Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Prime Minister, it gives me great pleasure to invite you to address the House.

THE HONOURABLE Mr JAMES MARAPE ( Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea) : Mr Speaker, the Hon. Prime Minister, the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Madam Senate President, the honourable members of the House of parliament, people of Australia: I want to begin by firstly appreciating and acknowledging the Ngunnawal people, the traditional custodians of the land in which we gather here today. Yesterday I was given the extraordinary honour and privilege to witness the Welcome to Country, and I want to appreciate the elders and people past, today and those who are emerging into the future.

I bring to you warm greetings from my people—the people of Papua New Guinea—to each and every one of your leaders in this House. But, more importantly, please, as you visit your constituents, convey our best wishes, our regards and, importantly, our thankfulness to the good people who have been so kind and wonderful to my people.

Let me congratulate you, having reached your 236 national anniversary day. In my calendar, I celebrate with your mission staff in Port Moresby every time it comes around. Thank you for according me a special service as a guest of Australia today. Today, my delegation, including my wife, are absolutely honoured that you have received us very well. Prime Minister, I appreciate your suggestion and the fruition of that invitation. Thank you very much. Mr Speaker, thank you for graciously allowing me into your House.

As I begin my speech, let me start with a reflection: a leader from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, where I come from, once visited Canberra, in Australia, in the 1950s. His name was Kondom Agaundo. He made a speech in his own mother tongue because he knew no English, and it drew some laughter from the crowd. He made a statement that is quite sentimental and historic. He said: 'Today, I come to you and speak to you in my language and you laugh at me. One day my son will come to you and speak in your language and you will certainly listen.'

Today, as I stand before you in your wonderful House, this prophecy is being fulfilled. I speak to you in the language you taught me. I hear every word that Prime Minister Albanese and the opposition leader say, and I hear every word that Australia has been speaking and uttering to us since 1901, when you became your own sovereignty, and your adoption of us into your family in 1906.

As the prophecy of one of the fathers of my nation comes to pass today, I come to you as their son—a son of Papua New Guinea. I don't come to you as James Marape. I speak as the chief servant of the people of the most diverse nation on the face of planet Earth. We have many tribes and many languages but one nation.

I am very deeply honoured to be accorded this rare privilege, being the first prime minister of my country to address the Australian parliament. It is a high privilege that I do not take for granted. My people and I will treasure this moment as a moment of honour for Papua New Guinea and, more importantly, the Papua New Guinea-Australia relationship.

Thus, it is with a profound sense of humility and responsibility that I am giving you this address. This is truly a historic moment for my country, and, as I stand and gaze upon the halls of this magnificent building, I am reminded of the long journey that you too have taken to arrive at this point, at this time and at this place.

This is a magnificent parliament house—a truly impressive architectural and landscape marvel. It carefully blends the atmosphere of a modern, thriving Australia but, more importantly, with the revered traditions of your Indigenous people. It is a proud testament to the resilience and tenacity of Australian people to survive and flourish against all odds and to your continued upholding of democracy and its freedom-enriching way of life that all of us, we too in Papua New Guinea, have come to love and cherish.

It was from this parliament that the 98th act of 1975, called the Papua New Guinea Independence Act 1975, cut the umbilical cord from the womb of Australia to birth Papua New Guinea. I want to say thank you very much. It was from this parliament that many decisions were made that have helped to shape what Papua New Guinea was before 1975 and what Papua New Guinea is after 1975. This is why Papua New Guinea has a very special and very unique relationship with Australia. We are the only country Australia has birthed. Many young Papua New Guineans and perhaps Australians do not realise the depth of our shared history—let me remind them.

