Australian High Commissioner visits Montgomeryshire
The High Commissoner for Australia visited mid Wales, visiting businesses, the farming community and students.
Craig Williams, Welsh Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, hosted George Brandis in a visit focussed on the UK’s trade deal with Australia and how it can be utilised to the benefit of the region.
The High Commissioner held a roundtable discussion with a group of local farmers, representatives from farming unions and Montgomery Young Farmers Club.
Mr Williams said the discussion centred on the huge potential market access that the trade deal could bring for Mid Wales’s agriculture sector, as well as its built-in protections in safeguarding the very highest British farming standards.
The High Commissioner then visited a group of A-Level pupils studying geography, and government and politics at Welshpool High School, who questioned Mr Brandis regarding his role and Australia’s relationship with the UK.
He also made a number of visits to Montgomeryshire businesses with close trade links to Australia including Welshpool based global manufacturers of high specification suspension systems Zip-Clip, which has an office in Melbourne and Tanners Wine Merchants, which imports Australian wines.
“It was great to be able to welcome the High Commissioner for Australia to Montgomeryshire and I would like to thank him very much for taking the time to come to our beautiful part of the world. It was a highly productive visit, especially the opportunity to meet with Montgomeryshire farmers and farming unions to discuss their thoughts and fears surrounding the UK’s future trading with Australia.
“We had a fantastic visit to Welshpool High School, where the High Commissioner was extremely impressed with the very knowledgeable questions which were put to him.
“It was also brilliant for the High Commissioner to be able to visit several Montgomeryshire businesses particularly Zip-Clip, whose innovative products and business model have broken into markets across the globe, including Australia.”
Mr Brandis said: “It was a privilege to experience the warm hospitality for which Wales is well-known last week. I visited schools, farmers and manufacturers all of whom were particularly eager to take advantage of the new economic opportunities presented by our free-trade agreement.
“The UK has secured a deal with Australia which is exceeded in its ambition only by our economic partnership with New Zealand. This is good not only for our economic recovery from Covid-19 but our ongoing efforts to create jobs and grow businesses between likeminded liberal democracies.
“Australians have a deep connection with Wales, and we share the same commitment to high-standard, high-quality goods and services. I know that we Australians look forward to growing our partnership with Wales and seeing more of its produce and ingenuity brought down under.”
