Mr JOSH WILSON (Fremantle) (10:04): I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the United States of America from 28 October to 5 November 2023. It was a privilege to lead a parliamentary delegation to the United States at the end of October, which provided an opportunity to maintain and strengthen links between the parliamentarians of both countries, distinct from the links between our governments, and an opportunity for us to engage with American businesspeople, thought leaders, public servants, academics, scientists and journalists on matters that are crucial to Australia's future. In California, we were able to see firsthand world-leading clean-energy transformation opportunities in areas like concentrated solar generation and storage, courtesy of Heliogen, and understand the foundation of the zero-emission vehicle revolution that's occurring, with a visit to Tritium, the fast-charging phenomenon that was born in Brisbane. In California, over the course of the last financial quarter, one in four new vehicles purchased were zero-emission vehicles. In Australia, that rate has quadrupled under this government but is still only eight per cent, or one in 12. California, with a population of 40 million, has reached its target of installing 10,000 fast-charging stations a year ahead of schedule. In Australia, we have only 500 but expect the new National Electric Vehicle Charging Network to get us heading in California's direction. Similarly, the Port of Los Angeles, under its Clean Air Action Plan, has a clean truck fund rate that applies to containers being loaded onto polluting vehicles, with 100 per cent of the accrued funds going to support operators that switch to zero-emission vehicles. In San Diego, we were very grateful to have some time with Vice Admiral Michael Boyle, who's responsible for the US Navy's 3rd Fleet, and to go aboard the USS Canberra, commissioned earlier this year in Sydney but built by Australian shipbuilder Austal, which is headquartered in my electorate. We also met with Professor Leinen and her scientist colleagues from the remarkable Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Their work on marine protection and climate science is globally significant, and it was helpful to be reminded that marine sanctuaries are essential to protecting marine biodiversity and improving the productivity of well-managed fisheries. In Washington, it was an honour to meet the conveners of the Friends of Australia Congressional Caucus, representatives Joe Courtney and Mike Gallagher, and to discuss our countries' shared work and interests in building inclusive regional prosperity, security and peace. We were also very generously hosted for meetings with Senators Pete Ricketts and Todd Young, and it was a particular highlight to be taken into the Senate gallery with Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski. From all these meetings, and with the benefit of an excellent briefing from Lachlan Carey of the Rocky Mountain Institute, we gained valuable insight into the concerted effect of a range of measures designed to reduce emissions, boost renewable energy, revitalise manufacturing, decrease energy insecurity and improve self-sufficiency and resilience. The US is now doing this work on an unprecedented scale through the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. While in Washington, we also had very helpful and relevant briefings from the Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources at the US Department of State and from the National Park Service. The latter was particularly helpful in terms of wildfire response and mitigation, noting the potential for greater cooperation between our countries on that critical work. We had a fascinating chat with Dr Charles Edel and Kathryn Paik from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, at which Dr Edel is the Australia chair and has already brought a more penetrating focus on Australia and the Pacific into the competitive and understandably hectic Washington foreign affairs and think tank world. I want to acknowledge the focused, engaged, collegiate participation of the parliamentary delegation—the members for Durack, Parkes, Warringah and Paterson—and the thoughtful and attentive work of delegation secretary James Strickland. Parliamentary delegations sensibly seek to encompass some of the diversity of views and experience in this place, which in turn reflect the diversity across Australia. At the same time, delegations present a consistency when it comes to our serious-minded approach to representing Australia abroad through open and honest engagement based on friendship, respect, the pursuit of mutual interests, the tackling of common challenges and the recognition of distinctive national perspectives and sovereignty. We were given customarily excellent support from DFAT folk on both sides of the US. Abigail Pennington was the bridge between the two sides, and we were very grateful for her above-and-beyond professionalism and good company. I also acknowledge with gratitude the excellent planning and preparatory work of Shannon Karppinen in the International and Parliamentary Relations office. Parliamentary delegations are an important means by which Australian representatives gain a deeper understanding of our regional circumstances and forge better connections with those who play an equivalent role in seeking to advance their countries' shared wellbeing.