Page 917 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 2018
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American ties, as well as how emerging and future technologies will shape the world we live in. The meetings commenced on Friday, 23 February with a number of roundtable discussions attended by Australian premiers and chief ministers, along with senior US and Australian business leaders.
I had the opportunity to participate in two roundtable discussions on the intersection of innovation and international partnerships, moderated by the Prime Minister, the trade minister and Ambassador Hockey. The discussions explored ways of deepening business links between the two countries. Later in the day there was a reception, hosted at the Australian embassy, honouring the centenary of Australia’s bilateral relationship with the United States.
Saturday, 24 February saw the continuation of discussions surrounding the Australia-US bilateral relationship, with the opening ceremony of the National Governors association winter session and a keynote address to the national governors by our Prime Minister. I then had the honour, as the current chair of the Council for the Australian Federation, of signing a memorandum of understanding between the Council for the Australian Federation and the United States National Governors Association, drawing our bilateral relationship closer, particularly at the subnational level.
Australian leaders were then given a chance to discuss their home state or territory, to better inform our American subnational partners of the attributes of their respective jurisdictions. It would be fair to say that whilst the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, had the opportunity to remind us all about another infamous Michael, one who hunts crocodiles, I took the opportunity to profile Canberra as Australia’s national capital, taking responsibility for reflecting the best aspects of Australia to the world. I outlined our city as a small, open economy welcoming new investment and being home to Australia’s best educated, wealthiest, healthiest, longest living and happiest citizens. I explained our significant advantages associated with being the seat of Australian government, having fewer layers of government in the territory, being Australia’s education capital, home to five universities and a range of vital public sector research institutions like the CSIRO.
Our American subnational partners are now better informed about the city of Canberra and its ability, thanks to these attributes, to quickly implement best practice public policy. A notable interest was expressed with regard to asset recycling as it relates to infrastructure and the lessons that can be learned from projects like Capital Metro, which is delivering Canberra world-class transport infrastructure. There was a great deal of interest in the United States at a state level around Australia’s infrastructure program and policies. These are important lessons for American state leaders that also demonstrate to business more broadly that Canberra is an attractive place in which to invest.
Other meetings held during the winter session included one-on-one discussions with the chairman of Qantas, the chief executive of the Queensland Investment Corporation and the Governor of Colorado.
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