HOST: The leaders of the 21 APEC member nations are in Hawaii, discussing among other things, regulatory reform and cutting tariffs on 'green' products like solar panels.
Australia is again pushing for a re-think on trade talks, but it's trumpeting a deal done on the weekend for a Trans-Pacific Partnership aimed at eliminating trade barriers across the region.Nine countries want to be part of it, Australia is among them.The Prime Minister says it will mean more jobs. Julia Gillard is speaking here to our chief political correspondent, Sabra Lane.PM: To have the opportunity to meet with Trans-Pacific Partnership leaders and endorse the broad outline for the Trans-Pacific Partnership is good news for Australia and good news for our economy. We are a great trading nation and so freer trade with our growing region means Australian jobs.HOST: You've talked about that there is great political momentum for this to happen and that the ambition is strong. There are concerns that President Obama will be constrained by domestic politics as he heads to the presidential election. Will it really happen in 2012?PM: Well, President Obama is chairing here in APEC. Obviously we are in Hawaii and the USA is the host, President Obama chairing the APEC meeting and chairing the Trans-Pacific Partnership meeting.He brought the group together and he has certainly spoken in the language of ambition for getting this done in 2012 - an agreement that does have its sights set high as well as a very broad coverage.Already the number of countries that have agreed to go in the Trans-Pacific Partnership equal around a quarter of the world's GDP. If Japan comes in, that's more than a third. That is a regional economic structure one-and-a-half times the size of the European Union.HOST: Japan has indicated it wants to come on board. Will its pace match the pace set by the nations who are currently members of the TPP given that Japan will probably go slowly because politically at home for Japan, there are some very tricky agricultural issues to deal with.PM: There is a very clear understanding amongst Trans-Pacific Partnership leaders that we will be having the talks and the talks will be progressing so they will not wait, the talks, to see whether or not Japan moves to the stage of saying yes, absolutely, we want to be in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.So this is not a question of being held up or held back. Our trade ministers and trade negotiators will be hard at work whilst Japan goes through the process of discussion about joining.HOST: China says it hasn't been invited. Would you like to see China part of the TPP?PM: Well, the way the TPP has worked is nations have stepped forward and said yes, we want to be involved.HOST: Would you like to see them involved?PM: Just to be clear, this is not an invitation structure. No one is issuing invitations. Countries are saying yes, I want to be in and as the Trans-Pacific Partnership gathers pace and clearly has political will and momentum behind it, I expect more countries will look and see that something important is happening and will say to themselves yes, we want to get involved. Now China obviously will make its own decisions.HOST: What can Australians expect of President Obama's visit?PM: I think Australians will be delighted to see president Obama in our country. President Obama will be there in Canberra addressing a joint sitting of the Parliament and then going to Darwin. I think what people will see from President Obama's visit is a reaffirmation of the incredibly strong bonds between our two countries.HOST: It's been widely talked about that Australia and the United States will announce ongoing development of the Strategic and Defence Alliance. Why does Australia need to see more US troops and assets on Australian soil?PM: Sabra, I'm confident I'm now going to disappoint you and just simply say that anything that I've got to say with President Obama about that matter or indeed any other matter will be done by the two of us jointly when we are in Australia together.