Barely out of colonisation yourself, when six colonies merged into a federation that became an independent nation from Great Britain in 1901, Australia officially took over Papua New Guinea as its own colony in 1906, until you granted us independence in 1975. Through those years, our two people passed through the World War I periods, the great pandemic of the late 1900s—I think 1918 it was, or 1919. We passed through the Depression of the 1920s and the 1930s. We passed through World War II, when, in defence of our territories, the Kokoda spirit was born. After World War II, your public servants, your teachers, your healthcare workers, your Christian missionaries, your business folks and many, many more continued to work over in the 1950s and 1960s until our political independence in 1975. Many of these Australians lost their lives in the course of duty. Some did remain back to continue on saving after 1975.

The amount of work that was really put into the administration of Papua New Guinea can never be ignored by Papua New Guineans. History holds all the details, for the greatest and most profound impact of the Australian administration is the democracy you left with us. Our constitution, our democratic system of government, our judiciary, the public service, the education system, our financial and banking system and our Christian worldview are what you left in PNG. You see, me standing here, speaking in English—I learnt that through the school system you set up. The God I worship today, the Christian God, is a God your missionaries brought into Papua New Guinea. The imprint of Australia is second to none in Papua New Guinea. Your legacies live on.

Let me say, amongst all the legacies—and if I could be respectful—no greater legacy remains forever in the hearts and minds of Papua New Guinea than the great imprint of Gough Whitlam's Labor government, agreeing to the work Menzies may have started and the generation in the sixties may have started. The final cut in the umbilical cord between Australia and PNG took place under the watch of prime minister Whitlam and my forerunner, the father of my country, Great Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. It was the Labor Whitlam government and the Somare Pangu government, on this day 50 years ago, that set in motion that train to make Papua New Guinea become a democratic sovereignty. And I want to pay my homage to the memory of prime minister Whitlam. Whilst he may take the greater limelight today, it is better said and appreciated than not at all. I want to say thank you to all before him but more importantly to the memory of prime minister Whitlam for being perhaps the most socially progressive of his time, for his policy of self-determination for Indigenous people of Australia and for hearing the cries of the founding fathers of Papua New Guinea for our own self-determination.

Last night, Minister Penny Wong passed on a piece of gem to me when we were sitting at the dinner table. And thank you, Opposition Leader, for gracing us. Mr Speaker and Madam President, thank you for your wonderful hospitality last night, when Prime Minister Albanese and I were together. Whitlam's quote goes like this:

If history were to obliterate the whole of my public career, save my contribution to the independence of a democratic PNG, I should rest content.

Mr Whitlam, we honour your memory, Sir. Your name is now etched into the history books of Papua New Guinea forever, taught in schools and uttered every year when we raise our flag and celebrate it—our independence on 16 September. Hundreds of years may pass, even when James Marape moves on from public life. But the name Gough Whitlam will forever live on because of Papua New Guinea and because of Australia. Because of your leadership then and his generation of leaders, Papua New Guinea is independent today. Rest content in God's bosom, Mr Whitlam.

Forty-nine years later we are here on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea's nationhood. And you may ask me this question: how have the 49 years been for Papua New Guinea? Of course, needless to remind you, most of you know our anguish, and you also know whatever joys we have, including the joys on the rugby league field that we find. It is true that our challenges are many and our systems remain fragile. It is true that our people need greater empowerment in many aspects of their lives, but not all is bad—not all is bad.

Nearly 50 years on, our democracy remains as strong as ever. Our constitution is as bold as ever, since it was mounted first in our Constituent Assembly on 15 August 1975 under Australian administration. We have not fallen to the barrel of a gun as many emerging nations globally have fallen to, and our democracy in a land of a thousand tribes remains vital. Its vitality is secure and intact.

Despite the huge challenges of our land, the diversity of culture and languages and a weak economic starting point in 1975, our thousand tribes are still keeping on as one people, one nation, one country in total allegiance to the constitution. Our people are resilient and continue to draw strength from the traditional social support system refined over thousands of years.

Since 1975, we have run 10 elections. Many of them had their fair share of challenges, but we unfailingly have produced governments. Yes, there might have been many contested along the way, including votes of no confidence, but we have remained one democratic nation, maintaining the core of democracy in our country. We have not failed to uphold the values and principles of democracy as enshrined in our national constitution.

