Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Solomon for his question and his deep interest in these matters. The truth is our national security is founded in part on being the partner of choice for the Pacific, and the truth is also that there's a great strategic competition occurring in the Pacific and our standing in that region has been undermined by the last government's incompetence and attitude. We saw the member for Cook's bad treatment of Pacific leaders at PIF meetings. We saw the new opposition leader joking about Pacific islands being wiped out by climate change. We saw the former deputy prime minister saying Pacific Islander people should be grateful we let them pick our fruit. Then we saw the then foreign minister Payne refusing to visit the Solomon Islands in 2022.

In contrast, the Albanese government has been repairing our relationships and has been repairing our standing. Central to that is the Pacific engagement visa, which builds our people-to-people links with the Pacific, builds diaspora and deepens our engagement and relationship with the Pacific family. It complements our increases to ODA, our expansion of the PALM scheme, our increased security ties and our support for Pacific journalism.

Now, one would think those opposite would have learned their lesson after presiding over the Solomon Islands-China security pact, but no. They're blocking action on climate change, they're undermining confidence in the PALM, and now they're saying no to the Pacific engagement visa. 'No,' they're saying, on the spurious grounds of opposition to the ballot system.

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