ORTENZIA BORRE, HOST: Joining me live now is Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for a Future Made in Australia, Tim Ayres. Tim, thank you for your time this morning. So, do you agree with the mayor here?
SENATOR TIM AYRES, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR A FUTURE MADE IN AUSTRALIA AND TRADE: Well, we have taken steps this week to secure the future of regional aviation. And that means that, in the event that there is not a buyer for Rex, that the federal government has indicated that we are prepared to step in. So, in terms of the questions about Rex's strategy and management, well that that will be a matter for a new purchaser. I can tell you that if the federal government is playing an ownership role in the future, we will be there to clean it up and to make sure that they are providing an efficient and effective service to regional Australia. What the Albanese government wasn't going to do was stand by and allow this situation to continue to deteriorate. We are for fair dinkum air services to country towns. The Prime Minister was in Merimbula on the New South Wales South Coast this week, announcing this package with the local member, Kristy McBain. We are absolutely fair dinkum focused on providing air services to the bush and as you’ve seen during the week, we've stepped in as well to make sure that while 36% of rural banks closed down under the previous government, we are stepping in to make sure there is a guarantee for rural banking services for country towns by securing that position with the banks. We are absolutely determined to stand up for country Australia. The other side of politics talks big about this. They have never done these things, and I think it's a very popular position in country towns, people knowing that air services will be maintained.
BORRE: Now overseas, Trump has just signed some executive orders of what they're calling ‘tit-for-tat’ tariffs. Now it seems fair, but how is this going to affect the Australian economy?
SENATOR AYRES: Well, we'll be watching these developments very closely. As you saw earlier in the week on the steel and aluminium tariffs, we are working hard at the level, of course, all of our network, our officials, our Embassy team in Washington, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, all engaged a full-court press with the new US administration. Trade Minister Don Farrell will be meeting at the first available opportunity, once the new commerce and trade officials are confirmed. We are absolutely focused on that. Very good to see progress being made on steel and aluminium tariffs. In terms of this announcement that's happened overnight, Australia has a free trade agreement with the United States. We have a position where we have a long and enduring trade and investment relationship that sits alongside our strategic relationship. The US enjoys a surplus in trade terms with Australia, but both sides of the trade relationship benefit. We feed, for example, in steel and aluminium terms, right into American production processes, and we've stood ready and available, our aluminium sector, when in periods of strategic and other conflict, Australia has been a reliable source of aluminium and steel products for the United States. So, we will continue to be focused in a really clear and calm way on the bilateral relationship and making sure that we're protecting the interests of Australian producers, Australian firms and Australian workers in the process.
BORRE: Tim Ayres, Assistant Minister for Trade, thank you for your time this morning.
SENATOR AYRES: Good on you, Ortenzia, thanks.
