News

As the King touches down in Australia ahead of CHOGM in Samoa, CWEIC’s Deputy Chair, Lord Swire, has spoken to The Weekend Australian about Australia’s role in the Commonwealth’s vibrant and growing commercial network. Interest in the Commonwealth has grown in Australia as a result of the sovereign’s visit, sparking conversations about the future of the Commonwealth, and its role in the modern day.

As part of a broader investigation into the King, Australia, and the Commonwealth, Lord Swire reflected on the fact that, according to the latest figures from the Commonwealth Secretariat, Australia is the biggest source of intra-Commonwealth investment, providing $40bn of investment to Commonwealth countries. In the same vein, in 2022 various Commonwealth investments into Australia created 28,000 Australian jobs.

“Commonwealth states see this as a fairly loose organisation of equals which can do some really interesting things: these are countries with 2.7 billion people, of which 60 per cent are under the age of 30,’’ reflected Lord Swire, emphasising the Commonwealth’s continued utility and vitality.

Read Lord Swire’s comments to the Australian here.