DELEGATION REPORTS
The SPEAKER (09:01): I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to South America from 15 to 29 July 2026. I am pleased to inform the House that the Australian parliamentary delegation to South America took place from 15 to 29 July this year. As leader of this delegation, I would first like to thank the other members of the delegation for their contribution to the visit: Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC and the members for Capricornia, Corangamite, Bullwinkel and Macquarie.
The delegation worked very well together and brought a variety of interests and knowledge of issues which proved to be very valuable during our meetings and discussions. The delegation had programs of meetings and activities in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Ecuador. I would like to thank Her Excellency Ms Sarah Roberts, Australian Ambassador to Argentina, and His Excellency Mr Andrew Martin, Australian Ambassador to Chile, as well as their staff, for the valuable briefings and support they provided to the delegation.
The aims of the delegation were to deepen parliamentary engagement with legislators in the countries we visited, exchanging experiences of democratic governance and institutional resilience; to strengthen bilateral relationships in a region of growing economic and multilateral importance; to elevate Australia's profile as a trusted partner for sustainable mining, responsible investment and rules based cooperation; and to advance Australia's economic interests with a focus on critical minerals, mining services, agriculture and clean energy.
The delegation held productive discussions with parliamentarians, senior government officials, business leaders and not-for-profit organisations. We also had the privilege of visiting the parliaments of each country, and I was very pleased to be the first Australian Speaker invited to address a session of the National Assembly of Ecuador. During my address to the parliament, I emphasised the bilateral ties between Australia and Ecuador as neighbours across the Pacific Ocean with rich Indigenous cultures and highlighted the bipartisan delegation's visit as a commitment to strengthening the democratic partnerships between our two nations.
Other highlights for the delegation were visiting the national atomic energy commission nuclear facility and the La Rural international livestock, agriculture and industry exhibition in Buenos Aires; the BHP integrated remote operations centre in Santiago; and the Quito food bank, which Australia supports through our Direct Aid Program. On behalf of the delegation, I would like to record our appreciation of the work that went into preparing the visit, including the arrangements made by the staff of the International and Parliamentary Relations Office and the material provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
I also thank the delegation secretary and Deputy Clerk, Mr Peter Banson, for his support to the delegation during the visit. I commend this report to the House.