aquila earlier this year.
Australians were shocked and saddened to hear of the earthquake and our sympathies are with the many Italians left injured, homeless and bereaved.
Australia and Italy are united by many things but we have been unfortunate to also share the burden of great suffering through natural disaster this year.
The Black Saturday fires near Melbourne and the flooding experienced in New South Wales and Queensland were terrible tragedies, the effects of which we will continue to feel in years to come.
Contribution of Italian-Australians
There can be little doubt that the rich relationship Australia enjoys with Italy owes much to the many thousands of Australians who were born in Italy or are of Italian descent.
The affinity in the broader Australian community for all things Italian is a reflection of the hard work and ingenuity of thousands of Italian migrants and their families.
They have enriched Australian society beyond measure.
Looking back from 2009, it's uncontroversial to say that the large influx of Italians to Australia following the Second World War has been one of the success stories of modern migration.
But it's easy to forget that up until the mid 1960s, Australia's program of planned migration from Europe was carried out under a policy of assimilation.
There was, unfortunately, a mistaken belief in the benefits of cultural homogeneity at that time and immigrants from beyond the British Isles were accepted on the understanding that they would shed their cultures and languages and be assimilated into the host population.
The strength of Italian culture and the contribution of Italian Australians has helped teach this country that cultural diversity and cultural exchange are positive forces in our society.
Italian Australians have made their mark right across Australia and it doesn't bear thinking what this country would be like it without them.
It may be true that the way to a nation's heart is through its stomach and there can be absolutely no doubt of Australia's passion for fine Italian food.
I know my home town of Melbourne would be a vastly inferior culinary landscape without its many Italian restaurants and coffee shops, and the same is true for many Australian cities and towns, from Leichardt to Fremantle to right here in northern Adelaide.
Lygon Street in Melbourne Grinders Coffee Shop, which was opened by Giancarlo Giusti in 1962, and has since expanded to a factory which now supplies coffee beans to Brisbane, Cairns, Perth and Adelaide. While not many cafes of restaurants in Lygon Street used Grinders beans, Guisti is said to have quoted an Italian proverb 'nessuno e profeta nella sua patria' (you have to go beyond your local neighbourhood to do well).
Food, fashion and Ferraris may be the immediate images of Italian culture and influence that spring to mind but the fact is that Italians have contributed to all walks of life in this country.
The fact that names like DiPierdimenico and Giansiracusa roll off our tongues with ease is testament to the vigour with which the Italian community has embraced, and excelled at, Australian sport.
Zampatti, Amorosi and Mercurio are other household names which reflect the strength of the Italian community in other professions.
But as well as being formidable sports people, artists and entertainers, Italians have made lasting contributions to the Australian political and social landscape.
Lygon Street is also home to the Borsari Corner Shop - once a bike shop and now an Italian restaurant, opened by champion Italian Olypmic cyclist Nino Borsari in 1941. The shop claims to have imported the first Italian espresso machine in the 1950s - a revelation indeed for a tea-drinking Melbournians.
Alongside Tony, Italian Australian politicians include Con Sciaca, Lily D'Ambrosio and Anthony Albanese.
In fact, it seems entirely appropriate that Parliament House in Canberra was designed by an Italian, Romaldo Giurgola, and contains a great deal of Italian marble.
Trade
The strength of Australia's Italian community has served as a springboard for the healthy trading relationship we enjoy with Italy.
This is important because, as a nation, we owe much of our prosperity to international trade. With just 22 million people our small domestic economy alone can not support our national prosperity.
Italy is an economic heavyweight, a member and current president of the G8 and the world's seventh largest economy overall. It is therefore a very significant market for Australian goods and services.
Currently, Italy is our fourth largest export market in Europe, with traditional commodity exports such as coal, wool and leather dominating the relationship.
It's been good to see some results for non-traditional exports to Italy over recent years too as items such as fast ferries, food and iron ore have begun to enjoy more success.
I hear, for example, that Italian pasta manufacturers have even begun to use Australian Durum wheat in some of their products. And your own South Australian pasta company San Remo has great success exporting to Italy.
As Trade Minister, what I would like to see now is a broadening of our bilateral relationship to encompass a lot more investment and trade in services. The nature of international trade has changed over recent years, meaning investment flows are now crucial, as are services.
Italy and Australia are modern economies with large service sectors. Australia's services sector accounts for 78% of GDP, 78% of gross industry value added and 60% of investment.
More than 80% of Australian firms are services firms but very few of them have expanded into overseas markets.
Tourism, sporting and cultural links between our two countries are strong. So too is education. In fact, my university, Monash, has a campus in Prato, just outside Florence.
I know that Australia is an attractive base for Italian companies looking to expand into Asia and I hope this will lead to more opportunities for Australian firms offering professional services to engage with Italian firms. We need to advance the relationship between Italians and Australian and take advantage of what I see as a rare bond that we share.
The Australian Government supports business and we support exporters.
Our recent budget measures, in particular, were designed to give businesses a boost and to develop vital infrastructure that will improve export opportunities into the future.
We also announced an additional $50 million in 2008-09 for the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme, administered by Austrade, to help small and medium sized Australian businesses maintain market share overseas and support Australian jobs.
It's good to know that an organisation like the Italian Chamber of Commerce is complementing the Government's work by facilitating links with Italian businesses.
The personal connections the Chamber establishes through its members are crucial when businesses are looking for new opportunities.
Australia has every reason to capitalise on our strong Italian communities and connections by working to boost our trade and investment relationship with Italy.
I thank you once again for the important role you play in Australian-Italian relations and for inviting me to speak to you this evening.
Grazie e buon appettito
[ends]
Media Inquiries: Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555