By Nigel McBride
The French have a proverb: ‘une fleur ne fait pas un bouquet’ - one flower maketh not a bouquet.
The Future Submarines contract is, of course, a great first stem. However, for the full range of economic opportunities to bloom for South Australia, we need a holistic economic and cultural approach to our new French connection.
Certainly, the French Government and French business community see our multi-decade ‘marriage’ in the Defence sector as more significant than even the pivotal game-changing submarine project itself.
Last week in Canberra, His Excellency Christophe Lecourtier, the French Ambassador to Australia hosted “Team SA” at his residence. Team SA was created as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the governments of South Australia and France, executed by the Ambassador and our Premier. Team SA consists of senior representatives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of State Development, Invest SA, Defence SA and Business SA. Beyond this, additional bi-lateral opportunities are being created with the Brittany region and with Cherbourg (home of DCNS submarine manufacturing in Normandy).
The other side of the relationship is “Team France”: the Ambassador and senior officers and representatives covering: economics, education and research, culture, trade and business – the last area represented by the President of FACCI (the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Sue Crafter, the French Honorary Consul in Adelaide, completes the team.
Apart from the warmness of the Ambassador as our host, what struck me was the size and seniority of the group of 14 people around the table representing French agencies and companies. There is no question about the commitment of Team France to expand this relationship beyond Defence to trade and investment, infrastructure opportunities, innovation, research and development, education, culture and the arts, sports, tourism and so on.
France is an economic powerhouse, the second most populous nation in the EU and the world’s fifth largest exporter. The total value of trade between Australia and France is already approaching $6bn per annum and there are huge opportunities to increase South Australia’s 7% share of that trade.
We already have a solid base of major French corporates with interests and operations in this State like DCNS, Pernod Ricard, Schneider Electric, Veolia and Engie.
When I was in Paris last year, just after the announcement of the submarine contract being awarded to DCNS, and the visit of our Governor General, the Champs Elysee was adorned with French and Australian flags flying side by side.
More than just a great symbol of the renewed relationship, I couldn’t help feeling as I stood there that a very exciting chapter had just opened for the South Australian economy and business community.