Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

It was an honour to host my friend Prime Minister Marape of Papua New Guinea here today. Australia and Papua New Guinea share a very special relationship. As I said to the PNG parliament in January, we are partners and we are equals. As close neighbours and regional leaders, our security and prosperity are bound together. We help each other in times of need, and we respond together to the needs of the Pacific family.

Since coming to government, we've boosted our support for Papua New Guinea's economic ambitions in infrastructure, health, education and labour mobility, and we've made significant progress on improving visa processing and access.

Today, we've fulfilled our commitment to elevate our partnership by signing a legally binding bilateral security agreement. This is historic. It will make it easier for Australia to help Papua New Guinea address its internal security needs, and easier for Australia and PNG to support each other's security and the region's stability.

Policing and domestic security are priorities for Prime Minister Marape. They are central for the economic development of PNG and for the welfare of the people of that great nation—that consists, as Prime Minister Marape always reminds me, of 800 languages.

We will provide a new package of support for policing infrastructure and training for the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, as well as new support for the judiciary and correctional services, and for combatting gender based violence. We'll also support PNG to establish a police recruitment and investigations training centre, to help Papua New Guinea build a larger, more capable police force and provide training to other Pacific police forces there.

This security agreement is a natural progression in our security partnership—one that has always enjoyed bipartisan support. I look forward to hosting Prime Minister Marape in February, as a guest of the government. Today, Mr Speaker, as you know, I've written to you. I've discussed with the Leader of the Opposition—and he has supported it—my invitation, on behalf of the parliament, for Prime Minister Marape to be the first Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea to address a joint sitting of this parliament. That will occur on 8 February next year.

Papua New Guinea can always count on Australia, as we counted on them in our darkest hour. We share a future, and together we're building a partnership that will deliver peace, prosperity and opportunity for our people and for our region.

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