Peter Charlton

Peter Charlton has been elected by the Australian Prime Minister to be an ABAC delegate since 2001. He believes ABAC is a unique experience for business leaders from around the world to meet and have direct contact with world political leaders. In our interview, we asked Mr. Charlton what he thought about farm subsidies and how he would address the issue with political leaders in Europe. He responded with a personal dislike for farm subsidies, especially coming from a predominantly agricultural society in Australia. In order to address the issue in Europe, he suggests stressing the “obvious economic issues” rather than the political issues associated with farm subsidies because it is hard to account for the sentimental value associated with the tradition of small farms in many European economies. He believes that with enough outside pressure, the European Union will eventually resolve the issue, but it will not be easy or immediate.

Another topic touched upon during the interview was the relationship between Australia and China. In the Western world, China’s rise is feared because it is seen as fierce competition. Charlton revealed that the sentiment in Australia is one of opportunity rather than fear because “China is vital to Australia,” making up much of its trade market. A growing China means greater opportunities for trade.