Bob Sercombe (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Overseas Aid and Pacific Island Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I would certainly welcome a debate with the minister on a broad range of matters. On questions of expenditure in relation to aid to the Pacific Islands, could the minister confirm that total funding for Papua New Guinea and Pacific programs has fallen by 12 per cent in this budget, and specifically in relation to PNG by 34.1 per cent? I note that the failure to pick up implementing the Enhanced Cooperation Program mark 1 and the withdrawal of most Australian police would clearly explain a significant proportion of such a drop. Nonetheless, a drop of some 34 per cent is massive, particularly for a country which in the Pacific context is our most important neighbour and geographically our closest neighbour. Given the enthusiasm of the member for Ryan and the minister on the importance of programs, it seems somewhat anomalous that there is such a substantial drop when there are so many pressing needs in relation to development assistance in PNG.

The minister might also confirm that funding for the Solomon Islands is down by 11.8 per cent in this budget. Once again, given events in April, in particular in the Solomon Islands, that drop would also seem to be somewhat anomalous. I ask the minister to give us some further information as to how he sees the ongoing development of RAMSI and related programs in the Solomon Islands. I have had the opportunity on three occasions over the last 18 months to have discussions in the Solomon Islands with RAMSI staff, and I have to say that in general terms it is an outstanding program and one which clearly continues to have the support of the majority of Solomon Islanders. Having said that, the Solomon Islands is facing within the next decade potentially catastrophic economic circumstances. Therefore, whilst law, justice and governance programs are fundamental, against a backdrop where the Solomon Islands economy is facing a cliff because of the fact that the place is almost logged out—and logging is its principal source of foreign revenue—it would be useful to know how the minister sees the socioeconomic future of the Solomon Islands and the RAMSI context to that. Would the minister agree with me that there are deep-seated and serious long-term problems for the Solomon Islands economy and how does that sit with the government’s cut in aid funding to the Solomon Islands by almost 12 per cent?

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