UK-AUS Continuation

[Jamie]

GOV.UK

Security Classification: OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE​

Dear Prime Minister Gillard (Owen ),

I am writing to re-establish contact regarding previous discussions between Australia and the former UK Government on a potential trade agreement. Our internal notes suggest that the dialogue ended somewhat abruptly due to the General Election, although it appears that a draft agreement or preliminary framework may have been in development at the time. We would be grateful for any information you may be able to share about the status of those discussions, including whether a draft text or working proposals were produced. If such materials exist, we would welcome the opportunity to review them and consider whether there is scope to resume or build upon that earlier work.

Our intention is simply to revisit the conversation and explore whether the groundwork laid previously might support renewed engagement between our sides.

In addition, under the UK–Australia Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement, we would like to pursue the British Army Jungle Warfare Training School in Australia. This is a project we are keen to move forward with, and we would welcome discussions on initiating construction or converting an existing site, depending on your preference. Subject to agreement, we would aim to begin construction or conversion in the coming weeks, then deploy an instructional team toward the Q3 or Q4, with training activities commencing shortly thereafter.

Kind Regards,
Peter Cross
International Development Secretary

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[Owen]

​

PRIME MINISTER​

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION: SECRET​

26 May 2008

Dear Secretary Cross, May I first congratulate you on your election victory. We have just concluded our own election and I have been re-elected by the Australian people, so it is great to continue on this important work. Even though I plan on resigning in the coming months, I will strive to make sure the agreements we have made between our governments can be implemented before I leave office. Our Minister for Trade, Penny Wong, recently made a visit to the United Kingdom to discuss the proposed "AUKFTA". Whilst we are still drafting this agreement, the draft agreement shall be ready very soon and it is a top priority to ensure it is done. However, we are prioritising an agreement with Korea at the moment as our Minister for Foreign Affairs is currently in Seoul. Once this is completed though, the proposed agreement with the United Kingdom will be hurried along. However, in principle, the two Trade Ministers did agree that a near total liberalisation of trade was to occur with the exception of some key, sensitive industries, mainly in the agricultural sector. Some things which were on the agenda which were not discussed were scientific cooperation, re-establishing the Commonwealth of Nations and the freeing up of the mobility of our people across borders. I'm sure these are all areas which we can discuss in the near future. In terms of the Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement, your Defence Secretary did recently visit Australia and have a series of meetings with our Minister for Defence, John Faulkner. As apart of our recent re-election victory, we do anticipate some cabinet changes and John has indicated his desire to resign from the portfolio, so this may be a new person and you will find out when it is announced. We expect quite a large cabinet reshuffle, in preparation for my impending resignation. John did discuss, however, the desire to see increased British presence within the Indo-Pacific, or "east of the Suez" as is official terminology in your government. There is a potential for broader British forward deployment to Australia beyond just the scope of the Jungle Warfare Training School, as we have done with the United States military. We do offer a vast and secure continent for allies who seek to project power in the region to base themselves in. This would require a Status of Forces Agreement. We may even move to a more formalised alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom based on our pre-existing defence commitments to each other. Something like "AUKUS". Whilst you do maintain an alliance with the United States through TASA, we have a very, if you pardon the pun, frosty relationship with Sweden and we do not see that changing anytime soon unless they can come to a proper, adult agreement in regards to Antarctica and the handing back of Australian sovereign territory in the Heard and McDonald Islands. In terms of the Jungle Warfare Training School, we are very happy to move forward with this proposal, co-locating it with our current Jungle Training Wing in Tully, Queensland. This would be the best site proposal, given the pre-existing security around that site, the ability for Australian and British forces to train together and the fact that Tully records the highest average annual rainfall in Australia. We are willing to give a 99-year lease of land to the UK Government at the Tully site for $1, a symbolic amount to make it legally binding. I have attached a map for your reference of the proposal. The red bounded area is the proposed site for the British facilities, that being the barracks and the various supporting buildings that would need to go along with it. The green area is the current Australian Defence Force facility. The actual training area/defence property is bounded by the maroon and it extends well beyond the scope of this image, deep into the Tully Gorge and Japoon National Parks. Yellow indicates defence access roads and blue indicates public roads maintained by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads. The purple area is the pass office and the main gate into the training area and this is manned 24/7 by various Australian Federal Police, Military Police and third-party security contractors, such as Serco. The orange area is a secondary gate, however it is not manned and is permanently locked, it is only used on a need-to-open basis. Everything on the other side of the public road is private property, I've heard the locals are very cooperative with the Defence Force and are well aware of the occassional loud bangs, banana farmers I believe. Obviously the expectation is that the UK Government will fully fund the construction of the facilities of the Jungle Warfare Training School on the land which is provided about as close to free of charge as possible. The actual training land does not need any modifications and will be used as is as a part of the ADF's property. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, Julia Gillard.

Parliament House, CANBERRA, ACT 2600 Telephone: (02) 6277 7700​

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​

Jamie

 

[Jamie]

GOV.UK

Security Classification: OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE​

Dear Prime Minister Gillard (Owen ),

Firstly, thank you for your kind words, and allow me to extend my congratulations on your own re-election. It clearly reflects the confidence the Australian people have placed in your leadership. I’m also pleased to hear of your commitment to ensuring the agreements between the United Kingdom and Australia continue to move forward during the remainder of your time in office.

It’s encouraging to hear that the recent trade discussions were constructive. I will ensure the relevant minister is fully briefed on your update. We’ll await the initial draft of AUKFTA from your side, but if there is anything further you would like to discuss in the meantime, or if additional consultation would be useful, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We would be more than happy to arrange a call or a visit to help move things along once your current negotiations with Korea have concluded.

The United Kingdom remains firmly comitted to supporting stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, particularly alongside close allies and partners. The possibility of expanded forward deployment in the region is certainly something we would be interested in exploring further. We are in a position to rotate a range of units through the region if required. When the time is right on your side, we would be ready to move that conversation forward.

The site you’ve outlined at Tully seems ideally suited for joint training, and access to such an established facility would be extremely valuable for British forces operating in tropical environments. Your offer of a 99-year lease at a symbolic cost is a generous gesture and a clear sign of the trust between our two countries. We have carried out the transfer and once accepted and you're in the position to send across the deed, we would be ready to begin construction of the facilities as soon as possible.

I believe this is a good moment to take the UK–Australia relationship another step forward. Our shared history, values and outlook give us a strong foundation to build on, whether in trade, science, defence or the movement of our people. I look forward to continuing to work closely with you in the months ahead to turn the progress already made into lasting agreements that will benefit both our countries well into the future.

Kind Regards,
Peter Cross
International Development Secretary

This email and any attachments are intended solely for the named recipient(s) and may contain information that is sensitive or subject to UK Government security classifications. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not read, copy, distribute, disclose, or use the contents in any way.

Unauthorised use, disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication is strictly prohibited and may constitute a breach of government security policy and applicable law. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete it from your system.