Britons under 35 will be allowed to live and work in Australia for three years without farm work under the terms of a UK-Australia free trade deal agreed in London by Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson.
The bombshell policy will delight young Britons who are forced to carry out 88 days of gruelling work on a rural property if they want to stay in Australia for a second year on a working holiday visa.
The move will have a huge impact on Australian farmers who are dependent on backpackers to pick fruit and vegetables – but a new agriculture visa, allowing British farmers to work in Australia, will help mitigate the pain.
Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson (pictured together in London) announced the free trade deal on Tuesday
The changes will not come into play until at least July 2022 when the free trade deal – which has been agreed in principle – is expected to be officially signed.
It is has not yet been decided if Britons who have already used a working holiday visa will be able to re-apply and benefit from the extended working rights.
Prime Minister Morrison said there would be no limit on the number of young people who would be able to move between the two nations.
‘There is a great opportunity for young people from both UK and Australia to move and operate in different countries.
‘That builds capacity, in both countries, with that easy engagement,’ he said in London on Tuesday.
In a huge win for Aussie farmers, the trade deal will liberalise Australian imports of beef, lamb, cheese and sugar into the UK, which became free to set its own trade policy after leaving the European Union.
The amount of product allowed into Britain without tariffs of up to 20 per cent will be gradually increased over 15 years.
Australian beef producers are currently only allowed to send 3,761 tonnes of meat to Britain, while lamb exports were capped at 13,335 tonnes.
The deal will eliminate tariffs on Australian wine, swimwear and confectionery such as Tim Tams.
Meanwhile, Australia will be able to import cars, whisky, machinery and medical drugs without tarrifs.
Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison are pictured together in London before announcing the free trade deal
Britons (pictured in Manchester during England’s football clash with Croatia on Sunday) will be able to work in Australia for three years
Mr Morrison said the deal was a huge win for Aussie farmers who are trying to diversify exports amid trade struggles with China, its largest trading partner by far.
Beijing has blocked Australia seafood beef, barley and wine after Mr Morrison called for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 last year.
‘This provides more opportunities, and greater resilience for Australia’s exporters, all around the world,’ Mr Morrison said.
The Australian PM said the deal was ‘the most comprehensive and ambitious agreement that Australia has concluded.’
‘I said we would wait for the right deal, and I think we’ve got the right deal between the UK and Australia,’ Mr Morrison told reporters outside Number 10 Downing Street.
‘Our economies are stronger by these agreements.’
The UK is Australia’s fifth largest trading partner, with two-way goods and services valued at $36.6 billion, and its second biggest investment partner.
Trade Minister Dan Tehan said without a deal Australian dairy producers were limited to an import quota of 44 grams of cheese per person every year, while the average Briton consumed 125 grams of cheese per week.
‘What’s more, they are missing out on eating the best lamb chops, the best steak in the world and washing it down with the best glass of Australian wine that you could imagine,’ he said.
The terms of the landmark deal – Briton’s first trade deal negotiated from scratch since Brexit – was agreed by Mr Morrison and Mr Johnson over a dinner at Number 10 Downing Street on Monday evening.
Hailing the deal, Prime Minister Johnson said: ‘Today marks a new dawn in the UK’s relationship with Australia, underpinned by our shared history and common values.
‘Our new free-trade agreement opens fantastic opportunities for British businesses and consumers, as well as young people wanting the chance to work and live on the other side of the world.
‘This is global Britain at its best – looking outwards and striking deals that deepen our alliances and help ensure every part of the country builds back better from the pandemic.’
British people under the age of 35 will be able to work in Australia for three years
Instead of opting for a formal handshake, Mr Johnson (right) greeted Mr Morrison (left) with an elbow bump
Earlier on Monday Mr Morrison told an Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce audience that the UK’s exit from the European Union could be a boon for Australian exporters as Britain sought new trade partners.
‘As the United Kingdom moves into a completely new generation of their trading relationships with the world, who better to start that journey with than Australia?’ Mr Morrison said.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said farmers and leaders will ‘have to think differently’ about labour supplies and remove UK backpackers from the working holiday scheme.
‘The world has changed so we are going to have to think differently about labour supply, the seasonal labour supply for agriculture,’ he said.
‘There are solutions that the government is trying to explore and will explore to make up that cohort that would be lost of UK backpackers that aren’t working on farms for those 88 days.’
Mr Morrison has spoken repeatedly of his ambition to honour the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries and was pivotal in seeking a quick deal with the UK, prioritising talks on his current trip to the country.
Ahead of the formal announcement, the prime minister practiced his free trade pitch before an audience of business leaders in London.
Mr Morrison described the effect of the UK joining the European common market in the 1970s as a devastating blow to Australian producers.
‘The Brexit that has occurred is an opportunity for us to pick up where we left off all those many years ago and to once again realise the scale of the trading relationship we once had.’
Pictured: The two leaders awkwardly touching elbows in a Covid-safe exchange on Monday
Several key sticking points had to be overcome before the agreement could be reached.
Agriculture firmed as the major obstacle, with consensus on Australian beef and lamb exports proving particularly elusive.
British dairy farmers were also sceptical about the deal, fearing competition from Aussie products.
Australian officials described negotiations as tough and the two trade ministers were in daily contact for more than a week.
‘At the end of the day there will always be hesitancy when any country enters into a trade arrangement with any other country – that is quite normal,’ Mr Morrison said on Monday.
‘We have quite a lot of experience in that, we’ve been able to secure many of these arrangements, and of course you need to explain them to your populations but the ultimate explanation is jobs.
‘We either are passionate about growing the markets in which we can operate – providing opportunities for our own producers and suppliers and services – or we will stay in a situation of being unable to take up those opportunities.’
The prime minister did not want to sign an agreement for the sake of it only to have arguments down the track.
Pictured: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) heading inside at 10 Downing Street, London
A split in the UK Cabinet also appeared between International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Environment Secretary George Eustice, who had concerns about the impact on farmers.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove also harbours feared a deal could fuel demands for Scottish and Welsh independence.
Last month, Mr Johnson insisted a free trade deal with Australia should be seen as an ‘opportunity’ and not a ‘threat’ despite fears among UK farmers the agreement could put them out of business.
Trade Secretary Liz Truss was given the go-ahead to bring about the post-Brexit deal in spite of a significant backlash from the UK agriculture industry.
Australia has been negotiating for a five-year period of cutting import and export taxes, but the idea has stoked fear that British farmers would be undercut by the introduction of cheaper beef and lamb from overseas.
