Press Conference - Rome, Italy
30 October 2021
PRIME MINISTER: As I said yesterday, this is a very pivotal time. The pandemic is still raging and the economic recovery, particularly in the developed world, is really getting underway. And so it's important that we balance these challenges as we go forward. Today's session focused very much on health security and economic security. The points I was able to make focused firstly on health security that we need to keep fighting this pandemic and doing everything we can to protect against the next one. On fighting the pandemic, there is a very strong view about the need to lift the level of vaccination rates now amongst developing countries and the multilateralism, as Prime Minister Lee refers to it often, of vaccines. Now that's not just about getting doses, it's about getting the jabs literally in the arms and the process that is needed to achieve that and the distribution system and the training of people and the physical process of organising for those and then indeed the production of the vaccines themselves. And it was interesting to learn of the new facilities that have been set up in places like Africa. And of course, India is a major producer of vaccines. So the vaccine challenge was very much front of mind at the G20 today, and Australia was able to speak positively of the role that we're playing within the region, not just in our 130 million commitment to the COVAX facility and the more than $600 million that we've been spending in the region to ensure we're supporting those vaccination programmes being effective, but also the 60 million doses that we are rolling out across the region as our commitment through the Quad.
So then there is the challenge of protecting against the next pandemic and whether it was the 100 day mission that was raised at the G7 earlier this year or most importantly ensures, as I once again said, we need to know how this started so we can prepare and we can protect against the next pandemic. There is no agenda in that, it is just a very straightforward need that we have the best prepared world for a future pandemic. And there was again strong support for giving greater strength to the World Health Organisation to ensure that they have the capacity to be able to take stronger action, particularly at the onset of an outbreak. Often spoken of the need for an early warning system where countries have an obligation to put up their hands when they can see a serious communicable disease break out and then the world can respond and then it can respond to the production of vaccines and distribution. So there's a lot of focus today on how you can prepare and protect against a future pandemic and to draw the lessons from the one that we are still very much in.
On economic security, there are a number of points raised, but I had the opportunity to speak to the new secretary general of the WTO today and ensuring WTO is working, that the rules of global trade there, that they're being administered, they're being adhered to. There's a resurgence of global trade as we come out of the global recession, that has emanated from the pandemic and that the WTO was supported, whether it's in the appellate system or its other rules and the rulebook is fit for purpose, as we move into this next period. There was also a lot of concern, as I expressed, in ensuring that developing countries are not over overwhelmed by debt and the projects that they engage in are projects that help build their economy and particularly in the areas of the development of new clean technology supply chains. And we're able to talk, particularly this morning, to President Widodo about how he and I, Australia and Indonesia can work even more closely on those issues so we can support their industrialisation so their economic growth, but do so on the back of new clean energy processes and supply chains that of course, Australia is investing in under our low emissions technology roadmap. And so these were important issues that we focused on today.
The third area I raised today was on digital and ensuring that the digital world is a safe world for digital economy, but for our citizens. And I've had very good feedback on that and the fact that in Australia, there's great concern shared by the Government about the way digital planning platforms operate and the opportunity of how those platforms operate for people to engage in harassing, victimising behaviour. The G20 has already taken action on this. Several years ago in Osaka, where we pushed forward on that issue following the Christchurch massacre and then also builds on the work that needs to be done due to cyber attacks and ensure that the digital world is a safe world, both for commerce and for citizens. And this morning, President Widodo had the opportunity how that workstream can be further progressed next year under their G20 presidency. So these issues, whether it's keeping our kids safe in the digital world or ensuring that Australia can continue to be successful as a trading nation or thirdly to ensure that we're prepared for the next pandemic. These are the global issues where we have been focusing on that have a very, very real implications for Australia.
