Bridget Brennan: Let's turn to politics now because trade, education and security will be on the agenda as the Prime Minister sits down with 11 leaders from across Southeast Asia for ASEAN today.
Let's get more and bring in the Federal Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell. Welcome back to the show.
Minister for Trade: Nice to be with you, Bridget.
Bridget Brennan: Well, we know our engagement and our diplomatic relationships with Southeast Asian countries is going to be really central into the future. Is there a sense, though, that we haven't yet harnessed some of the opportunities in terms of trade and economic development in the region?
Minister for Trade: Bridget, I think you're spot on there. I think too often in the past we've flown over Southeast Asia to deliver goods into China, into Japan, into South Korea, and we haven't spent enough time in an area much closer to Australia, namely Southeast Asia. So, after the Albanese Government was elected in 2022, we set out a program to try and build our trade relationship with Southeast Asia. We've got lots of advantages, obviously proximity is one of them, a very reliable route for supply chains and also large numbers of Southeast Asian migrants who've come to Australia; Filipinos, Indonesians, Vietnamese, the Thais. So, we've got those people to people links and, in the past, we just haven't done enough with those.
So, the reason the Prime Minister is now up in ASEAN, in Malaysia, is to try and build on those existing links, to try and do more with trade. This is an area of the world with 700 million people. By the end of the decade, they'll be the fourth largest region economically in the world. The Americans are there, the Europeans are there, Australia should be there. And of course, that's why the Prime Minister is devoting his time to building those people to people links, but also the trade links.
Bridget Brennan: What else can you do to encourage investment and export from Australian businesses?
Minister for Trade: Well, just turning up is one of those ways of doing that. I was there a couple of weeks ago at the ASEAN Trade Ministers Conference. Every minister was there and lots of ministers from other parts of the world, America, Europe, were there. So, people understand just how important this region is. It's a growing area of prosperity. What we know is when the prosperity of people rises, so does their demand for higher quality food and wine. And of course, who's perfectly placed to deliver that higher quality food and wine but Australia? And so, we've got to build that link with the agriculture sector, but also investment. This is a growing area for renewables. There's an opportunity for us to invest in this region. There's some big projects like the Sun Cable. A cable delivering renewable energy from Darwin into Singapore. Lots of other potential investments, and we have to take advantage of that.
Bridget Brennan: How do we see Australia's position in the region in the event of any escalating conflict between different nations, and some of the tension between the US and China? What is Australia's role? Is that something that's being discussed this week at ASEAN?
Minister for Trade: Look, we want a peaceful region. We've seen the conflict in the Middle East, we've seen the conflict in Europe. We don't want conflict in our region. And one way to avoid conflict is to increase the prosperity of our region. How do we do that? Well, free and fair trade does that precisely. And so, we want to build those strong links, build those trading opportunities. Part of my job, Bridget, is to try and push Australian companies out the door and into the region to take advantage of this growing prosperity in Southeast Asia. If you're an outward-facing Australian business, then your profits are likely to be higher, but also the wages of your staff are likely to be higher. So, there's great opportunities there to take advantage of this improving prosperity. And, I think the more we can engage economically with the region then the more peaceful our region is going to be. And that's the way the Albanese Government would like to see it.
Bridget Brennan: And Minister, on another issue of concern for a lot of Australian families - outside your portfolio, but I hope you won't mind me asking about the increased revelations from Four Corners reporting into the childcare systems around Australia. We can see that there are nefarious characters targeting childcare centres, that there is a very concerning amount of abuse happening in some childcare centres around Australia. Surely you must be looking at more reform in this area?
Minister for Trade: Look, the Government is obviously very concerned about these developments and what's been disclosed on Four Corners. We will have more to say about that issue as the days and the weeks are ahead.
Bridget Brennan: The Centre for Public Integrity says the Albanese Government has dropped the ball on integrity and transparency. It's issuing its latest report on a number of key measures for accountability and transparency. This was something you campaigned so heavily on at the previous election. Is it just not palatable to pursue some of those reforms that you'd promised?
Minister for Trade: Look, I just don't agree with that assessment, Bridget. Can I just talk about one area, which is my area of electoral reform? At the next election, all donations that are going to be made to any political candidate above $5,000 must be fully disclosed. Previously, the amount was $17,000. So, we have significantly dropped that money. More importantly, those donations have to be disclosed before the election. So, every single donor who makes a donation above $5,000 will have to be disclosed before the next election. Now, I'd say that was a very significant transparency issue. And for the first time, when you go in to vote at the next election, you'll know exactly who is supporting the candidate you're contemplating voting for. So, that's just one example, I think, of where this Government has been very transparent and will continue to be very transparent.
Bridget Brennan: All right, Don Farrell, thanks for your time today and have a nice morning.
Minister for Trade: Same to you, Bridget.