Many people forget the huge disadvantage we started with and the natural obstacles we continue to face. Our country is a big country. We're not a small island state. We're a big country. Our country comprises 462,840 square kilometres of land. To give you some context, the land size is bigger than Japan, bigger than New Zealand, bigger that the United Kingdom, or England. It is one of the most rugged and inaccessible countries in the world because of its impenetrable, dense tropical rainforests, its terrain, its thick jungles, open valleys, large swamplands, complex river systems, which are ready to fire up your clean energy source, isolated islands and far-flung atolls—a huge diversity in terms of not just culture and people but the landscape itself.

Throw into that a starting economic base of a five billion kina economy—in relation to Australian dollars it was possibly under A$1 billion—in 1975. We had a population base of 3.5 million, 95 per cent of whom were illiterate, all diverse and living in rural areas, a country with no modern infrastructure, with only a few small scattered towns and a very small percentage of people in formal employment. My own Huli tribe, for instance, came first into contact with government and church workers in 1952. This was our starting point in 1975.

These have all been our challenges. But, as I visit you today, I ask you: do not give up on Papua New Guinea. We have always bounced back from our low moments and we will continue to grow, learning from every low moment and every high moment. We learn from past experiences. In this regard, I want to indicate to this House that we are making structural reforms and trying our best to improve our public sector efficiency, to carry the country for the next 50 years. These reforms and changes include our governance and our public service structure. Change is also being made to our courts, our judiciary and the police force, and we are also strengthening our anticorruption laws and environment.

For the economy, we have made great progress over the last couple of years. You will recall my five billion kina economy starting point. When I took government, in 2019, we were an 80 billion kina economy. Today, the IMF and World Bank will confirm that we are operating in an 111 billion kina economy. Our own government and my generation of leaders aim to move it to a 200 billion kina economy—if not in the next 10 years, at the very earliest. The need to move the economic pendulum is more important right now because of the higher growth of population we have in Papua New Guinea. Economists amongst us would know that population must grow lower than economic growth to sustain an economy. That is our target. Having said that, I thank all the people of Australia who have helped shape and build my country: politicians, public servants, missionaries, members of non-government agencies and organisations, businessmen and businesswomen.

I also want to take this time to, in a special way, thank a special group of people: patrol and district officers. Sometimes we have left them behind in our praise for others. We call them in PNG, in a special way, the kiaps. This special breed of men patrolled my country, well into its interior, in the 1950s and 1960s, after the war. Many of them lost their lives from the challenges of that occupation. It is on this note that I want to acknowledge a couple of special surviving kiaps who are still here with us—three of them in this precinct, in the public gallery: Graham Watts, who served in Rabaul; Bill Sanders, who served in Simbu; and John and Morag Hocknell. They are present in the public gallery. I just want to appreciate them. They represent the fair dinkum spirit of Aussies, if I can put it that way, leaving the comfort of their own homes and travelling unto uncharted territories.

There are books, as far as PNG relations with Australia are concerned, that must be written many, many times over. In 1975, Mr and Mrs Hocknell, for instance, who were in their early twenties, witnessed the lowering of the Australian flag for the last time, and the uplifting and hoisting of the PNG flag for the first time, in remote Komo in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Komo would have seen the first outside contact through them. They had their first son born, with no modern hospital care, in the remote villages of the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. This is what I'm talking about, part of the contribution Australians have made to my country. I want to acknowledge them and I want to acknowledge all who worked there.

The Somare generation of Papua New Guineans are also present here. I've brought with me two of the finest of our country. They represent the generation of Somare, Sir Pita Lus and the fathers of my country. I have Sir Nambuga Mara, representing the provincial governments, and I have Sir Yano Belo, from the first cabinet of 1975. That generation of Papua New Guineans and that generation of Australians ensured the Papua New Guinea and Australia of 2024 are together. I want to appreciate them sincerely, from the bottom of my heart. This generation planted the seed of democracy and political independence. Mr Speaker, they worked hard in their time.