Now before I get to questions, I just want to say something very briefly about Australia's most beloved Bert Newton. Very sad to hear of his passing, Bert was someone who invited himself into the living rooms of Australians at a time when appointment viewing and we all used to watch the same thing at the same time, some will remember that. And he was such a welcome guest. And every time he came into our living rooms, we always looked forward to coming back. He had a great sense of humour, and he understood probably better than most self-deprecating humour, which is a real Australian trait. And he had it down to a tee. And I think that's what endeared him to so many Australians, whether it was Graham Kennedy or with Don Lane. I remember, you know, staying up late way past my bedtime to watch the Don Lane show and all those crazy skits they used to do. And they're still all there. And there are such fond memories. And in all his career, he was known as Moon Face, but he he shone brightly to Australia and we're going to really miss him. To Patti and to all the family, Australia loves you. Australia just loves you. We loved Bert. We're going to miss him dearly, but we're going to have so many great memories of him because they were all captured on film over such a long period of time. The family will be in mourning and as indeed, I think Australians are.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, President Biden said that the French aspect of the submarine deal was handled in a clumsy way and not with a lot of grace. Did he throw you under the bus?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia made the right decision in our interests to ensure we have the right submarine capability to deal with our strategic interests. It's never an easy way for us, I think, to get to a point where we had to disappoint a good friend and partner in France that we wouldn't be proceeding with that country, but that was always a difficult decision for Australia. It was the right decision for Australia. We work closely with the United States and United Kingdom and we take them up to date, the administration with where we're at in our various discussions with France. Had the opportunity to see President Macron today, and we exchanged our greetings and shook hands and that follows the conversation we had yesterday. So we're on the road back there and looking forward to catching up with him again over the next four days at the various events.
JOURNALIST: But Prime Minister, he is calling you clumsy and without grace. Isn't that the implication of what Joe Biden is saying?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: So what did you say to Emmanuel Macron today?
PRIME MINISTER: I said g'day. I said g'day. At these events that, he was having a chat with someone. I went up and just put my arm on his shoulder, I said g'day Emmanuel and look forward to catching up over the next couple of days, which I assure you, that's the way these things work. And he was happy to exchange those greetings, and we've known each other for a while. But you know, it's just the process of of being on the road back.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it's very clear that Joe Biden is doing everything he can to heal that that hurt with Emmanuel Macron. But when it comes to what the French President might want of you. Are you any clearer because he obviously wants to extract something from this calamity as he sees it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's not about that. What it's about is just two like minded countries who have a lot of shared interests, following us not proceeding with that contract and finding those projects we will now work together on. And that's how Australia sees it. I mean, France will pursue its interests and we'll pursue ours and there's a great deal of overlap between those two things. And so it's not surprising that there's a significant degree of disappointment about these events. That's not surprising. And we're very understanding of that and it'll take a bit of time. But the fact is, the overwhelming interest of both countries is that we continue to go forward on so many other projects. I mean, we discussed the other night quite a number of projects which were already doing. But if there are things that we can add to that, I look forward to doing that. One of those, is particularly these issues around social media. Now this is an issue which is [inaudible] to Paris and France. And I just had a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister. And they are also very concerned about this. After making those comments on social media about the social media issues and digital platforms, the Argentinian President sitting next to me lent over and grabbed me by the arm, he has that challenge too …
JOURNALIST: We are talking about a significant, very significant European nuclear power that is deeply annoyed with you, with your government. You must have some understanding of the strategic ask that they are presenting of you and the Americans.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we have a clear eyed view about how we will continue to work with the French Government. And our interests, as I say, greatly overlap. Let me be really clear. Australia has made the right decision when it comes to our defence interests in going forward with a nuclear propelled submarine capability and doing that in partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom. That's the right decision for Australia. Of course, it's a difficult decision. We were very aware that that would lead to some deep disappointment. But you've got to make the right decision for Australia. And that's exactly what we did and we don't recall from it at all.
JOURNALIST: Are you surprised by Joe Biden's comments, given that you said the White House knew what, what every step of the way, I think you said essentially the US and the UK, are you surprised by what he said?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, he's had a candid conversation with the French President and I'll leave his remarks to him.
JOURNALIST: Did Boris Johnson bring it up with you today in your own bilateral?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course. I mean, AUKUS is partnership between the three countries ...
JOURNALIST: But specifically about Emmanuel Macron and what's going on?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at any great length [inaudible], those issues will take managing.
