Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1)   notes that:

(a)   the Prime Minister visited Papua New Guinea (PNG) from 21 to 23 March 2014;

(b)   this trip was the longest and most extensive visit by an Australian Prime Minister in almost a quarter century;

(c)   Prime Minister Abbott and Prime Minister O’Neill signed a new economic co-operation treaty; and

(d)   PNG plays a vital role in the regional approach to asylum seekers and preventing deaths at sea; and

(2)   commends the Prime Minister for a successful visit which strengthened Australia’s relationship with PNG.

Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In March this year the member for Herbert and I had the privilege to join the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, on Australia's longest and most extensive prime ministerial visit to Papua New Guinea. The visit was very successful, building on our longstanding strong friendship with Papua New Guinea, which will now see annual bilateral leaders summit's. The economic cooperation treaty signed on 21 March 2014 by Prime Minister Abbott and Prime Minister O'Neill, is paving the way for increasing our trade and investment relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea, and is now the cornerstone of the relationship in business that we are promoting between our two countries.

These annual summits are just part of the coalition government's goal to shift our relationship with PNG from one dominated by aid to one of economic and strategic partners in the real sense of the word—to generate stronger connections between our people and emphasise our deep and enduring defence and security ties. Indeed, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato, said, 'Australia and Papua New Guinea are friends for life.' This is in no small way as a result of continuing ties and extensive connections such as those that the member for Macquarie, the member for Leichhardt and Senator Ian Macdonald have with our friends up in PNG.

Australia is looking forward to working closely with Papua New Guinea as they move towards hosting the APEC summit in 2018. We couldn't help but be struck on our arrival by the number of large construction projects already happening around Port Moresby and overseen by the local member and minister, the Justin Chechenko. PNG has experienced a decade of strong economic growth. Australia's investment in the country is worth more than $19 billion, almost the same as Australia's investment in China. As Prime Minister O'Neill stated during the March visit, Australia is PNG's largest trading partner, with two way trade valued at $5.7 billion in 2012-13. This strong growth is set to continue with the liquefied natural gas project having come online. This project is a wonderful example of the efficiency and success of privately fronted aid, in line with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's goal to have our aids success viewed not on the dollars spent but on the actual success and results on the ground. The first shipment of LNG departed for Japan last week and the project is expected to produce more than nine trillion cubic feet of gas over the estimated 30 years of operations.

It is not just the economic benefits; this particular project, which is 450 kilometres in length, coming through some of the most difficult territory in Papua New Guinea, has also resulted in wonderful community outreach programs assisting local villages, helping them in health in fighting disease such as HIV-AIDS and raising awareness in the local communities. As we move forward and the Foreign Minister announces the new paradigm in Australia's foreign aid, I would like to see our aid dollars be spent more on front-line services and results than on duplication and bureaucracy. It is only appropriate that I take this moment to congratulate Prime Minister O'Neill on the wonderful improvements at Port Moresby General Hospital overseen by the chairman he appointed, Sir Theo Constantino. They have now opened the maternity wing, largely funded by Rotary, a new dispensary and a new emergency wing—fabulous improvements.

While we were at the roundtable with the business leaders, Prime Minister O'Neill reported on his extending services and free education to as many children as he can—obviously with very serious challenges with remote villages, with language difficulties and with transport. It was an honour to be with Prime Minister Tony Abbott when he turned the soil at the Koki Primary School, where Australia has funded some new classrooms. That was a wonderful ceremony hosted by Powes Parkop, the local governor and member for Port Moresby, and the local member and minister, Mr Justin Chechenko. Other projects include Motokea, an amazing port development undertaken by Sir Mick Curtin and his daughter Louise. There are also other projects being undertaken and supported by local businesses, such as those by Kostas Constantinou. I congratulate the Prime Minister on the first of what I know will be many significant visits to our nearest neighbours and friends for life.

Laurie Ferguson (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicate at the outset that, despite the comments I am about to make, I deeply respect the member for Ryan's commitment to, knowledge of and genuine interest in this area. However, I cannot agree with the tenor of this resolution. I guess it reminds me of my father's comment that you should always be thankful for small mercies. This visit—the longest in 25 years—is, indeed, in that vein. It is a small mercy given this government's foreign affairs performance since coming to power. Looking around the world, we had to issue an apology in Malaysia because of a rather clubfooted earlier approach there. We have had Indonesia complaining about infringements on its sovereignty. We had a situation where ASIO raided the lawyer representing our close neighbour, East Timor. We had a situation where, when West Papuan asylum seekers approached one of our posts, the Prime Minister of this country said they were grandstanding against Indonesia. We had a situation in regards to climate change action where we could not find a senior MP who could bother to get on a plane to Warsaw. In relation to torture, the Prime Minister made the resounding and internationally recognised comment that, 'Sometimes in difficult situations difficult things happen.' That was kind of his defence of torture.

If we look at our ability to gain friends in this world, the current government were not content with us abstaining in regards to non-member observer status for Palestine when the UN vote was 138 to nine. They went on from the settlement vote to be in a minority of eight against 158 and associated ourselves with a very small minority of countries around the world. So I think to make so much of this visit—that it was the longest in two decades—is a small mercy for this government's foreign policy position.

