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Official News - January 2007

Australia joins calls for the resumption of the Doha Round

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on 28 January, the Australian Minister for Trade, Warren Truss, joined Trade Ministers from 25 key countries in calling for the resumption of full negotiations in the Doha Round, which had been suspended in July 2006. This positive move has since been endorsed by the full membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva.

The call for the resumption of the Doha Round is a welcome development and offers a glimmer of hope that it might be possible to conclude the Round this year. Also encouraging is President Bush's recent announcement that he will seek reauthorisation from Congress of the Trade Promotion Authority, set to expire 30 June.

However, there is still a very tough job ahead if the Doha Round is to reach a successful conclusion in 2007. There is still no breakthrough in agriculture, the key element needed to conclude the negotiations. The recent bilateral contact between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) is welcome and Australia is hopeful that it will help move things in the right direction.

Australia will continue to push for a strong result in meetings with other countries. At Davos, Mr Truss met with Ministers from the US, the EU, Brazil, Japan, and with the WTO Director-General, among others. These discussions were followed up in Washington, where Mr Truss met with the US Secretary for Agriculture and members of Congress.

Australia will continue actively to convey that the only package Australia will support is one which delivers new commercial opportunities for our exporters in each of the core areas of the negotiations - agriculture, industrials, and services.



Australia signs the World Wine Trade Group Agreement on wine labelling

On 23 January Australia’s Trade Minister, Warren Truss, together with representative from “new world” wine producing countries including the United States, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Canada, signed the Agreement on wine labelling in the margins of the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG) meeting hosted in Canberra. The Agreement will help to reduce production costs for Australian wine producers and make it easier to compete in overseas markets.

The Agreement will allow individual wine producers to develop a common label - standardising the presentation of certain information such as product name, content volume, percentage of alcohol and country of origin - acceptable in all WWTG markets and all major wine markets of the world. The uniform labelling system will also make it easier for consumers to readily access wine information on the container.

Australian industry estimates show that the Agreement could save them approximately $25 million in labelling costs, helping to increase the competitiveness, volume and value of Australian wine exports. Wine is Australia’s third-largest agricultural export, with a value of $2.8 billion. The WWTG markets alone accounted for up to 47 per cent of Australia’s wine exports in 2003-04, with sales of bottled wine to WWTG markets worth $1.21 billion. Australia exports to 104 countries and has an eight per cent share of global wine exports.

The process of bringing the Agreement into force in Australia will include tabling the Agreement in parliament and adjusting domestic labelling requirements for wine. An amendment to the States and Territories regulation on wine labelling will be required to implement the Agreement.

For the joint press release of Mr Truss, the Minister for Trade, and Mr McGauran, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry go to: http://www.trademinister.gov.au/releases/2007/wtt004a_07-joint.html.

Other outcomes of the 22-24 January 2007 WWTG meeting in Canberra included agreement for the group to continue to facilitate trade between participating countries and build markets for wine exports globally, including through pursuing further wine labelling arrangements between participants.

China’s use of a ballistic missile to destroy a Chinese weather satellite

Australia has sought an explanation from China about its use of a ballistic missile to destroy a Chinese weather satellite. China’s responses to date have not addressed important questions about the danger posed by the debris generated by the explosion and China’s plans for deploying weapons systems with the capability of destroying space assets.

On the instructions from Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, a senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade called in the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Canberra on 16 January to seek an explanation for the Chinese Government’s decision to launch a missile to destroy a Chinese weather satellite on 12 January.

Australia sought an explanation of the nature of the incident, and China’s assessment of the danger posed by the debris created by the incident, as well as China’s future plans for developing and deploying weapons systems with the capability of destroying space assets.

The destruction of the satellite appears to have created a significant amount of debris which has the potential to endanger manned and unmanned space assets of other countries including Australia.

China has acknowledged that it conducted a test in outer space, and asserted its opposition to the weaponisation of space, but has not addressed important questions about the danger posed by the debris, and China’s plans for deploying weapons systems with the capability of destroying space assets.

Australia will continue to press China for an adequate explanation.

Australia considers that all nations should have unhindered access to space for peaceful purposes and countries should avoid taking actions that could endanger the manned and unmanned space assets of other countries that put the peaceful use of space at risk.

Australia becomes party to both optional protocols on children’s rights

Australia recently ratified both Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The ratification demonstrates the Australian Government’s continuing commitment to the broader objectives of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

Australia has ratified the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child: the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and the Optional Protocol on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Optional Protocol on involvement of children in armed conflict sets a new international standard for the protection of children in armed conflict. Consistent with the Optional Protocol, Australia has and will continue to:

- take all feasible measures to ensure that members of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) under 18 years of age do not take part in direct hostilities; and
- ensure persons under 18 years of age are not compulsorily recruited into the ADF.

Child exploitation is a serious issue for the international community and for Australia. Ratification of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography reflects the Australian Government’s strong stance on people trafficking and child exploitation. Ratification complements Australia’s strong legislation and enforcement arrangements to combat sex crimes against children. Australia has criminalised a range of serious violations of children’s rights, including the transfer of organs from children for profit, child prostitution and child pornography and the sale of a child for sexual exploitation and forced labour.

