Australia news live: Dutton flags free trade deals with Israel and EU in major foreign policy speech; PM vows to defend PBS against potential US tariffs
Coalition would pursue free trade agreement with Israel and EU, Dutton says
Peter Dutton said that under the previous Coalition government between 2013 and 2022, 11 free trade agreements were finalised.
He said whereas under the Albanese government only one has been finalised, with the UAE.
I can announce today that one of our priorities will be taking forward a robust free trade agenda.
Dutton said the Coalition would “reinvigorate negotiating a high-quality, free trade agreement with the European Union that’s stalled under Labor”. He continued:
We will revitalise discussions on a free trade agreement with our trusted partner, Israel, building on a strong economic relationship and looking to harness Israel’s strengths in technology … We will [also] seek to expand opportunities for trade and investment with Canada and other like minded countries …
Key events
Dutton says US decision to cut aid in the Pacific ‘detrimental to collective interests of region’
Continuing to take questions, Peter Dutton has also criticised the United States’ decision to cut aid in the Pacific. He told the crowd:
They’ll make decisions they believe is in their country’s best interests, as we do, and we each respect that, but I think there is a place for Australia to advocate for some of that funding to return, and we can do that in a respectful way with the United States.
I don’t agree with some of the funding that they’ve withdrawn, and I think it is detrimental to the collective interests in the region, and I hope that there can be a discussion between our governments about a sensible pathway forward in that regard.
Coalition won’t send troops to Ukraine without US presence
Sticking with international matters, Peter Dutton was asked about whether Australian troops should go to Ukraine.
Anthony Albanese has previously said Australia may send a “small contribution” of peacekeepers to Ukraine if asked:
Dutton argued that Australia shouldn’t be “out ahead of where the Europeans are in relation to a border presence with Russia, where there is no United States assurance about providing an overlay”.
The United States has said that they won’t have a presence, and I think that is a fraught decision by the prime minister, and I strongly believe in providing additional support to Ukraine …
I think we should be providing support to see [Ukraine] thrive as a democracy in the region, but the thought that we’re going to send troops from our shores at a time when the prime minister says, in our region, it’s the most precarious period since the second world war, we’re under done as it is, and the billions of dollars, as I point out, of sustainment are better spent and directed into training and acquisition of capability.
‘Critical failure in our response capacities’ towards China
Peter Dutton was also asked about China, and what message Xi Jinping was sending with naval task group to go around Australia? He argued it was a “show of force” and “contempt”, and continued:
The Papua New Guinean government had been provided with pre-warning, whereas the Australian government hadn’t [known] about the movements.
It shows also a critical failure in our response capacities, or whether the government directed that. It was no response. There were surface assets that had deployed, but again, there was no urgency to that task.
Dutton argued that Australia’s “response time” was being tested and how Australia would engage, and said “the prime minister, frankly, has failed every one of those tests”.
Dutton was asked how he balance being tougher with China but have a stronger relationship with it than the current government? He responded:
I believe that our relationship is best enhanced where we can have a respectful relationship, and that is achieved if we’re able to speak frankly about our points of differences and engage vigorously on our points of mutual interest.
Dutton ‘confident that we can achieve plan A’ on Aukus
On Aukus, Michael Fullilove asked whether a “plan B” is needed for the Aukus deal, or if he is feeling confident?
Peter Dutton said he is “confident that we can achieve plan A, and it’s a national project that must be successful”.
The opposition leader said he agrees with the PM when he says “we live in the most precarious period since the end of the second world war” – but argued more action is needed.
There is a deep and consistent theme of concern about what happens in this century, and the prime minister reflects that in his statement, but it’s not reflected in the investment decisions or in the budget papers, or indeed in the direction that the government’s given to defence.
He went on to say the Coalition is committed to increased defence spending. Asked to provide specifics on where this funding would go, Dutton said “it’s on human capability [and] defence materiel, and it’s also about how we’re leveraging the opportunities here in Australia”.
‘My job is to put Australia first’ – Dutton
Peter Dutton was asked about his intention to visit the United States first, if elected, and how he would seek to manage interactions with Donald Trump.