I want now to extend my great appreciation to all of you successive governments of the past. Since then, many governments have come and gone on both sides of the Torres Strait. Many heads of mission have come and gone from representing Australia in PNG. I want to thank all who have stayed with us for the last 49 years: governments of the past and members of parliament, public servants, as well as heads of mission. Many came last night who have continued to maintain an affinity for Papua New Guinea. I just want to say thank you very much to all who have stayed with us the last 49 years. Thank you for your continued support throughout the life of our nationhood. Your assistance in education, in health, in infrastructure developments, in ports, roads and telecommunications et cetera, continues to play a very crucial role in the development of our country. I want to also acknowledge, in the same vein, all Australian investors who continue to invest in Papua New Guinea. Australian businesses comprise the biggest pool of foreign investors in Papua New Guinea. Thank you for your support to our economy.

For my government, I also acknowledge the Liberal led government under my friend Scott Morrison for their support. Peter, you are here. I want to acknowledge the time we served in government together on both sides. And I want to acknowledge my good friend Prime Minister Albanese and your present Labor government. All governments have been kind to us and fair to us, but under my watch I have been privileged to have served alongside both a Liberal government and a Labor government.

The Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership that we mounted in 2020 is an embodiment of our PNG-Australia relationship, which has elevated even higher. This program entrenches the direction I am taking for my country, which is to move PNG away from being an aid-recipient nation to becoming a very important economic partner nation and an economically self-reliant nation.

I want to also appreciate Prime Minister Albanese and your Labor government for the recent signing of the bilateral security agreement. This holds the blueprint that reflects our focus collectively, and my focus, on PNG becoming a strong, economically resilient nation. A strong, economically empowered Papua New Guinea means a stronger and more secure Australia and Pacific. I repeat: a strong, economically empowered Papua New Guinea means a stronger Australia and a more secure Australia and Pacific.

Next year, 2025, PNG will celebrate 50 years of nationhood, and I take this opportunity to invite all Australian leadership to join us in our celebration. The key institutions of our society that you have helped establish will be turning 50 as we hold our country's Golden Jubilee.

Last year we celebrated 50 years of our central bank. Our central bank was still reporting to the Australian federal reserve in 1973. Last year we celebrated 50 years of Air Niugini, our national airline carrier. Last year we celebrated 50 years of our national broadcaster, the National Broadcasting Corporation. This year, we will witness our national and supreme courts, and other several key institutions of state, celebrating 50 years. We thank Australia for the profound work that went into setting up these key institutions that remain the anchor of our free, vibrant democracy.

Last year, Prime Minister Albanese, when you addressed our national parliament, I must say it moved all of us, it touched all of us. You spoke of Papua New Guinea as an equal, a core development partner in the Pacific with Australia and New Zealand. You gave the assurance that Australia would help PNG in our core focus areas of security, labour mobility, youth empowerment and downstream processing of our renewable resources as we work together going forward. Of course, you also saw the need for us to use rugby league to unite the most diverse nation on the face of planet Earth. I am grateful for this, Mr Prime Minister. I am grateful for your deep commitment to our shared values and principles. Your call is a call in the right direction—to complete and continue nurturing Papua New Guinea to become economically independent and a strong nation.

Papua New Guinea must not continue to be an aid-grant-receiving nation, a nation that depends on borrowing every year to survive. We must become a strong country, standing on our two feet, economically independent and strong so we too can help Australia maintain democracy, preserve peace and ensure stability in our part of planet Earth, in our Pacific. As a country that is on the western fringes of our region, we view this as something that must be done with a sense of urgency, and we take this responsibility seriously. Papua New Guinea forever appreciates the assistance by Australia to become safe, secure and free from the transnational crimes of drug trafficking, firearm trade, money-laundering, terrorism and others. We aspire to be a safe and secure country with a robust economy.