JOURNALIST: On your intervention regarding the WHO, you said you got some support from world leaders about it. What about specifically on your call to make it more transparent and more independent, do you get the sense that leading that meeting, that world leaders the as well?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, I do. And, I mean, we all expressed it in different ways. I mean, there's been a good discussion happening for some time now about a pandemic treaty, which basically goes to the same issue, [inaudible] things that I've actually been talking about, so whether it comes together in that form, or as the World Health Assembly comes together and reforms that can be pursued through the WHO, the financing issues that are being talked about leading up to the World Bank. All of these things work together to say that the next time you face a pandemic, there will need to be stronger arrangements in place, a) to understand what's happening at the minimum and then to be able to respond more effectively, particularly in vaccine development and distribution. That said, when you think of the past 18 months and you think about the fact that there was even no conception of a vaccine and now here at this Summit, we're focusing on a 70 per cent vaccination rate globally by the end of June next year. That's a bold target, but I think that says a great deal about what's been achieved in terms of [inaudible].
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Mr Biden seems to be saying that he was, he either misunderstood your communications with the French before the announcement of AUKUS, or he was mislead. Which is it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, all I can say is that we kept the US Administration up to date with the status of our conversations and discussions had been with the French Government.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the officials did not tell him?
PRIME MINISTER: All I can say is what I've said.
JOURNALIST: Did you ask for a bilateral with Emmanuel Macron in the lead up to this? And are you disappointed it was a phone call instead of a face-to-face meeting?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we didn't, because we understood that the relationship is one that's on the way back, and we're patient and the timing of that, I think was right to have a phone conversation. As you know, I wrote personally to the President setting out where I saw the issues and how I thought we could take it forward. I was very pleased that led to a phone conversation before we headed here, and we had a very pleasant and friendly exchange today.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is obviously a good mate of yours, you've spoken to him this afternoon. Pretty important that Prime Minister Johnson emerges from the G20 with a strong statement in terms of climate action, ahead of the COP, it's a pretty important [inaudible]. What's Prime Minister Johnson's view on Australia's position on the coal language of the communique?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I mean, he is warmly welcomed our position on net zero by 2050 ...
JOURNALIST: No, but on the coal language?
PRIME MINISTER: Well those matters have been worked through, through the sherpers and through the communique. There's quite a large group of nations that are, hold similar concerns about this. So we'll see what that lands in the next day or so.
JOURNALIST: But it's problematic for Prime Minister Johnson isn't it, in the lead up to COP to emerge to basically ...
PRIME MINISTER: The G20, I mean the G20 is comprised of nations that are all coming from very different places. And to suggest there's always, you know, a consensus and commonality of view on those things right across 20 countries, that's a pretty big assumption.
JOURNALIST: What about on your end, because there's this debate about the communique language on net zero. You've made a commitment to net zero by 2050. Do you think that the G20 as a group could set that as an ambition in its communique tomorrow?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'd simply say that the Australian has made its position very clear. But, you know, we have always taken the view that we'll speak for ourselves. We're not in the business of telling other countries what they should be doing and other countries have different challenges. And I had a very, very positive meeting today with President Widodo. It was great. The last opportunity we both had to see each other was when he was in Australia, and we recalled that rather interesting afternoon we had in the Governor-General's golf cart going around looking at kangaroos at Yarralumla, which he enjoyed very, very much. And so I'm looking forward to being up in Indonesia next year. He invited me. So their challenges there, I think will be very much realised and addressed through the technology programme that we're pursuing. And there is quite a strong view, I think emerging that technology is what is going to solve this problem. And you've heard me make the comparison before that. The world didn't need a summit to develop a vaccine in response to COVID, the world didn't need a summit to actually ensure we went from analogue to digital and we're still dealing with that. That is the nature of the change that we need to see occur here over the next 30 years to achieve net zero by 2050. And so the technological advancement, ensuring we get this by driving the cost of that down and ensure that is completely scalable, particularly in developing countries. That is what solves the climate challenge and that is the path that Australia is on. That is the Australian way. And I think the Australian way has a lot of appeal to countries like Indonesia and Vietnam and other developing countries that want to realise their economic opportunities, their jobs and do it in a way that is consistent with ultimately a net zero goal, and that's how I see it going forward, that's the point I'm going to continually make both here and in Glasgow, and we'll take it from there. But technology is really the hope of the side. It really is because as I say, not taxes and not regulation. Thank you very much.
