G’day From Gary Gray

AUSTRALIA’S AMBASSADOR IN IRELAND

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Australia will always promote free trade

IN RECENT WEEKS AUSTRALIA AND THE UK HAVE ARRIVED AT A HISTORIC MOMENT IN OUR 250-YEAR RELATIONSHIP. WE SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT WILL BE AUSTRALIA’S MOST AMBITIOUS FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (FTA) WITH ANY COUNTRY, OTHER THAN THE FTA WE HAVE WITH OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOUR, NEW ZEALAND.

As always there will be ongoing negotiations over the coming months to finalise the legal text of the FTA but it will be a modern agreement, with both sides committing to maximise opportunities for physical and digital trade across all sectors of the economy. This we hope, can act as a blueprint for ongoing free trade negotiations between Australia and the EU. Australian tariff removal will result in significant gains for UK exporters in the Australian market and Australian consumers will benefit from the elimination of tariffs on cars, whiskey and all other UK exports. There is even more to this agreement in areas as diverse as the financial and digital economy and the protection of intellectual property, cyber security, people movements and artificial intelligence, including strong rules on data flows and localisation to create a more certain and secure online environment. Both Australia and the UK have

Right: In May this year Ambassador Gray travelled to Tipperary and visited Coolmore's horse training facility, Ballydoyle where many horses are raised before travelling to Coolmore Australia to progress their racing career. Here, trainer Aidan O'Brien, Gary Gray and Coolmore's MV Magnier are on the training track and ahead of the morning's trackwork session.

made commercially significant commitments that will strengthen personal consumer choice, economic diversification, environmental sustainability, worker protections and export-led recovery from the Global Covid 19 recession. It’s a great achievement. Australia and the UK are trading nations that believe in open markets, high standards and the rules-based global trading system. That is what has made our agreement so important. And much like the proposed Australia-EU FTA currently under negotiation, it is about creating new opportunities and jobs for families, communities and businesses. Agriculture is of course part of this and it should be clear that Australia’s agricultural exports do not pose a threat to the significant and valuable UK - Ireland agricultural trade. Australia has established major markets in our own Asia-Pacific region. Australia’s exports to the UK and EU are driven by niche customer import requirements accounting for less than 1 per cent of the UK’s total imports of agricultural goods in 2019, and less than 1 per cent of the UK’s total beef imports. Additionally, concerns about Australian food production standards and what this might mean for animal welfare and price points are simply unfounded. Australia’s biosecurity and welfare standards have been awarded the highest competency (level five) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Indeed, the Australian standard for the hygienic production and transportation of meat products specifies supply chain security and traceability, explicitly, how animals in the supply chain must be cared for and managed. Supply chain integrity requirements are mandatory under Australian law. Veterinarians employed by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment closely oversee practices in dedicated exporting abattoirs licensed under the Export Control Act 1982 to ensure that animal welfare is reliably achieved. The Australian Government does not tolerate cruelty towards animals and will not compromise on animal welfare standards. Farmers, whether Australian, European, British or Irish, care for their herds and flocks; that is a universal bond and responsibility which farmers share. At home, Australian farmers are known for their high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. My family operate a wheat and sheep farm in Western Australia and we have lived this reality. The farm was opened by Irish settlers originally from Tipperary and Clonmel. Their Irish roots, Irish perspective and Irish ingenuity allowed them to see opportunity in broad acre cropping even as the Great Depression of the 1930s bit deep into the Australian economy. Today the family still farms that land. Australian exporters are accustomed to meeting the requirements of a range of different global customers, with our robust export controls providing the flexibility and assurance to meet importing country requirements. Australia is a reliable exporter of high-quality hormonal growth promotant (HGP) -free beef to the UK and EU. While the ink dries on our UK agreement, our negotiations with the EU continue. The truth is that Australia can’t conclude our future European FTA without new, commercially meaningful market access, but it is worth noting both that the balance of food and agricultural trade with Australia remains strongly in Ireland and the EU’s favour, and that the EU ensures that Irish agricultural sensitivities are recognised in the negotiations. Australia is working with Ireland and the EU to provide opportunities for increased two-way investment and cooperation in the agri-food sector and all other sectors too. The high degree of complementarity between our respective economies means both sides stand to benefit from significant new opportunities, contributing to our goal of long-term sustainable economic recovery and trade diversification. Ireland will gain from further reduction to Australian industrial and agricultural tariffs, further access to our services, investment and procurement markets, and promotion of higher standards. Australia’s market is 5 times bigger than that of Ireland.

Australia is attractive to Irish investors especially in the agriculture sector and, with one of the largest diasporas living in Australia, Irish businesses who would seek to export into our country would find an already established and receptive market. We have already seen the great Irish Agri business Kerry Group expand its operations in Australia with the intention of delivering quality product into the Australian market. This is to be welcomed as the ties between our nations continue to strengthen. We look forward to concluding a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement with the EU as soon as both sides are ready, and in the meantime the UK agreement stands as a great achievement.

HON. GARY GRAY AO

AUSTRALIAN AND IRISH AMBASSADORS CONNECT IN DUBLIN

Australia’s Ambassador to Ireland Gary Gray and his partner Pippa McIntosh were pleased to welcome both the incoming and the outgoing Irish Ambassadors to Australia to the residence; Abbey Lea, when all were in Dublin in August. Tim Mawe and his wife Patricia will shortly depart Ireland for Canberra to take up the role of Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia. Tim has most recently been based in Dublin working as the Regional Director of the Asia Pacific Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs. With the role in Canberra also including accreditation to Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands; Tim’s previous Asia Pacific role will stand him in good stead for his new position. Previously, Tim has held postings in Tokyo and at the UN in New York, and was Ireland’s Ambassador to Latvia for four years. Tim remarked that he is delighted with the opportunity to build on the great work being done by Team Ireland all across Australia. “COVID is providing a major challenge to us all. But, our enduring connections and shared values will ensure that we come through this. Ultimately, we will have a deeper understanding of what binds us together and how we can help each other” Tim said. His Excellency Breandán Ó Caollaí and his wife Mrs Carmel Callan recently departed Australia following the conclusion of nearly five years in the role, including a visit to Australia by Ireland’s President, Michael D. Higgins, numerous Irish Ministers visits, and seeing many Irish and Australians safely home to Ireland, both before and during the continuing COVID crisis. Breandán and Carmel were in Dublin and available to join the farewell to Tim, along with other Irish Department of Foreign Affairs representatives. Breandán and Carmel have returned to Ireland, having spent five very enjoyable years in Australia. Breandán is looking forward to new challenges in DFA’s Development Co-operation and Africa Division, and both he and Carmel are busily catching up on lost time with their oneyear old grandson, AJ. The opportunity to catch up at the Australian residence Abbey Lea in Dublin enabled the group to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Ireland and to discuss matters of importance to both countries – including current affairs, business, the ongoing impact COVID, sport and the arts. Gary also took the opportunity to congratulate Breandán on the conclusion of his term and a job well done in difficult circumstances, as well as giving a big Aussie farewell to Tim and Patricia before they head off on their new posting in Canberra. ☘

From left to right: Patricia and Tim Mawe, Breandán Ó Caollaí, Gary Gray, Pippa McIntosh and Carmel Callan in the glasshouse at Abbey Lea, residence of the Australian Ambassador to Ireland.