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SenateTuesday 24 March 2026

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (15:32): Thank you to Senator Dolega for that question. It's a very important point, and that's why the three initiatives announced today—the free trade agreement, the security and defence partnership, and our intention to join Horizon Europe, the world's largest research and innovation fund—are each individually important but, more importantly, as a package, they are greater than the sum of their parts.

There is a multiplier effect, because deeper trade, research, and innovation integration and closer security ties turbocharge our relationship with Europe. Driving this cooperation in emerging and critical technologies will also enable greater productivity and innovation and strengthen Australia's national security. As I said earlier, critical technologies are both an economic and a strategic asset.

This is what we are doing to secure Australia's place in the world today and into the future. The PRESIDENT: Senator Dolega, second supplementary?

SourceSenate, Tuesday 24 March 2026 — official recordTA-260324-senate-dd516f85acd4:s280