Ley issues mea culpa to Chinese Aussies
At the May 3 federal election, the Liberals failed to retake the notionally Liberal seat of Bennelong, with Labor's incumbent Jerome Laxale boosting his margin from a super slim 1 per cent to 9.3 per cent.
In Melbourne, Liberal MP Keith Wolahan lost the blue-ribbon seat of Menzies to Labor's Gabriel Ng, and Labor's Carina Garland also maintained Chisholm.
The Coalition also suffered backlash from the community after former frontbencher Jane Hume claimed Chinese spies were volunteering for Labor Housing Minister Clare O'Neil.
Following a meeting with Chinese community leaders in Epping in Sydney's northwest on Monday, Ms Ley said conversations were 'frank' and it was clear the party needed to 'course correct'. Sussan Ley said she was aware the party needed to 'course correct' after the diasters of the May 3 election. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
When asked directly about Senator Hume's comments, she reiterated that the party had made mistakes in the lead up to May 3.
'We didn't get it right. We didn't get the tone right. We didn't always get the messaging right, and I want to freely acknowledge that we've turned the page,' she said.
'I'm a new leader with a different tone, different priorities and a different team.'
While she would not disclose 'private discussions' with community leaders, she said the Liberals would continue the dialogue with community members.
'I think that message was well received, but I also know that the Chinese Australian community expects ongoing dialogue from this point forward,' Ms Ley said.
'So to them, they're focused on the future, and they're focused on what happens next, and they're focused on their families and their communities and their economic circumstances, just as all Australians are.'
Ahead of Anthony Albanese's trip to China later this week, Ms Ley wished the Prime Minister 'well' but urged caution against expanding the free trade agreement to include to artificial intelligence.
'The people-to-people links that we talked about today underpin that, and they're part of the incredible Chinese diaspora and character that is part of the Australian community today,' Ms Ley said, adding that the Australia-China relationship would be built on 'mutual respect'.
'With respect to artificial intelligence and new free trade agreements, we have to proceed with caution, understanding the implications that always come with issues that concern our national interest.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
30 minutes ago
- West Australian
Anthony Albanese's China visit: Prime Minister set to travel to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu from Saturday
Anthony Albanese has confirmed his visit to China from Saturday, when he is heading to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. The Prime Minister is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for the annual bilateral leaders' dialogue during the trip that will span nearly a week. Trade is expected to be high on the agenda, with these meetings the first since China lifted its final barriers on Australian exports. The ban on Australian lobsters was lifted in December. 'China's an important trading partner for Australia – 25 per cent of our exports go to China. What that means is jobs, and one of the things that my government prioritises is jobs,' Mr Albanese said on Tuesday. 'What we have done is to get rid of the more than $20 billion of impediments on goods that were stopped from going to China. 'It's made an enormous difference … products like wine and barley have not just bounced back, they've bounced back higher than they were before.' This will be the fourth time Mr Albanese has met Mr Xi. The talks come as uncertainty continues around US President Donald Trump's tariffs. The US President has publicly issued letters he has sent to several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and Serbia, informing them he will lift the rate of tariffs imposed on them from 10 per cent to a 'reciprocal' level from August 1. Australia, which has a trade surplus with the US, does not expect to be hit with anything higher than the 10 per cent base rate. China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, this week called for Australia to expand its trade deal with his country to include greater cooperation on artificial intelligence. Mr Albanese brushed off questions about his approach to this, saying Australia would determine its own policy. Australia is working with the US and UK to cooperate on developing AI and advanced military capabilities as part of AUKUS Pillar II.
Perth Now
32 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Update for Aus as Trump sends tariff letters
Australian goods may not be getting slugged with higher US tariffs, but that does not mean the country is getting the best deal possible, the opposition says. Donald Trump has begun sending out letters to countries that failed to lock in new trading terms with the US. The letters informed them their exports to the US would be hit with new tariff rates from August 1. The countries included close allies Japan and South Korea, which both face 25 per cent imposts. For others, the new rate is as high as 40 per cent. Australia was not named among those facing 'reciprocal tariffs' announced in April but was instead subjected to the universal 10 per cent taxes on all foreign imports – a position Anthony Albanese has said he did not expect to change. Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said on Tuesday any tariffs on Australia were unacceptable but the Prime Minister had not given Australia the 'best chance' of getting a carve out. 'The only fair tariff on Australia would be 0 per cent, and I hope that's what we get,' Senator Paterson told Nine's Today. 'But we haven't given ourselves the best chance of securing that from the Trump administration because the Prime Minister has not even met President Trump now, seven months after he was elected. 'In stark contrast to other world leaders, like the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer who did secure an exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs for the UK because of the personal relationship that he formed with President Trump. 'I really hope the Prime Minister doesn't leave it any longer before he forms that relationship and argues for the best case possible for our country.' Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson says the 'only fair tariff for Australia' is 0 per cent. David Crosling / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia The UK and Vietnam are the only countries to secure deals with the Trump administration. Though, neither have escaped the US President's levies altogether, with Vietnam still subject to 20 per cent duties. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his efforts to build a strong personal relationship with Mr Trump helped secure tariff leniency, particularly on automakers. British cars were facing a 25 per cent rate, but that was dropped to 10 per cent. Similarly, British steel and aluminium have remained at the initial 25 per cent rate, while Australian steel and aluminium have been swept up in the 50 per cent rate. But speaking to Sky News, Assistant Treasurer Dan Mulino insisted the Albanese government was 'clearly continuing to argue for the best possible deal'. 'My understanding is that we are still at the position of having a 10 per cent tariff imposed, but the good news is that that is the lowest rate that any country has been able to secure,' he said. 'So we'll continue to argue for the best possible deal, and we'll continue to argue for it to be lower than that.' Mr Mulino went on to cite Productivity Commission analysis that suggested Australia could have an advantage over other countries because 'if we're lower than other countries, that might present opportunities for us to increase our trade with the US'. 'In some situations, the tariffs the US imposing might also offer opportunities for us to secure goods from other countries that might be redirecting their trade to other parts of the world,' he said.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
NSW Liberals consider adopting US style primaries for elections
The New South Wales Liberal Party is considering adopting a US-style primary system when selecting its election candidates. The Daily Telegraph reported that members of the public will be able to vote on who should represent the major party under the proposed system. The plan is gaining increasing popularity from senior Liberal figures, such as Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor.
