Editor's note: Daryl Guppy is an international financial technical analysis expert. He has provided weekly Shanghai Index analysis for media for the Chinese mainland for more than a decade. Guppy appears regularly on CNBC Asia and is known as "The Chart Man." He is a national board member of the Australia China Business Council. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The new Australian government refrain is that China has changed but Australia hasn't. This chorus is a little sad. The results of the Australian election and the massive rise in the number of elected independents suggest that Australia has changed considerably. The Labor vote now out polls the Liberals in what were once Liberal strongholds of wealth and privilege. The average Labor electorate now earns more than its Coalition counterpart and that could have profound consequences for politics, policy and the Australian two-party system.

The idea that Australia hasn't changed is a sentiment that simply doesn't work on so many levels – politically, culturally and internationally.  It is incongruous to suggest that while the world around Australia has changed that Australia has not changed.

The most significant change in the political area is the election of 16 independent candidates. Nine of these are the so-called "Teals" to distinguish them from the red, blue and green colors associated with the established political parties. The Teals represent a significant change in what the electorate expects from the government.

Most notable of these is the change in the approach to climate policy. The new government has taken a massive step forward on climate policy after 10 years of policy deadlock and dithering. Although the government may claim credit for victory in the decade long climate wars that halted Australian progress, it's the Teals that really represent the power of this change.

Politically there is no doubt Australia has changed.

The new government represents a cultural change with a firm electoral acknowledgement of Australia's diversity so that it is better represented in the new parliament and cabinet. It is now more representative of the cultural mix of Australia with many more parliamentarians coming from backgrounds other than Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the first prime minister to hail from a non-Anglo background.

In particular is the rejection of the undertones of racism that were increasingly disfiguring politics in Australia. It is a loud rejection of the anti-immigration sentiment that saw refugees incarcerated for years in tiny hotel rooms, or dreadful conditions on remote islands.

These are significant cultural changes driven by voters rather than politicians.

The changes to approach in international politics have been swift, decisive and dramatically different to the bellicosity of the previous 10 years.  The new foreign minister Penny Wong was quick to visit the Pacific Islands to assure them that the long years of neglect by Australia have come to an end.

Make no mistake, this represents a massive change in Australian foreign policy from the "it's our backyard" approach to a more inclusive and cooperative discussion with a strong focus on the impacts of climate change. Australia's engagement with the region will serve Australia's interests, but it will also recognize and work with the interests of the Pacific Islands.

Wong has already shown a preference for diplomacy rather than confrontation and her comments leave open the door to accept the invitation from Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi who said he welcomed the participation of other nations in the region, including Australia and New Zealand.

This is a big change because the previous government would have slammed that door shut.

In recent decades Australia has marginalized itself from genuine discussion and policy formulation in the ASEAN region because it was in lockstep with the policy of the United States. It came to be seen as working hand in glove with the U.S. so it lost its role as independent facilitator on regional discussions. The Australian-American ties will remain strong, but the Australian default position will no longer always be the same as that of the United States. 

This is reflected in the priority engagement with Indonesia, with the prime minister and foreign minister this week leading a delegation to Jakarta.

Make no mistake, these delegations to Japan, the Pacific Islands, and Indonesia within the first weeks following the election represents a major change in the way Australia intends to engage with the region and globally.

Undeniably, Australia has changed so the claim that it has not changed doesn't make sense and this leaves the door open for improvement in Australia-China relations. The new ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, indicated a desire for change in several speeches in early 2022. The previous government ignored this.

Following the election result, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent congratulations and expressed a desire to improve relations. Most recently, Wang Yi  proposed "The solution is looking at China and China-Australia relations in a sensible and positive way… seek common ground while shelving differences and create the necessary conditions for bringing bilateral relations back on the normal track.”

By any measure China has changed. Perhaps it’s time for Australia to recognize that Australia has also changed so we can all move forward and accept the invitation to resume discussions between senior leaders offered by Li Keqiang and Wang Yi. It would be a change for the better.

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