Speech - Farewell Reception for British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell

Hello and thanks for asking me along tonight.

I’m very honoured to be invited to say a few words about Her Excellency Vicki Treadell, and the magnificent work she has done during her time here in Australia.

I’ve worked closely with Her Excellency since 2019, when she took up the most important and pivotal post of the entire British Foreign Office – that of the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Australia. 

She arrived in Canberra in March that year, and then in June, I was appointed Labor’s Shadow Minister for Trade.

At the time the UK was navigating Brexit and looking to like-minded partners to forge new ties with.

So while it was somewhat unexpected event in global affairs to witness the Brits leave the European Union they helped to establish, it was no surprise that they looked to Australia for a free trade agreement.

It is an acknowledgment of our shared Westminster parliamentary system, made up of His Majesty’s Government and His Majesty’s Opposition, that the High Commissioner arranged a meeting between me and then Trade Secretary Liz Truss to discuss the impending deal.

The Australia UK Free Trade Agreement was an important step and Australia was pleased to be the UK’s first free trade agreement post leaving the EU.

The A-UKFTA removed tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to the UK. While others are putting tariffs on, we remain committed to keeping them off.

The deal that Vicki on here team worked on also included an extension of the working holiday arrangement to 3 years for people aged 18 to 35 working in Australia and the UK.

It’s a rite of passage to spend some time working in our respective countries. I was lucky to be able to work in the UK with what our family affectionately called “a pommie passport”. But for those with a UK passport or ancestry rights, the working holiday arrangements are a great outcome for our young people.

The signing of the FTA, and then its ratification of our parliament, took a huge amount of work from our trade officials, from the British Foreign Office and of course from Vicki, and her team.  

Her Excellency has been open about her intention to bring an Indo Pacific and economic perspective to the role of High Commissioner to Australia, having been born in what is now Malaysia, and coming from postings in South Asia and the South Pacific.

And this is demonstrated most keenly in the recent accession of the United Kingdom to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership.

It is another remarkable achievement of the High Commissioner that she sought and received the support of the Australian Government to the UK’s participation in the CPTPP – and from 15 December 2024, Britain has been able to trade under that agreement with not only Australia, but also Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and others.

The High Commissioner also oversaw the development and signing of the Australia – UK Critical Minerals joint statement of intent to strengthen international critical minerals supply chains, promote economic security and meet net zero targets. And I was honoured to sign that agreement in behalf of Australia, with the Honorable Anne-Marie Trevalyan, the then UK’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific.

And of course, there is AUKUS – this most significant trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and our mutual friends in the US. A genuine step-change in our security arrangement that will strengthen security and Defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. High Commissioner Treadell played an integral role in shepherding the AUKUS arrangements in Australia, with the former Government, and then our Government. Vicky has been a regular visitor to my electorate to welcome her compatriots from the Royal Navy to HMAS Stirling, and of course, like me, she often meets former members of the Royal Navy, who have seen the light – and the sunshine – and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. I know… this is a sore point.

This exchange in people and technology that AUKUS will bring will be hugely important and personally I can’t wait for my electorate to play host to more personnel from The Royal Navy.

They will be welcomed with open arms and made to feel right at home because Rockingham is like a second home given the high number of the British ex-pats in my home town.

It is difficult to underestimate the significance of the AUKUS agreement - signed under your watch, Vicki, and truly was a historic moment for our two nations.

Her Excellency was here throughout Covid, experiencing the ACT lockdown, spreading the safety message, and assisting UK travellers stuck here in getting home.

Vicki was here as High Commissioner on the passing of our shared sovereign, Elizabeth the Second. It was quite a remarkable moment. Of course, an inevitable moment, but still sad as the passing of an era always is. And Her Excellency was here as an integral support of the Royal Visit of our new sovereign, King Charles III.

Along with many here tonight, I have had the wonderful opportunity to be at the many outstanding events hosted by Vicki Treadell:

·      Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Event at the Arboretum in Canberra – celebrating 70 years of Her reign.

·      A celebration of the Coronation of the King in the winter grounds of the British Embassy where we cut a cake with a sword. Glorious.

·      Innumerable gin and whiskey tastings

·      Dinners and discussion at the High Commissioner’s residence with visiting members of the British parliament and leaders of British industry

·      And a wonderful election watch event over breakfast at the residence just last year.

All in all, Vicki has been a true trailblazer of Gastrodiplomacy.

High Commissioner: during your time in Australia, you have served under five Prime Ministers of Britain, while there have been two Prime Ministers of Australia.

You came here as High Commissioner in service of the Queen, and you leave in service of our King.

You have truly seen it all during your time in Australia. It is indeed an historic period to have spent in our country, in the service of your country.

Thank you for your support of this great state of Western Australia, for your support of your British compatriots who now call Australia home, for your belief in Australia and eternal relationship we have with Great Britain: a relationship that will be even more important in these challenging times.

Mostly, thank you for your friendship.