HOLLY STEARNES, HOST: Joining me now is Assistant Minister for Trade and a Future Made in Australia, Tim Ayres. Senator, good morning to you. Can Kevin Rudd and Donald Trump make up and get on with the job?
SENATOR TIM AYRES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR A FUTURE MADE IN AUSTRALIA AND TRADE: Well, can I just say first, Holly, it's good to be on the show. I'm here at Orrcon steel manufacturing facility here in Brisbane that's turning out the torque tubes for Australian solar. For every megawatt of solar produced, it's about 40 tonnes of steel. The Albanese government is very focused on making sure, to the extent possible, that it’s Australian steel delivering good quality jobs for Australian workers in places like Brisbane, but also in the regions. So, that's what I'm focused on today, being hosted by the company to talk about how we're going to deliver more local content in this big industrial transformation. In terms of the Australia's Ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd is doing an extraordinary job as ambassador. He's one of Australia’s, not only a former Prime Minister of Australia, but he is one of our leading foreign policy experts, respected not just here, but around the world. I agree with what Tony Abbott had to say, with what Malcolm Turnbull had to say, and what Scott Morrison had to say, that we should all back Kevin Rudd. He's Australia's choice for Ambassador to the United States. He's doing a very good job and I know from my own work with him he is very focused in the trade area and the Future Made in Australia area on delivering for Australia in terms of our relationship with our most important strategic ally.
STEARNES: Why do you think Dan Scavino, I mean, Trump's newly appointed Deputy Chief of staff, posted the photo of sand trickling through an hourglass. I mean, we've heard from previous comments that this is potentially a media vendetta, but how can it be when you've got someone so close to Donald Trump posting that pointed message for everyone to see?
SENATOR AYRES: I guess, I don't know, it seems like a minor detail to me. I've got no idea what the bloke meant.
STEARNES: Well, it's not really a minor detail. He's quite close to Donald Trump.
SENATOR AYRES: Well, I understand that there's some people in the commentariat who are very focused on these questions, and I agree with Dennis Richardson, who is our leading security expert, former ASIO Director-General, who just said there's a lot of noise coming from some Australian media organisations on this question. But with the greatest respect, Holly, to your organisation and others, the Australian government, not foreign-owned cable TV networks, the Australian government on behalf of Australians, determines who is Australia's Ambassador to the United States. That's what happened here. This is really a test not for media organisations. You get to write and say whatever you want, of course. That's your right. That's the organisation's right. It's a test for Peter Dutton, though. A test for Peter Duncan on whether this newfound commitment to bipartisanship in the national interest that we haven't seen much evidence of over the course of his tenure as Opposition Leader. He's opposed to Future Made in Australia. He's been opposed to tax cuts for every Australian. He's been opposed to the National Reconstruction Fund. He's been opposed to housing policy. He's opposed to everything. Yesterday he was for Australia's sovereign right to pick ambassadors and to not play partisan politics, not to try and seek partisan advantage in terms of our relationship with our closest partner. Well, let's see how he goes over the coming days on that question. It's a test for his integrity and whether he's on Team Australia or Team Extreme in the Liberal and National parties.
STEARNES: Yes, I understand the points you've made there and in respect to you and your comments and some comments you made there about our organisation, I mean, it's not a media vendetta when you've got someone as close to Donald Trump like Dan Scavino, as I mentioned, Trump's newly appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, posting such a cryptic message on Twitter. That's nothing to do with News Corp or Sky News. It's just a question and concern there that we've noticed and so it's relevant that we ask this.
SENATOR AYRES: That's fine, Holly. I just don't worry too much about cryptic posts on social media. I worry about what's in the interests of Australians and working Australians in particular.
STEARNES: Tim, I want to get your thoughts, rather than going back and forth on that particular matter, let's talk about trade. We know Donald Trump's love of tariffs here. Do you think that Anthony Albanese can successfully fight these off? Because ultimately that will really impact Australia and our relationship with our main trading partner, China.
SENATOR AYRES: Well, this is a long-term engagement. The Prime Ministers at APEC and the G20, remember it was the Labor government under Paul Keating that established APEC as a vehicle for economic cooperation across the Pacific region, including the United States, and the PM is there to make the case for Australian exporters and for Australian manufacturing that relies upon global supply chains. He'll be making the case there. He'll be making the case at the G20. President Trump assumes office next year. We will continue working in a constructive way in the Australian interest. So much of our economy relies upon trade. So much of our private sector jobs, good-quality jobs, rely upon Australia's trading relationships with the world. We are a trade-exposed economy. If you work for a company that trades with the world, you're more likely to get paid better wages and have a more secure job. It's one of the things that the Albanese government is absolutely focused on. The last government went backwards in terms of our trading relationships with the world. We are focused on going forwards. Just recently, a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates that puts Australian jobs and investment in Australian manufacturing capability front-and-centre of that agreement. You can expect Albo will be there at APEC and at the G20 making the case for Australia at these important international meetings.
STEARNES: Ok, and on a lighter note, Senator, I have to say I'm loving the get up there and the personalised hi-vis.
SENATOR AYRES: Yeah, well, look, this is a metal manufacturing facility. It's got a big future here in Queensland. It makes metal products for industry and for construction all around Australia. It's a long-established business, but they've made an investment here in solar torque tubes that should be in every Australian solar project. I'm here to work with them on how it is that we deliver more Australian local content into this big industrial and energy transformation. That's what the Australian government wants to see. We want to work with the states and territories and everybody else, not run around pointing the finger and blaming people, but work with Australians to deliver a better outcome in local content terms because it's good for jobs and it's good for industrial capability.
STEARNES: Tim Ayres, thanks for your time this morning.
SENATOR AYRES: Thanks, Holly. See you later.
ENDS.
