ABC NewsRadio
MARIUS BENSON: Steve Ciobo, good morning.
STEVEN CIOBO: Good morning, Marius.
MARIUS BENSON: Can I ask you- This is a $2 billion deal, it's over 25 years, can you just flesh out what it involves?
STEVEN CIOBO: This is a deal that is consistent with the Federal Coalition's national economic plan. A plan to drive jobs and growth by making sure that we better integrate our economy with other economies providing new export markets. We're doing that with Singapore. We've got a long-standing relationship with Singapore. This agreement will actually help to forge people-to-people links, business links, trade ties, as well as defence links with the nation of Singapore.
MARIUS BENSON: When Singapore is taking this action, it's being seen as Singapore, obviously conscious of its defence needs and with one, possibly two eyes on China, is that a reasonable thing, that the focus of all defence thinking in the region now is China and the changing role there?
STEVEN CIOBO: I'm not going to comment in terms of what Singapore's strategic thoughts are but I will say is this: There's a strong alignment between Singapore and Australia. We know that alignment exists both in terms of business and obviously now, with respect to defence. It's a city-state so obviously there are opportunities for training of the Singaporean armed forces are limited. We've got the opportunity now to see a significant multi-billion dollar investment into both Shoalwater Bay and Townsville by the Singaporeans. This is an opportunity to expand and improve Australia's defence network for closer ties between the Australian defence forces and the Singapore forces. But also importantly it obviously contains a very strong link and big improvements in terms of business and people-to-people linkages.
MARIUS BENSON: We're hosting very large exercises and a continuing contingent of American troops here and now we have Singapore as well. What's the Government's thinking on how this will be viewed by China?
STEVEN CIOBO: The focus for the Government is about what's in Australia's national interest. I'm focused on building relationships throughout the region. We have a great relationship with China, we've got a strong relationship with the United States and Japan and now with Singapore as well. I think it's appropriate that, for Australia, in our part of the world, that we can continue to engage with all of the relevant parties and we're going to continue doing that because that is what is in our long-term national interest.
MARIUS BENSON: Steve Ciobo, you obviously are the Trade Minister. Can you say, in terms of trade, what effect these defence ties have or are they just two entirely separate issues in your mind and the mind of other nations?
STEVEN CIOBO: Defence is certainly separate to the trade ties but we've been able to put them both together for the forging of this close strategic partnership with Singapore. The benefits for Australia from these close linkages are of course very significant. We've seen Singapore provide to Australia, under this comprehensive strategic partnership, some of the best, if not the best, relationships that they've formed with any other country. Opportunities for us to grow business, to have better people flows into Singapore. Opportunities for us to grow markets through lower tariff barriers as well as more increased access, this is really important as part of services exports. As a nation we are going to continue to see our economy transition. We want make sure that we're to export not only iron ore but key services as well. Australia is going to have incredible access to the Singaporean market off the back of this agreement.
MARIUS BENSON: There's a bit of collateral political benefit for you as well because this is Singapore spending money on military bases here and they fall into fairly critical cities like Capricornia and Herbert. That's no harm for the Government?
STEVEN CIOBO: I think that's too cynical an approach. The fact is that Australia's defence personnel and defence forces are located in key bases or located where they've historically been located. The fact that this is in Shoalwater Bay and Townsville is representative of where Australia's strategic placement of basing troops are. We're going to continue to see an expansion now. It's going to provide improved opportunities for defence links, as I said, between Singapore and Australia. This is going to be very good news broadly for Australia's economy but also importantly for Shoalwater Bay area and for Townsville.
MARIUS BENSON: Can I leave the military arrangement with Singapore there and go directly to politics because in your home state of Queensland, the LNP today is having a battle over the leadership of the party. Is that a poor start for your election campaign in Singapore? Is that a problem?
STEVEN CIOBO: No, I don't think so. I think Queenslanders, like all Australians, delineate between state politics and federal. The decision that the state parliamentary wing is taking to have a leadership ballot today it's of course their prerogative to do so. I don't think for one moment that any reasonable Queenslander would be viewing what's happening on the Queensland state level and thinking that's going to in some way impact upon the Coalition's clear national economic plan and our vision for the future of our nation.
MARIUS BENSON: What did you make of the Seven Network's report last night on marginal seat polling by the Liberal Party that says you're in strife in some key marginals like Eden-Monaro. Eden-Monaro, the classic bellwether, where Eden-Monaro leads, the electoral flock follows almost always. You're in strife.
STEVEN CIOBO: Two comments I'd make in response to that. The first is that I know the federal Liberal Party director has said that that polling simply is not accurate and that it's not, in fact, a Liberal Party poll. The second and more important point is that with respect to key seats and respect to the forthcoming election, the Coalition doesn't take anything for granted. It's not a lay down misere that we will win the next election. We need to fight, to work, to make sure that we retain Government. We've outlined our clear vision to drive the economy, to drive jobs growth in Australia. We have a national economic plan. We're going to use that and campaign on that every single day until the election and then we're going to make sure, we hope, that we'll retain the confidence of the Australian people and get on with good governance.
MARIUS BENSON: Steve Ciobo, thank you very much.
STEVEN CIOBO: A pleasure, thank you.