ChAFTA: Assessing outcomes a decade on | LIVESTREAM

Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, will deliver the opening address. 

Professor James Laurenceson, UTS:ACRI Director, will then present the key findings of a UTS:ACRI Analysis to be released on the day, ChAFTA: An Australian assessment of core outcomes a decade on. 

Following the presentation, the Hon Andrew Robb, Chair of the Robb Group and the Australian Trade Minister whose leadership saw the successful conclusion of the ChAFTA negotiations, signing the deal in Canberra on June 17 2015, and the Hon Dr Craig Emerson, an eminent economist and the Australian Trade Minister who played a pivotal role in expanding trade with the PRC in the years leading up to ChAFTA's signing and has co-chaired the Australia-China High Level Dialogue for the last two years, will be interviewed by Ms Glenda Korporaal, UTS:ACRI Adjunct Industry Fellow and columnist for The Australian.

This event is made possible with the support of MA Financial.

Please note that there may be a slight delay in uploading the video, audio, and transcript of this event to this page due to ongoing website maintenance by UTS IT. In the meantime, you will be able to access the video and audio on UTS:ACRI’s YouTube and SoundCloud pages.

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Speakers

Senator the Hon Don Farrell

Don Farrell was born in Murray Bridge, South Australia, and is a fourth generation South Australian.

While studying law at the University of Adelaide, he worked as a shop assistant and later joined the South Australian Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association, beginning a 32-year career working for the rights of retail and fast-food workers. Don led the union at the state and national level, overseeing the introduction of the 38-hour week and universal superannuation for retail workers.

He was elected to the Senate in 2008, and served as Minister for Science and Research, Minister for Sport, Minister Assisting on Tourism, and Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water during his six-year term in the Rudd and Gillard governments.

Following his first term in the Senate, he spent time tending his small vineyard in South Australia's Clare Valley wine region and knows firsthand the daily challenges faced by local growers and primary producers.

He again nominated for the Senate and was re-elected in 2016, serving as the Shadow Special Minister of State, Shadow Minister for Sport and Tourism, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

Following the election of the Albanese Government in 2022, Senator Farrell was appointed Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.

As a proud South Australian, Senator Farrell is honoured to represent the people of his home state in Federal Parliament.

Senator Farrell lives in Adelaide with his wife Nimfa and enjoys spending time with his three daughters, and doting on his grandchildren.

The Hon Andrew Robb AO 

Until his recent retirement from politics, Andrew Robb was Australia’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism.

In this role Mr Robb negotiated Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Japan and China, as well as the 12 country Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Singapore. Additionally, he conducted 85 investment roundtables with 28 countries.

Mr Robb is currently Chairman of The Robb Group (wealth management, corporate and investment advisory company), the AgriFood Data Exchange, CDMA and CLARA Energy; a Board Member of the Kidman cattle enterprise, Mind Medicine Australia, and strategic advisor to Seafarms Ltd as well as a range of national and international businesses.

The Hon Dr Craig Emerson

Dr Craig Emerson is an eminent economist with 40 years’ experience in public policy, politics and public service. He is the Executive Chair of the Australian APEC Study Centre at RMIT University and Managing Director of Emerson Economics.

He is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and an Adjunct Professor at Victoria University’s Centre of Policy Studies.

Dr Emerson has been Co-chair of the resumed Australia-China High Level Dialogue for the last two years.

Dr Emerson is a member of the Trade Minister’s 2040 Trade Taskforce and the Chair of the multi-party Australian Political Exchange Council.

Dr Emerson was Australia’s Minister for Trade from 2010 to 2013.

He was the architect of the 2012 White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century and was appointed Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Asian Century Policy.

Dr Emerson is also a former Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Small Business.

Dr Emerson was economic, trade and environmental adviser to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

He is a former economic analyst at the United Nations in Bangkok, Assistant Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Director-General of the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage.

Dr Emerson has a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University.

Ms Glenda Korporaal OAM

Glenda Korporaal is an Adjunct Industry Fellow at the Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI).

Ms Korporaal is a Sydney based journalist with The Australian newspaper specialising in business, financial affairs and international relations. She is a former London, Washington and New York correspondent of The Australian Financial Review (AFR) and was the first woman deputy editor of the AFR (1986-1988)

She has been business editor of The Bulletin magazine, editor of The Australian’s monthly business magazine, The Deal, and associate editor (business) of The Australian.

She has a strong interest in Asia, particularly China, since her first visit to the People's Republic of China (PRC) on a 'farm study tour' in 1978. She was the China correspondent for The Australian in 2018 and 2019. She has lived and worked in Hong Kong (2001-2003) and Singapore (1998-1999).

She was awarded an OAM for her contribution to print journalism in the Australia Day honours of January 2019.

Professor James Laurenceson 

Professor James Laurenceson is Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS:ACRI). His research interests relate to the Chinese economy and the Australia-China economic and broader relationship.