Roundtable with the Hon Tim Watts MP
Thursday 5 September 2024
On Thursday 5 September 2024, the Perth USAsia Centre hosted a roundtable discussion with the Honourable Tim Watts MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs.
In February this year, Perth hosted the annual Indian Ocean Conference, convening ministers and heads of state from more than 30 countries across the Indian Ocean region to discuss shared challenges and opportunities. Six months on from this historic gathering, Minister Watts joined us to continue this important discussion on the future of Australia’s engagement in the Indian Ocean region.
Home to some of the world’s most important trade routes and fastest growing economies, the Indian Ocean region is of immense global importance. It is also vital to Australia’s own prosperity and security, with a third of Australia’s coastline facing the Indian Ocean, and 98 per cent of Australia’s goods trade travelling by sea. But the region also faces increasingly complex regional challenges – including piracy and maritime security; climate change; economic disparity; and geopolitical tensions. The discussion also focussed on how Australia can play a positive role, in partnership with others, in addressing these challenges and creating a stable and prosperous Indian Ocean region.
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Biography
Tim Watts is the Federal Member for Gellibrand and has served as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Albanese Government since 2022.
Tim was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013 and for a decade has served one of the most diverse electorates in Australia.
Before entering Parliament, Tim worked in the technology sector, as a Senior Manager at Telstra and a Solicitor at Mallesons Stephen Jaques (now King & Wood Mallesons). Tim worked on critical tech issues including the roll out of the National Broadband Network, the auction and distribution of sections of the radio communications spectrum and network pricing regulation. He also worked as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Minister for Communications and a Senior Adviser to the Victorian Premier.
Tim is the author of two books, “The Golden Country: Australia’s Changing Identity” and “Two Futures: Australia at a Critical Moment” (along with co-author and fellow MP, Clare O’Neil). Tim holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Bond University, a Master of Public Policy from Monash University and a Master of Science (Politics and Communications) from the London School of Economics.