By SYLVESTER MWALE –

SPEAKER of the Australian Parliament Tony Smith has said the Zambian and Australian parliaments should share ideas and collaborate to enhance development and contribute to viable legislative processes.
Mr Smith said his Parliament would do everything possible to promote good relations with the Parliament in Zambia for the benefit of the two countries.
He was speaking when Zambia’s High Commissioner to Australia, George Zulu paid a courtesy call on him at Parliament House yesterday.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary at the Zambian High Commission in Canberra, Alick Banda.
“We need, through parliaments, to promote cultural and business links for our countries and promote understanding between the two cultures,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith, who called on members of Parliament (MPs) to be robust and dependable, said that the more parliaments engaged each other, the more beneficial and result-oriented they would be.
Mr Zulu said the two parliaments should resume the exchange of visits that characterised their relations in the past.
He said that Zambia and Australia had close ties since the pre-colonial and post-colonial times which should be nurtured at all times.
Mr Zulu said Zambia’s Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini looked forward to the exchange of visits between the two parliaments soon.
“I wish to commend Australia for the significant investment in mining in Zambia and the continued many scholarships offered to Zambians to study in Australia and in Zambia itself,” Mr Zulu said.
He said Zambia had learnt a lot from the mining tax regime of Australia which had contributed to good mining practices in the country, and that Government would like to see more interaction between the two countries.