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Meet the most important voice in Australian foreign policy

Meet the most important voice in Australian foreign policy

Economist7 days ago
Penny Wong, Australia's foreign minister, prefers to talk about her job, not herself. Asked what it was like to be in Washington on January 20th, listening to Donald Trump's inaugural polemic against 'woke' politics, the first gay person and first Asian-Australian to hold the office answers by drawing on a different identity. 'I'm a parliamentarian,' she says, 'so the peaceful transfer of power in the world's superpower was quite a moving event.'
Ms Wong's answer reveals a political savvy and quick wit that have made her the most popular minister in Australia's Labor government, re-elected in a thumping of the opposition in May's general election, and the most consequential Australian foreign minister in a generation. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, has little interest in questions of geopolitics, leaving them to Ms Wong and Richard Marles, the defence minister. But Ms Wong's popularity and reputation for mastering her brief means that hers is the most important voice on the big strategic questions.
When Labor returned to office in 2022, Ms Wong inherited a mess. The previous government, a conservative coalition, had turned sharply against China, which in turn had stopped buying Australian commodities or taking its ministers' phone calls. More worryingly, China had signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands on Australia's northern approaches and was looking to rack up more deals with other island states wary of the previous government's refusal to take climate change seriously. The announcement in 2021 of the AUKUS submarine-building pact surprised South-East Asia, which reacted with suspicion.
So the dramatic improvement in relations with the rest of the region has been Ms Wong's big achievement. But what is impressive is that it has been accomplished mainly through her personal diplomacy, without any underlying change in policy. A gruelling travel schedule in her first year on the job took Ms Wong to 18 Pacific Island states and every country in South-East Asia but Myanmar. China has slowly lifted all trade restrictions imposed under the previous government, but Australia has continued to work closely with America to constrain China's regional ambitions. AUKUS remains on the books.
A big part of this has been the rapport with her counterparts in Asia. Ms Wong was born in Malaysia to an ethnic Chinese father and an Australian mother, and lived on the island of Borneo until eight years old. She has begun to talk about this heritage more now, she says, because she wants Asia to see the multicultural society that Australia has become. She was only the second Asian-Australian elected to parliament in 2001. But, she points out, there are now more than a dozen serving. Nor has her sexual identity been a hindrance. One minister from a conservative Muslim country regularly asks after her wife.
Ms Wong's diplomatic skills will be put to the test in her second term. Australia faces a more difficult international situation than during Labor's first three years in office. China continues to bully its neighbours. But now the Pentagon is demanding that Australia sharply increase defence spending, and asking it to commit in advance to fighting alongside America were it to fight China over Taiwan. Many Australians regard this as an affront to their sovereignty. AUKUS hangs in the balance.
Critics say that Ms Wong has not done enough to preserve the alliance with America. She has met Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, twice, but otherwise the government seems to be keeping the Trump administration at arms' length. In a speech in Kuala Lumpur in May, she highlighted Australia's differences with America on trade. Asked whether she fears such talk might lead to a backlash, Ms Wong shrugs. 'I think we have to be who we are.' ■
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Power plays, tax fights and lost voices: PVO reveals what the first week of new parliament tells us
Power plays, tax fights and lost voices: PVO reveals what the first week of new parliament tells us

Daily Mail​

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Power plays, tax fights and lost voices: PVO reveals what the first week of new parliament tells us

Parliament returned this week not with a bang, but with a calculated rhythm. No drama in the numbers, no early leadership tension, and no surprise legislative ambushes. And yet beneath the calm surface, the first full sitting week of this new term - which only included two days of Question Time - revealed a lot. The government was keen to look measured but quietly ruthless, an opposition still licking its electoral wounds was slowly finding its voice, while the crossbenchers immediately discovered just how little leverage they now have, other than the Greens who hold the balance of power in the Senate in their own right. There was strategy at play on all sides: defensive, offensive and performative. And with tax policy fast becoming the next political battlefield during this parliamentary term, the tone may already have been set. What were Anthony Albanese 's priorities? Labor returned to Canberra laser-focused. 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Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal
Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal

South Wales Argus

time22 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal

The Prime Minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime. The UK-India trade deal is understood to be the largest of its kind for its economic impact on Britain. It will see tariffs on an array of British goods reduced from an average of 15% to 3%, with the aim of boosting the £11 billion of imports into the south Asian nation. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, according to the Government, and will fall further over successive years, while other industries including soft drinks, cars and cosmetics are also expected to see cheaper duties. Before his meeting with Mr Modi to confirm the deal, Sir Keir said: 'Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. 'We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.' The deal is expected to result in 2,200 jobs across the country and £6 billion investment by British and Indian businesses. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will 'reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits'. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds (James Manning/PA) He added: 'The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.' The UK and India are also bolstering co-operation on tackling corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal has not given the UK as much access as it would have liked to India's financial and legal services industries. The agreement promises some benefits for the UK's financial services, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves understood to have pushed on behalf of the sector in discussions with her Indian counterpart. But more wide-ranging access was not agreed, and talks continue on a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting British investments in India and vice versa. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. The Prime Minister is being pressed to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal (Family handout/PA) Negotiations on the deal began when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2022, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible 'because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives'. He added: 'Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. 'But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by (Deputy Prime Minister) Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute.' The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the signing 'sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade'. Chief executive Rain Newton-Smith added: 'A trade agreement with India – one of the world's fastest-growing economies – is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage.' Elsewhere, Sir Keir is facing calls to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017, when the Prime Minister meets Mr Modi. The Scottish Sikh is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be 'high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet'.

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal
Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal

Rhyl Journal

time32 minutes ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi set to agree Britain-India trade deal

The Prime Minister and his Indian counterpart also agreed ahead of their meeting on Thursday to ramp up joint efforts to tackle illegal migration and organised crime. The UK-India trade deal is understood to be the largest of its kind for its economic impact on Britain. It will see tariffs on an array of British goods reduced from an average of 15% to 3%, with the aim of boosting the £11 billion of imports into the south Asian nation. Whisky tariffs will be slashed in half, according to the Government, and will fall further over successive years, while other industries including soft drinks, cars and cosmetics are also expected to see cheaper duties. Before his meeting with Mr Modi to confirm the deal, Sir Keir said: 'Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change. 'We're putting more money in the pockets of hardworking Brits and helping families with the cost of living, and we're determined to go further and faster to grow the economy and raise living standards across the UK.' The deal is expected to result in 2,200 jobs across the country and £6 billion investment by British and Indian businesses. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the investment will 'reach all regions and nations of the UK so working people in every community can feel the benefits'. He added: 'The almost £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today will deliver thousands of jobs and shows the strength of our partnership with India as we ensure the UK is the best place in the world to invest and do business.' The UK and India are also bolstering co-operation on tackling corruption, fraud, organised crime and illegal migration, by sharing criminal records and other intelligence. The deal has not given the UK as much access as it would have liked to India's financial and legal services industries. The agreement promises some benefits for the UK's financial services, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves understood to have pushed on behalf of the sector in discussions with her Indian counterpart. But more wide-ranging access was not agreed, and talks continue on a bilateral investment treaty aimed at protecting British investments in India and vice versa. The two nations also continue to discuss UK plans for a tax on high-carbon industries, which India believes could hit its imports unfairly. Negotiations on the deal began when Boris Johnson was prime minister in 2022, and were concluded in May this year. Labour sought to portray closing the deal, as well as trade agreements with the US and the EU, as evidence of the Government's pragmatism and global outlook. But shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said it had only been made possible 'because of Brexit delivered by the Conservatives'. He added: 'Any trade deal that can successfully cut regulation which stops Britain's makers from creating new jobs and wealth will be a step in the right direction. 'But the irony should not be lost on anyone that any gains from this trade deal will be blown out of the water by (Deputy Prime Minister) Angela Rayner's union charter, stifling business with red tape, the jobs tax and, come autumn, Rachel Reeves' inevitable tax hikes that will punish Britain's makers just to reward those who do not contribute.' The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that the signing 'sends a powerful signal that the UK is open for business and remains resolute in its commitment to free and fair trade'. Chief executive Rain Newton-Smith added: 'A trade agreement with India – one of the world's fastest-growing economies – is a springboard for long-term partnership and prosperity. UK firms can take advantage of this new platform to scale, diversify and compete on the global stage.' Elsewhere, Sir Keir is facing calls to raise the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a British citizen who has been detained in India since 2017, when the Prime Minister meets Mr Modi. The Scottish Sikh is accused of being a member of the Khalistan Liberation Force, which is banned as a terror group in India. His family say he is being arbitrarily detained, with his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal insisting the matter should be 'high on the agenda when the prime ministers meet'.

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