Luke Simpkins (Cowan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister’s soft, uncritical approach to the government of PNG serves no interest but the government’s. While the Prime Minister struts the world stage with Jeeves in tow, following closely behind, we have so far seen little regional involvement, but what we have seen has been ineffective and counterproductive at best. This is in stark comparison to the approach of the Howard government and of the member for Mayo, who were there for the people of East Timor in 1999 and again in 2006. The former government acted decisively with troops, armoured vehicles, ships, financial aid and technical advice. In the Solomon Islands, who was it that stepped in with the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, RAMSI? That is about safety and security, but it is also about repairing the machinery of government, and a critical aspect of that is the requirement for economic governance.

I worry for the people of the Solomon Islands if the Rudd government adopts the same approach that it took with Papua New Guinea. I worry that the Rudd government will choose the photo opportunity of big smiles and mutual backslapping ahead of what is necessary—a critical assessment of economic governance. Nations that have no economic stability and nations where the people have no confidence in democratic processes are nations that are at risk of failure. They are nations at risk of takeover by extremists and fanatics. The former government worked with many of the nations of the Asia-Pacific region to lock in strong democratic principles and effective economic governance arrangements.

With the examples of the Rudd government’s soft and uncritical approach to regional foreign affairs we have perceptions of progress. Above all, we have a clear and present failure of the government to manage, protect and grow Australia’s foreign relations in the Asia-Pacific region. If we do not get it right now, we will end up going backwards in the future and possibly into more dangerous environments. (Time expired)

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