The opposition leader said “the best indicator is past performance, and I have had a consistency in the way that I’ve approached relationships with world leaders”.
President Trump has been elected to put America first. My job is to put Australia first, and I will stand up firmly against President Trump or anyone else in our country’s best interests …
There are great areas of mutual interest and benefit to a productive relationship, and I think we can achieve that in a way that the government hasn’t been able to achieve.
Dutton said he doesn’t think Labor were expecting Trump to win the election, “or surely ambassador [Kevin] Rudd would have deleted [his] tweets before President Trump was elected.”
Dutton concludes Lowy Institute speech with focus on defence
Here is how Peter Dutton wrapped up his speech at the Lowy Institute:
My true belief, my honest belief, is that we live in the best country in the world … and the time now is for us to take seriously the threats, the unknowns, and to provide support to defence industry, to every asset we have at our disposal – including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – our international relationships, and to leverage that to the maximum benefit for every Australian, and that’s the commitment we make in this election to the Australian people.
He’s just started taking questions from the Lowy Institute’s executive director Dr Michael Fullilove – we’ll bring you all the highlights.
Dutton would meet Trump in Washington soon after winning election
Back to Peter Dutton’s speech: he reiterated the Coalition’s stance that it is against Donald Trump’s tariffs on Australian aluminium and steel.
They’re not just unjustified, they benefit neither Australia nor the United States, and we will continue to offer the Albanese government bipartisan support for the removal of these tariffs and exemption from future tariffs, because that is in Australia’s best interests.
Dutton was critical of Anthony Albanese’s handling of Australia’s relationship with the US, and said:
I will seek to meet President Trump in Washington in the early days of the Dutton Coalition government. I will talk to him about how our national interests are our mutual interests.
Unemployment unchanged at 4.1% in February
Patrick Commins
The unemployment rate has held steady at 4.1% in February, despite a surprise 53,000 drop in the number of employed Australians in the month.
Ahead of Labor’s fourth budget next week and an election likely to be defined by cost of living, the key jobless rate has hovered around 4% since the start of 2024 despite rate hikes and a weak economy.
It remains well below the pre-Covid level of more than 5%.
Speaking this morning on ABC radio ahead of the employment numbers, the employment minister, Murray Watt, spruiked the government’s job creation record.
It’s a real credit to the workers and employers of Australia that we continue to keep these sort of job numbers happening despite the challenging conditions we’ve been facing.
Peter Dutton says if elected he will axe 36,000 public service jobs.
Josh Butler
Anti-nuclear protesters interrupt Dutton’s speech
As Emily brought you a moment ago, what appeared to be an anti-nuclear protest interrupted Peter Dutton’s speech at the Lowy Institute, with two protesters ejected from the room.
“Mr Dutton,” called out a young man who stood up from the audience, brandishing a blue piece of fabric with words including “nuclear” written on it.
“Why are you lying to the Australian people about the cost of nuclear?” he continued, as two security staff quickly escorted him out of the room.
The full text of the handwritten sign couldn’t be immediately seen on the TV broadcast of the speech.
Dutton continued on with his speech for a few seconds, before another man stood up in the crowd and began calling out to the opposition leader about nuclear energy. Again we couldn’t hear all of what he was saying, as security quickly pounced to eject him from the room, but the man appeared to describe nuclear power as a “stupid idea”.
A security staff member grabbed the man, who appeared to stumble and fall, colliding with a few people seated next to him.
China live firing incident ‘failure of diplomacy and defence’
Peter Dutton has been speaking about China, and accused the government of failing to call out “military aggression”.
He spoke about the recent live firing exercise incident and labelled this an “unacceptable” “failure of diplomacy and defence at the highest levels”.
Red lines need to be made clear, especially in a period of tension, because if they’re not, we end up with a situation like the one in recent weeks – the situation where the Chinese navy provided no notice of its live fire exercise whilst it circumnavigated Australia, a situation where our national maritime surveillance was outsourced to a Virgin airline pilot.
