London Alumni Reception

It would be remiss of me not to call attention to where we are meeting today.

Lord’s Cricket Ground has seen some of the finest displays of Australian and English rivalry in action – and I include the Bairstow stumping incident in that equation.

In a little under six months, the English cricket team will be touring Australia in their bid to reclaim the Ashes.

In the lead up (and certainly during the games) we will no doubt see and hear displays of the rivalry built on almost 150 years of Ashes competition.

However, beneath the banter lies profound and mutual respect.

A world without an English-Australian rivalry would leave us feeling a little hollow.

We’ve been working together for longer than we’ve been competing against one another on the cricket field.

Victoria has been represented in the UK by an Agent-General since 1868 – over a decade before the first ball was bowled in the Ashes.

Though the role has changed over time, the Victorian Government Trade and Investment Office in London continues to advocate for our interests and pursue shared goals.

In 1948, Australian Prime Minister Ben Chifley said “Australians know [their] future is linked with Britain…” not only because of our “kinship”, but because of “hard, practical reasons” – as he described them.

Those “hard, practical reasons” are still as relevant today as they were back then.

In times of global uncertainty, we continue to look toward one another through the lens of shared values.

Not only do we still share strong people-to-people links, but significant trade and investment ties continue to bind our economies.

Two-way trade between Victoria and the UK is valued at just under $3 billion annually.

The UK is also the second largest source of foreign direct investment in Victoria.

This two-way investment relationship has encouraged Australian superannuation funds to increase their presence in the United Kingdom – a recent example of this being AustralianSuper expecting to manage £250 billion from its London office over the next decade.

These economic ties have been furthered through the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement – enabling us both to share in the very best of what we produce.

Food and fibre remains one of Victoria’s strongest exports to the UK – and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some of the expats here tonight are helping keep that demand strong.

Back home, growth in key sectors such as higher education, medical research and advanced manufacturing are a direct result of Victoria’s successes in collaborating with our partners abroad.

Everyone here tonight is testament to the shared benefits that arise from these exchanges.

Tonight marks my final event before the long trip home.

It's been a privilege to experience such collegiality and future focus during my Official Visit over the past few weeks.

I want to thank all those present who have played a part.

Whether through commerce, education or cultural exchange, your work is what is helping to sustain this relationship into the future. 

Our State is well-placed to work with London, and the United Kingdom more broadly, in unlocking further growth in the years to come. 

Though our relationship may often be generally understood through the healthy rivalry of the sporting field – we are truly on the same team when it comes creating shared opportunities across the sectors that will shape our future.

Thank you.