For the joint press release of Mr Downer, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. and Mr Ruddock, the Attorney General, go to: http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2007/fa007a_joint_07.html

Australia-China Clean Coal Initiative

During their 15 January meeting in the margins of the East Asia Summit, Prime Minister Howard and Chinese Premier Wen exchanged letters to formally establish an Australia-China Joint Coordination Group on Clean Coal Technology. Globally the cleaner use of coal is key to providing affordable and reliable base-load power while managing environmental issues, including air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Coordination Group will provide further strategic guidance, oversight, and impetus to a range of clean coal activities in Australia and in China with the aim of:

- sharing knowledge gained through clean coal, and other relevant projects, in Australia and China under the Australia-China Climate Change Partnership (ACCCP), the Bilateral Dialogue Mechanism on Resources Cooperation and the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6);
- identifying and implementing joint clean-coal technology projects, including through the ACCCP and AP6; and
- identifying areas where cooperation on the development demonstration and use of clean coal technologies can be enhanced.

The first meeting of the Coordination Group is scheduled for April. Members will include senior representatives from Government, industry and research organisations from both countries.

Under the AP6, Australia chairs and China co-chairs the Cleaner Fossil Energy Task Force.

Australia has committed A$100 million for the first five years of the AP6. On 1 November 2006, Prime Minister Howard announced Australia would provide A$60 million for the first tranche of 42 AP6 projects, of which A$29 million will fund coal technology related projects, including cooperation with China. An example of a key AP6 clean coal project is A$8 million funding for the development by the CSIRO of a mobile post-combustion capture plant to be used at different power stations to test the carbon capture potential of AP6 Partners.

Domestically and internationally Australia is involved in the development of clean coal technology under the following programs and initiatives:

- Carbon Sequestration Leadership Program;
- Methane to Markets Partnership; and
- A$235 million funding for clean-coal projects in Australia from the $A500 million Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund (LETDF).

For information on projects under the AP6 go to: http://www.dfat.gov.au/environment/climate/ap6/appcdc-booklet-06.pdf

New Australian Ministry announced - 23 January 2007

Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has announced changes to his Ministry, including two promotions to Cabinet, three new appointments to the outer Ministry and two new Parliamentary Secretaries.

The Australia Governor General, Major General Michael Jeffery, has agreed to changes to the Ministry and the Administrative Arrangements Order.
Mr Howard said that Immigration Minister, Senator Amanda Vanstone would leave the ministry and he thanked her for her extensive and very capable service in a number of portfolios since 1996.

“Amanda has made a wonderful contribution to the Government and Australia. She retains strong enthusiasm for public service,” Mr Howard said.

The Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, Mr Gary Hardgrave, would also leave the Ministry and Mr Howard also thanked him for his work in relation to Australian Technical Colleges and previously as Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. 

Other ministers who have stepped down included Arts Minister, Senator Rod Kemp, and Senator Sandy Macdonald, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, “I extend to both of them my thanks for their effective work on behalf of the Government,” Mr Howard said. “Senator Kemp has been a minister in my government for more than ten years. He has been an effective and loyal member of the team.”

Within the Cabinet, a number of other changes would take place. Mr Malcolm Turnbull will be appointed as Minister for The Environment and Water Resources, replacing Senator Ian Campbell, who would move to Human Services. In addition, Kevin Andrews will move from Employment and Workplace Relations to take over Immigration and Citizenship. Mr Joe Hockey, will swap Human Services and take over Mr Andrews’ position as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
Mr Howard said that both Mr Turnbull and Mr Hockey had performed very strongly in their existing portfolios and both would now take on important new responsibilities.

Mr Howard also announced changes to the names of two departments. The existing Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs would become the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Department of the Environment and Heritage would become the Department of Environment and Water Resources.

In order to assist functional arrangements, Mr Howard said that the Department for Human Services, and therefore the Minister, for Human Services, will be placed within the Cabinet grouping.

Within the outer ministry, Mr Andrew Robb will be appointed to the Ministry of Vocational and Further Education and the Arts and Sports portfolio would go to Senator George Brandis.

The other changes to the ministry were the appointment of Senator Nigel Scullion to Minister for Community Services, in place of Mr John Cobb.

New appointments to the positions of Parliamentary Secretary were Mr Peter Lindsay, who becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence and Mr Tony Smith who becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

The remaining parliamentary secretaries positions would go to Greg Hunt, who becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Ms Teresa Gambaro who would become Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship.

Mr Howard said that, as was currently the position, there will be twelve parliamentary secretaries within the new arrangements. One innovation was the designation of two of those twelve parliamentary secretaries as Assistant Ministers in recognition of particular responsibilities they will each have and their relative seniority.  The two appointments are that of John Cobb, currently Minister for Community Services, to be appointed Parliamentary Secretary as Assistant Minister for The Environment and Water Resources, and Christopher Pyne, currently the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing who would be designated as an Assistant Minister.

The swearing in of new Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries would take place at Government House Canberra on 30th January 2007.

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