TRANSCRIPT
- Australia's $2 billion plan to strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia
- Peter Dutton announces a modest reshuffle
- Sam Kerr pleads not guilty to harassing a British police officer
Australia's $2 billion plan to strengthen economic ties with Southeast Asia is the focus of day two at the ASEAN summit.
Australia has announced a range of policies to increase Australia's geopolitical standing in the region, including $2 billion to support the region's clean energy transition, and $140 million towards an infrastructure partnership program.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the clean energy agreement will also benefit Australia.
"What it means is new investment. What it means is jobs here in Australia. The reason why we engage internationally in trade is because it is in our national interests. One in four of Australia's jobs are trade dependent."
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Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has defended his country signing an exclusive deal with Taylor Swift which ensured the popstar would not visit any other Southeast Asian country on her current tour.
The deal has frustrated other Southeast Asian countries, with the Thai prime minister claiming Singapore offered up to $4.6 million per show to ensure Swift only visited their country while a Filipino politician has said it "isn't what good neighbours do".
Swift is currently part way through six sold-out shows in Singapore.
The Singaporean leader has defended the decision to sign the deal saying it was not meant as a hostile act toward their neighbours.
"We negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia and there were certain incentives provided to her from our tourism development fund. I don't see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I mean, if we had not made such an arrangement, would she have come to someplace else in Southeast Asia or more places in Southeast Asia? Maybe, maybe not, I mean, these are things that she will decide."
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The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, has warned against black and white thinking when it comes to China.
President Marcos Jr says his country will cooperate with China despite increased tensions but would not compromise its sovereignty or jurisdiction in the South China Sea.
Issues relating to China and the South China Sea have underpinned talks during the ASEAN special summit in Melbourne.
Mr Marcos says a United States-centred approach to the issue will negatively impact Southeast Asian nations.
"The Philippines understands that widening geopolitical polarities around the world and the sharpening strategic competition between China and US have become a reality permeating the regional strategic environment, but we caution against overemphasising this reality."
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Coalition leader Peter Dutton has announced changes to his Opposition cabinet.
Eight politicians will take up new portfolios, with Queensland M-P Luke Howarth moving into the role of the Opposition's assistant spokesperson for treasury and for financial services.
The modest reshuffle was required to fill the gap left by former Liberal M-P Stuart Robert who quit the parliament almost a year ago.
Luke Howarth says he will focus on cost-of-living pressures in his new role.
"The Australian people are doing it tough under the Albanese Labor government. We've never seen the pressure that they're under with finances in the last two years since the Albanese Labor government have been elected. People are doing it tough with rents, mortgages, electricity and insurance, and it's just getting worse."
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Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson says he has not spoken to team captain Sam Kerr since she pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
Kerr is accused of using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to an officer identified as P-C Lovell during an incident in Twickenham on January 30, where police allege the incident relates to a dispute over a taxi fare.
Tony Gustavsson says he first heard about the charges this morning.
He says he is confident the ongoing investigation will not impact the rest of the team's performance.
"I think if you look at the attention this team has gotten over the last little bit less than a year. I think the team itself knows the core values of who they are, and I think they have shown in the past that when there's been things around them that could potentially disturb the team that they have been very good at focusing on their 'why', and what the stand for and how they want to play football."