Honourable members, you will note my underlying tone here of deep gratitude. Australia has been a huge pillar of support for my country and my people. Ours is a relationship that has shared ethnicity, that is built on shared ethnicity between the Torres Strait Islanders and my people up north from you, between the Indigenous Australian people and the Melanesian people, who have lived in this space of planet earth for more than thousands of years. History shows that we have lived over 10,000 years in this part of planet earth. We are also locked into earth's crust together. If you look into your geological study, you realise that the Indo-Australian Plate holds us together; we share that, and so one might say we are joined at the hips. We are going nowhere, but we must coexist until Jesus comes.

Our shared modern history of over a century or maybe more makes us uniquely related. Many of us in Papua New Guinea see Australia as a big brother or sister who took care of us when you were still a teenager. You nurtured us into young adulthood and continue to support us to this day. If Britain was our imperial mother, as they say—this certainly holds a lot of truth—we were cut out from the same democratic cloth. One can choose friends, but one is stuck with family forever. One is stuck with family forever. Our two countries are stuck with each other. We have no choice but to get along. We have no choice but to get along.

Mr Speaker and honourable members, today I carry the humble and deep, deep gratitude of my people, a thousand tribes. And on their behalf I want to thank Australia for everything you have done and continue to do for us. We realise our success as a nation will be the ultimate payoff for the work put in by many, many Australians of past. I therefore commit my generation of Papua New Guineans to augmenting the sanctity of our democracy and progressing our economy.

We pledged to work hard to make sure PNG emerges as an economy that self-sustains our nation so that we too can help keep our region safe, secure and prosperous for our two people and those in our Indo-Pacific family. In a world of many relations with many nations, nothing will come in between our two countries because we are friendly. Through tears, blood, pain and sacrifice that are now anchored in our eternal past, our nations are constructed today.

A Greek proverb goes like this, in closing—Mr Speaker, I will not keep you long. A Greek proverb goes like this, and I paraphrase: our society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they will not sit under. The Whitlam-Somare generation planted the trees of democracy and free-market economy whose shade we enjoy today. These great leaders, whose shoes I will, sadly, never fill—did their part and they've moved on into the enclaves of history. But I ask myself this question, as the chief servant of my country: am I planting enough trees for the shade in which my child and the child of Papua New Guinea and Australia can sit? Maybe you too can ponder this question with regard to our two people, two nations and two economies.

Yesterday, I reminded my Ngunnawal elder sister, Sister Serena Williams—I met her outside, and she is sitting somewhere here. I reminded her and her family, when they received me into the country, of the impossibility of unwinding the past but the absolute possibility of constructing the future. I say the same remark again here in Canberra, the great meeting place of the Ngunnawal people and now modern Australia. Our set past we cannot change, the good and the bad—more good, I know—but it must become the tailwind to guide and shepherd us into our collective future. Our future becomes more certain when we find common grounds to preserve and protect each other.

In closing, I want to thank very much every Australian for what you have done for Papua New Guinea thus far. Today I did not come to give you more requests; rather, I came to say thank you. Tanikiu bada bada herea. Tanikiu. Tenkyu tumas. Bipla tenkyu tru long olgeta Austrelia. I speak in the language that my three friends up in the public gallery can understand, and I want to say thank you to all Australians. You have helped us shape what is modern day Papua New Guinea. We're looking forward to not letting down the aspirations of those who came before us in the preservation of our democracy in a modern, thriving Papua New Guinean economy. Contribute where you can and leave the rest to us. We will do our best. May God forever bless Australia and may God forever blessed Papua New Guinea. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Members and senators having risen and applauded—

Mr Prime Minister, on behalf of the House I thank you for your address. I wish you and Madam Marape a successful and enjoyable visit to Australia. I thank the President of the Senate and senators for their attendance. I invite the Prime Minister to escort our guest from the chamber. The chair will be resumed at the ringing of the bells.

Sitting suspended from 10:4 9 to 12:20

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