G20 summit: Tony Abbott offers Malcolm Turnbull free advice for annual leaders’ summit in Hamburg

MALCOLM Turnbull has been offered some free advice from former leaders ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg.

Tony Abbott (left) has offered Malcolm Turnbull (right) some advice for this year’s G20 summit. Picture: Supplied

MALCOLM Turnbull has been offered some free advice on G20 issues from former prime ministers ahead of the annual leaders’ summit in Hamburg this week.

Tony Abbott told The Australian many of the G20 leaders in Europe had been “incapable” of taking decisive action to protect their borders, as the refugee crisis continues and terrorist attacks go on unabated.

“The EU itself seems incapable of taking decisive action on this subject,” he said.

“So far, the EU has failed ... this is one of the problems, it has not found an effective answer to this problem. A European solution has not been forthcoming. The only ­people that will be able to solve it are national governments with whatever allies they can find.”

Tony Abbott said Malcolm Turnbull should push Europe to adopt tougher national security measures. Picture: Daniel Munoz

Mr Abbott said Australia should use its border control model to argue the case for Europe-wide ­action on tougher national security measures to stem the two-year wave of terror attacks.

“It’s good that Malcolm is going to the G20 — our border protection policies are thus far the only successful examples of a country that has managed to stop a large flow of unauthorised arrivals by boat,” he said.

“Countries that lose control are at risk of peaceful invasion. ­Obviously, it is an ongoing disaster for them.”

And Kevin Rudd said it appeared the US was on brink of triggering a trade war with China over inaction on North Korea.

Kevin Rudd asaid the US was on the brink of a trade war with China. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Mr Turnbull will land in the northern German city on Thursday afternoon (Hamburg time), holding a bilateral meeting with host leader Angela Merkel ahead of the summit starting on Friday.

Terrorism and North Korea will be at the top of Mr Turnbull’s agenda.

North Korea has been widely condemned for testing a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile which landed in Japanese waters.

US President Donald Trump, who is attending his first G20 and is a maverick on many of the summit’s issues, has called on China to “end this nonsense once and for all”.

Mr Turnbull agrees the key to reining in North Korea is China.

“You have to ... recognise that only the strongest action from China can stop this dangerous escalation by North Korea, absent military action,” he told ABC radio in an interview ahead of the trip. “I look forward to discussing this matter with other international leaders at the G20.”

Mr Turnbull will also urge leaders to ensure greater co-operation from social media companies and the makers of encrypted communications apps in tackling terrorism online.

While sites such as Facebook and YouTube have been very active in taking down extremist material, the prime minister believes the rule of law should be applied to the new generation of communication apps — something the US is unlikely to support.

Also on the agenda will be energy and climate, refugees, African development, digitalisation and economic reform.

Mr Trump is resisting ambitious language on climate and has a starkly different view on refugees to many of his G20 colleagues.

Security in Hamburg is being stepped up ahead of the summit, with 21,000 police with water cannons and dogs in place to deal with tens of thousands of protesters angry over globalisation, capitalism and a lack of action on climate change.

US President Donald Trump (left) and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) will both attend the G20 summit in Hamburg. Picture: AFP/Brendan Smialowski

After the G20 meeting, Mr Turnbull will head to France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron and formally open the new Australian Future Submarine Office in Cherbourg.

Mr Turnbull will also have an audience with the Queen in London and meet Prime Minister Theresa May and senior members of her government.

Also in London, the prime minister will pay his respects to the victims of last month’s June London Bridge terrorist attack.

Read more at The Australian.