Transcript, E&OE
30 November 2009
Interview - Geoff Hutchison, ABC 720 Perth
Subject: CHOGM 2011, Perth.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: We've been joined by the Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. Mr Smith good morning to you.
STEPHEN SMITH: Good morning Geoff.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: You managed to get Condoleezza Rice to Perth, how did you get CHOGM?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well the Prime Minister and I put Australia's name in the mix. There were three countries that the Commonwealth leaders were considering; Australia, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius and in the event the leaders decided unanimously to go Australia 2011, Sri Lanka 2013 and Mauritius 2015.
So that brings a very significant Indian Ocean, South Asian and African emphasis for the next three Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Of course given that focus Perth was the obvious host city. So we were obviously very pleased about getting the call from the Commonwealth leaders to host and I'm obviously very pleased about being able to have Perth be the host city.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Can you explain the scale of this meeting? Who is here and for how long?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well if you look at the sweep of meetings of international leaders, we have the General Assembly in New York where all of the leaders go to so you've got, sort of, close to 200.
You then have the Non-Aligned Movement which has over 70 leaders and then the African Union and the Commonwealth both have just over 50. The Commonwealth now has 54 members. Rwanda joined on the weekend as the most recent of us.
So you've got here a meeting of 54 countries. Foreign Ministers meet for a couple of days as we did in the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago last week and then the leaders meet for two days as well. So this is over 50 countries.
This is a significant gathering and the tradition of course is that the head of the Commonwealth, the Queen, attends as she did in Port of Spain.
So this is a big international event and it's a terrific opportunity to showcase Australia. But also from our, if you like, selfish local perspective it's a terrific opportunity to showcase Perth and Western Australia which is why I made sure that Collin Barnett and the Lord Mayor were consulted and they're both obviously very pleased about it as I am.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: You're listening to Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith at seven minutes to nine.
Mr Smith CHOGM meetings in recent years have been held against a backdrop of the question how relevant is CHOGM. Can you answer that?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well it is. The meeting last week in Port of Spain was the 60th anniversary of CHOGM forming so that was very much an item on the agenda. I think that will also be very much a feature in Perth.
The tradition of the Commonwealth quite rightly has always been an adherence to democracy and rule of law and human rights. That's why it's played over the years a very good role in some difficult trouble spots; Zimbabwe being one, more recently Fiji. The suspension of Fiji from the Commonwealth was confirmed and also made clear that if you're suspended from the Commonwealth you don't have the luxury of going to the Commonwealth Games.
So there's always been that aspect of the Commonwealth. But we saw in Port of Spain how one international meeting, one gathering of Foreign Ministers and leaders can actually build political momentum for an important international policy item or event. And CHOGM this year was seen very much as being a run up to Copenhagen and so a lot of effort went into building political momentum for a good outcome in Copenhagen.
So there are two aspects. One, its ongoing role and I think that's relevant and pertinent. But secondly we're now finding that we can use particular regional or institutional meetings like the Commonwealth or the ASEAN-related meetings or APEC to build momentum for other matters. The emergence of the G20 has also seen this form part of the consciousness.
At the APEC meetings recently for example half, the APEC economies are G20 members and we've got five members of the Commonwealth who are G20 members. So we're now using these different events to reinforce good positive policy outcomes that we find in the G20 and elsewhere.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Given that you've just returned from Port of Spain and the last meeting, what kind of security provisions might we be looking at a couple years from now in Perth?
STEPHEN SMITH: Regrettably they will need to be significant. It's just a very regrettable fact of the modern day that we can't have a gathering of 50-odd leaders and not have very serious security arrangements. Obviously this is something that will work in very close consultation with not just the City of Perth but the Government of Western Australia. And we're looking forward to working very cooperatively with them.
We most recently had a CHOGM, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum in the Sunshine Coast in 2002 and then security was a significant feature. So yes regrettably it will be a very strong aspect of the preparations.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: So the reality, the upside is of course that Perth gets this enormous amount of attention. We're on the Indian Ocean rim, it will be well known to all the downside probably a city that goes into a form of security lockdown at different times.
STEPHEN SMITH: Well I wouldn't yet be using that description. Obviously we need...
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Okay, yep.
STEPHEN SMITH: Obviously there will be some inconvenience to the normal run of the mill sort of Perth every day activity. That will be a necessary and natural consequence. What extent that is you know time will tell but obviously that will be subject to the usual best security advice that we can get.
But in accordance with the way we do things in Australia if that has to be done, then we'll do it in a commonsense, methodical, you know, cooperative careful way. Not just with the city of Perth, and the Government of Western Australia but with the people and the community.
But the upside of this is showcasing Perth, showcasing Western Australia, showcasing Australia, but also doing good things internationally far outweigh any difficulties we might have on that front.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Finally Foreign Minister, we're talking about the fact that those who come to Perth in 2011 will probably receive a gift of sorts on behalf of the people of Western Australia. Did you or the Prime Minister come back from Trinidad and Tobago with anything nice?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well ….
GEOFF HUTCHISON: I'm just thinking what can we offer next time round?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well all of the things I get I have to declare, which is right. There was a nice Commonwealth broach and necklace which I won't wear. I suspect that will end up somewhere and some nice Commonwealth chocolates courtesy, or fudge sorry, courtesy of Trinidad and Tobago.
I haven't yet put my mind to what gifts we'll hand out but I'll very quickly let you in on this piece of information. I went to Cuba on the way to Port of Spain and there from the Cuban Foreign Minister I got some Cuban cigars. I'll declare those in accordance with all the requirements but they'll go straight to Mr Beazley. He's the cigar smoker not me.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Stephen Smith thank you very much for your time this morning.
STEPHEN SMITH: Thanks Geoff.
GEOFF HUTCHISON: Stephen Smith is Australia's Foreign Minister.
ENDS
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