Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I like the member for Werriwa but he is the sort of bloke who would get a box of Cadbury Roses chocolates and complain about the number of Turkish delights. I want to speak on this motion about Australia's relationship with Papua New Guinea proposed by the member for Ryan, a member of parliament who has had a long, personal and terrific affinity with the people of Papua New Guinea. This trip was a great opportunity and it showed the growing respect between the two countries.

I have a lot of time for Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. The member for Ryan spoke about the roundtable we had with business people and with cabinet ministers. I am an auctioneer by trade and I saw things at that meeting from a sales perspective. If you were the manager of the sales territory, you would have walked out of that meeting saying, 'We're going to do business here. The CEOs of the two companies get along; therefore, we will do business.' The theme I picked up on the way through was that we want this relationship to progress. Everywhere we went we were met with smiling faces.

I see the member for Corio sitting over there. He is well aware of what it is like in Papua New Guinea. This trip built on the work that he did in the last parliament and the relationship that he fostered with the people and the government of Papua New Guinea. It is a great country. It is our nearest neighbour. We have to do the right thing here. We have to understand the nature of that country and understand the role that it plays in relation to our country. We need to build on the relationships that have gone before.

The member for Corio was a well-respected visitor to that country for a number of years when those opposite were in government. I was lucky enough to go on one trip with Julie Bishop when she was in opposition. The now foreign minister led the charge for us into Papua New Guinea. She also changed the focus of our foreign policy to recognise that these people are our nearest neighbours and to make them a very serious part of our foreign policy. The relationship between the two countries should be very inclusive, frank and open. I think we have that.

I heard the keynote speeches in Cairns the other week. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Julie Bishop both spoke about the relationship. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea spoke about the visas for business people, education and that sort of stuff. He wants to make it easier. He wants to make it more like the relationship that we have with New Zealand. The foreign minister addressed the concern directly with the Prime Minister. She said: 'We do understand this issue and we are working on it, but it is not a policy issue; it is a regulatory issue. We have to know who is coming to our country.' So we are walking down those paths; we are getting those things done.

We have to include in this conversation—not so much on this visit but in the work that Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has done—the people of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. The Melanesian world is an area of great potential for Australia and of great responsibility for Australia and those countries coming through. When the member for Corio and I were in the Solomon Islands we were both taken with the economic growth of this area and the relationship it has with Australia.

We have a real chance here. The leaders of the two countries are focused on common goals. They want the very best for their people and are prepared to work together to find out what things we have in common. The two prime ministers were speaking about the development of the north of Australia, the way that that works in with the development of Papua New Guinea and how those synergies can provide real progress for both countries. There is no way you will not end up with a good result here.

We have to continue to be up-front and honest with people to make sure that we continue this relationship. No relationship runs smoothly all the time. This is a very good part of the world to be in, where we can have open discourse. The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea can come to Australia and have his say. The member for Werriwa would have liked it better if the Prime Minister of Australia got up there like Moe in the Three Stooges and conked some heads together or something like that. It would seem a little ridiculous to do that.

In the relationship we have between the two countries, we have to spend more time on, and get more recognition for, the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council. People like Frank Yourn have a role to play in this. We have to make sure that they are supported in this relationship. 'Blong yumi' is pidgin for 'it belongs to all of us'.

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