‘Whitehall was horrified by Brexit’: an interview with Australia’s departing high commissioner
Spectator (UK)MAY 2022
Free Trade Negotiations Between the EU and Australia Stall
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The Spin
Narrative A
The EU and Australia finally seemed destined to reach a free trade agreement after five years of arduous negotiations until the Canbera's trade minister came with last-minute demands that sank the deal. It's an unfortunate result for all parties involved, and the EU tried its best to grant Australian farmers competitive access to European markets. However, all the hard work from previous negotiations was for naught, and it may take years for talks to resume. The EU did all it could to strike a fair deal, but Australia kept moving the goalposts.
Narrative B
Kudos to the Australian government, for putting Aussie agriculture first in trade negotiations with the EU. Europe was unwilling to put a commercially meaningful offer on the table, and it would have put Australian farmers behind their competitors in other countries. While there's often pressure to make important trade agreements, it's more important to look out for national industry and workers, and Australian leaders did just that. Hopefully, the EU can return with more fair offers that benefit Australia's fine farmers.