18 June 2009
Interview: Radio Australia, Pacific Beat with Jemima Garrett
Topics: PACER Plus negotiations, Pacific Island Forum leaders' meeting.
INTRODUCTION: In a joint statement, ministers from the Pacific Islands and Australia and New Zealand announced they will immediately set up an office of the chief trade advisor to help the Pacific nations develop their negotiating positions. Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean, went into the meeting strongly in favour of starting negotiations this year. He's just spoken to Jemima Garrett who asked him just how difficult was it for the ministers to come to this decision.
SIMON CREAN: It wasn't difficult because I think that we had put in a lot of work over the last 12 months to addressing concerns, misconceptions - some deliberate distortions, I might add, in certain quarters - but we've now had a number of informal meetings of ministers. I think what's been built up now is a level of trust, a frankness, a directness in our conversation and these are all vital ingredients for going forward with what is going to be now the difficult part.
I think this was a very difficult hurdle to get through because there was a lot of uncertainty about this. All we were seeking was a commitment to commence, but the test of this is going to be how well we work at it together - but what I must say is very pleasing from today was not just the outcome but a genuine desire collectively to want to make this work.
JEMIMA GARRETT: Are all the ministers attending the meeting there in Apia happy with this decision?
SIMON CREAN: They are all very happy. There was a very long discussion today about the issues. As I say, the frankness resolved a lot of the outstanding issues. It was adopted not only unanimously but with great applause.
JEMIMA GARRETT: Some countries did come to the meeting with concerns. What changed their minds?
SIMON CREAN: I think the fact that we're prepared to sit down and address those concerns, that we've said we always were prepared to do. I think what it highlights is the fact that we need to keep engaged at the ministerial level and that's why we've committed, based on the assumption that the leaders will accept this recommendation in Cairns to commence PACER negotiations. We've agreed to meet again once the chief trade advisor has been appointed, to map out a strategy going forward.
JEMIMA GARRETT: Now, that was another important decision of this meeting, that the chief trade advisor be established immediately. How long will it be before that office is up and running?
SIMON CREAN: Well, we've got to go out to advertising and seek expressions of interest but we want to try and do that if we can by the time the leaders meet in Cairns in August.
JEMIMA GARRETT: You've made an announcement about help Australia is willing to give for capacity building. What does that involve, exactly?
SIMON CREAN: See this is the important part. PACER-Plus isn't just a trade agreement. The "plus" is about capacity building and we want to put substance into the "plus". The SPARTECA agreement, which was a trade liberalisation commitment to open markets to Pacific Islands in Australia and New Zealand, of itself is not enough. Unless you're building the capacity of nations to become competitive, to invest in their skills, to invest in infrastructure, to build capacity, they're not going to be easily able to take advantage of the market liberalisation so our commitment today in terms of capacity building measures demonstrates that whilst we want to encourage trade we realise there's got to be aid for trade, that we've got to develop the capacity of nations to effectively and better be able to trade.
JEMIMA GARRETT: Finally, there were a number of people in non-government organisations and other places around the Pacific who were concerned about going into formal negotiations. What would you say to those people who had worries?
SIMON CREAN: I say to them: don't be concerned and don't raise the fears. Of course there are issues that have to be addressed and concerns that have to be addressed but let's look to the opportunity.
I'm certain that all of us share the aspiration to build the economic capacity of the region, to build job opportunity in the region. That's what this agreement can enable us to do. There's the political will to make it happen and now the basis exists for us to go forward and try and achieve that outcome.
CONCLUSION: Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean, speaking to Jemima Garrett from the Pacific trade ministers' meeting in Apia.
[ENDS]
Media Inquiries: Minister's office, Clinton Porteous 0403 369 588 - Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555.