Ex-PM Morrison urges strong US alliances over China
"This is as true in the economic sphere as it is in the security sphere," Morrison said in a rare appearance by a country's former leader before Congress.
He shared with the House Select Committee on China his experience of coping with the country's trade punishments - including restrictions on imports of Australian wine, barley and more - when his government called for an independent inquiry into the origin of COVID-19.
Morrison, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, said US allies and partners can be tapped to build an alternative supply chain of rare earths, used in technology such as smartphones.
For such alliances and partnerships to work, "there has to be a strong core, and that requires a strong America," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
9 minutes ago
- West Australian
Teal urges bold changes for Australia's future
The Albanese government should use its term in office to implement long-term reform like those led by visionary prime ministers of the past, a new independent MP says. Nicolette Boele, who won the once-safe Liberal seat of Bradfield on Sydney's north shore, called for MPs to be bold and brave in their decision-making in the next three years. Ms Boele won the former blue-ribbon seat by just 26 votes in one of the closest results in Australian election history, with the final outcome going down to a recount. In her maiden speech to parliament, she said big reforms similar to John Howard's gun restrictions and Gough Whitlam's Medicare are necessary to ensure long-term systemic issues are dealt with. "Politics as usual isn't working," Ms Boele told the House of Representatives on Monday. "Difficult decisions are delayed until the failure to act ushers in disastrous consequences, at which point a royal commission is called for, a referendum sought, or a plebiscite scheduled, or important decisions are made in the dark. "Independents like me have been elected to put people back into the process of creating our future. This is how we fix things." However, the independent's future in the parliament remains under a cloud, with her Liberal opponent Gisele Kapterian launching a petition with the High Court to overturn the tight result. While Ms Kapterian won the first count in Bradfield by eight votes, the recount put Ms Boele ahead by 26. The independent did not mention the court challenge in her speech, instead talking about her family who spurred her on to become who she is. Ms Boele spoke of her parents' arrival from the Netherlands and their initial confusion at Australian customs. "Like so many in this nation, when they arrived, there were challenges fitting in, finding their tribe and that sense of belonging," she said. "For my mum, it was finally being invited by school mums to join a morning tea and being told to bring a plate, which she did, literally." Before entering parliament, Ms Boele worked in finance and the clean energy sector for three decades.
Perth Now
9 minutes ago
- Perth Now
‘Trusted name': Defunct airline's return
More than 20 years after closing its doors, Ansett is back – this time, as an AI-powered travel agency. Ansett Airlines – later Ansett Australia – served as the country's second-largest since 1936 before it was placed into voluntary administration and ceased operations in 2002, resulting in a loss of 16,000 jobs. Before its closure, the airline was once a mainstay of Australian culture as one of the major sponsors of the AFL and the major sponsor for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Ansett Australia ceased operations in 2002. Credit: Supplied Last month, Melbourne entrepreneur Constatine Frantzeskos announced the airline's return as an AI-powered travel agency after 'the famous Ansett trademark had lapsed'. 'Ansett is back – reborn as Australia's first truly AI-run travel agency,' he wrote on LinkedIn. 'I registered the trademark, created a fleet of AI agents, and – thanks to a tech integration with Travlr – have now turned Ansett into a one-founder online travel agency.' The Ansett Travel website is powered by AI and designed to offer a 'personalised' experience. 'We use a combination of large language models, recommendation systems, and predictive pricing engines,' the website read. 'Our AI helps personalise your journey, surface better deals faster, and automate the back-end processes that traditional OTAs still handle manually.' According to the company's website, the travel agency operates with 500 airlines and three million hotels and aims to '(revive) a trusted name' and '(give) it a new identity'. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Frantzeskos said Ansett Travel was 'building the personal travel agent of the future'. The Ansett brand is making a comeback – this time as an AI-powered travel agency. Credit: Supplied According to the website, the company is not 'trading on nostalgia'. 'The Ansett name still holds meaning – especially for Australians who remember a time when travel felt innovative, considered, personal, and premium,' the website read. 'We're not trading on nostalgia – we're reviving a trusted name and giving it a new identity: intelligent, intuitive, and value-driven.'
Perth Now
39 minutes ago
- Perth Now
UN urges Australia to lead global renewable energy race
The United Nations is urging Australia to set ambitious climate and renewable energy targets in its next net-zero update to secure future jobs and a rich vein of clean exports for the country. Falling short of expectations would come at a significant cost, the organisation warns, as natural disasters caused by climate change could "cripple" local food production and undermine Australians' living standards. United Nations climate change executive secretary Simon Stiell issued the warnings at an event in Sydney on Monday before he is due to meet with Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. The call comes two months before the federal government is due to release 2035 climate goals, but also as former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce introduced a private member's bill to parliament to repeal Australia's 2050 net-zero target. The race to develop, sell and use clean energy products had already begun across the world, Mr Stiell told the Smart Energy Council event, with major renewable investments in countries including China and India. Australia's "defining moment" for the market could arrive in September with its 2035 climate plan, he said, which, could lay the foundation for future jobs and businesses, and send a clear message to investors worldwide. "(It's one shot) to strengthen Australia's economic security and regional influence, building an on-ramp to the Asian clean-tech boom," he said. "(It's one shot) to anchor future industries - green hydrogen, clean metals, critical minerals - in policies that give investors confidence, give communities certainty, create good jobs paying good wages, and a rising national tide that lifts living standards for all." His call comes less than a week after an International Renewable Energy Agency study found 91 per cent of renewable energy projects were more cost-effective than those using fossil fuel. Solar projects saved 41 per cent on average, while onshore wind projects cut costs by 53 per cent, the research found. Australia's existing renewable energy targets were effective, Mr Stiell said, but more ambitious goals could further reduce the costs of energy production and help Australians avoid costly climate risks. Allowing climate change to continue could "cripple Australia's food production", he said, as well as contributing to a loss in gross domestic product and lower living standards. "Climate disasters are already costing Australian home-owners $4 billion a year and that figure is only going one way," Mr Stiell said. "Australia has a strong economy and among the highest living standards in the world – if you want to keep them, doubling down on clean energy is an economic no-brainer." Under the Paris climate agreement, the Australian government must submit its 2035 climate targets by September this year. The Climate Change Authority, which will advise the government, is considering an emissions-reduction target between 65 and 75 per cent by 2035. Current Australian climate targets include a 43 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases and 82 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The federal opposition is yet to release a climate policy.