Even then, one has to be somewhat dubious of where things lie at the moment and the basis on which this relationship now stands. Michael Gordon, on 23 March this year, talked of a recent controversy over the inquiry into the death of a person in detention. Amongst other aspects of this relationship he talked about the closing down of the human rights inquiry with Australian agreement and a joint agreement to deny access to a human rights lawyer to Papua New Guinea. He spoke of immigration minister Pato's very kind support of Australian foreign policy. And he is an expert on this, apparently. He was apparently previously a tribunal member somewhere in the world. He knows so much about these claimants! He has examined their personal cases! He came out and said they were economic refugees. At a press conference with the Prime Minister of Australia, when speaking of close, constructive and candid talks, he certainly was not constructive and candid in regards to questions, because be closed down the discussion.

If the relationship is that good, I am a bit interested in Deputy Commissioner Simon Kauba's comments last week about the Australian inquiry into what happened in the detention centre. He said the inquiry was 'inconclusive', 'cannot be depended on to prosecute the case' and 'hampers our ongoing investigation'. We know that Papua New Guinea is very dependent upon Australia. We know that there was no reduction in the foreign aid to that country in the budget—one of the few in the world that did not have a reduction. I think we have to be suspicious as to the motivation there. They are very dependent. They are very compliant with Australia's needs in regards to offshore detention. As I say, I think this country should be more concerned with an under-five mortality rate in Papua New Guinea of 75 per 1,000 and the fact that the primary school enrolment rate is just 53 per cent, lower than all but a few African countries. The primary school completion rate was just 45 per cent in 2007 and has not improved much since then. This is a situation where the United Nations in looking at the Millennium Development Goals has made the following comments:

Papua New Guinea's progress … has been slow. Uneven economic growth and distribution of wealth, high levels of violence … deteriorating law and order, poor governance … undermine the nation’s stability.

It has spoken of serious challenges in achieving the MDGs and of working to strengthen the MDG based data collection. It has spoken of the need for an accountable civil service.

As I say, they may have been there for a very long visit; however, one has to question the minuscule role of that visit in the overall failure of this government in foreign policy. We are essentially very isolated on a variety of fronts. I forgot to mention earlier the complete isolation of this country in regards to human rights in Sri Lanka.

Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to 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'.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise with pleasure to speak on this private member's motion in relation to Papua New Guinea and do so noting a number of people in the room who have a strong connection with PNG. I note the members for Ryan and Macquarie have both had longstanding relationships with PNG. Of course, the member for Ryan is the Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of PNG, of which I am the deputy chair. The member for Herbert and I travelled through the Pacific. I do not think we went to PNG on that occasion, but we have travelled through the Pacific together. It is great to see you in the chamber as well. I also see the member for Moreton, on this side, and the member for Kingsford Smith, who served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and did much good work in relation to fostering relationships in the Pacific.

A prime ministerial visit to Papua New Guinea, from my point of view, therefore, is always a good thing. It builds upon the visit that Prime Minister Rudd made to PNG, which was his first bilateral visit to any country, having been elected Prime Minister back in 2007. It was a gesture which lingers positively in PNG to this day. The economic cooperation treaty being signed by Prime Ministers Abbott and O'Neill was also a very satisfying moment, given this was a treaty the negotiations for which commenced under the then Rudd government.

The significance of PNG in Australian foreign policy is enormous and I think it does not gain enough attention, either within this building or within our national discourse. It is a country 50 per cent bigger than New Zealand. It is a country which has profound national security implications for Australia. It is a country with whom our economic relationship is growing by the day—$7.5 billion is the trade relationship today. It is growing. We have $19 billion of Australian investments in PNG today. It is our second largest recipient of overseas development assistance.

We have a unique history with PNG. It is one of two countries on this planet that gained its independence from Australia. It is a place which really has sacred ground in terms of those conflicts that were fought during the Second World War, and it is ground which those in PNG maintain for us extremely well. Anybody who visits the Bomana war cemetery—the largest Australian war cemetery anywhere in the world—knows that they are standing on sacred ground but sacred ground which is well tended.

I am really pleased, having just spoken with the member for Ryan before, that the PNG Oration, which celebrates PNG's independence in this building, will be continued under this government. That is an important mark, to allow PNG to have its day within this building. The Deakin symposium in relation to PNG will also continue this year and I think it does something to increase the academic profile of studies around PNG within Australia.

I also hope that we get an opportunity for more MPs on both sides of the House to meet their counterparts in PNG. It ought to be a deeply organic relationship. We have that kind of relationship with New Zealand. It should be the case with PNG and I hope that occurs.

I also hope that efforts to raise the profile of PNG more positively within the Australian media are continued. One endeavour of mine which I tried very hard to pursue and, I have to confess, failed was to have The Today Show report the temperature in Port Moresby every morning. It is basically the same every day, so it is not that hard a thing to do, but given that The Today Show is watched in Port Moresby it seems to me the least they could for that important audience is to tell them what the temperature is going to be.

I want to make this point: this visit came on the heels of the PNG arrangement which Australia had put into place, and core to that which established the Manus Island detention facility in its current form was the idea of resettling those who are found to be genuine refugees in PNG. It was the core and remains the core of the idea of taking Australia off the table.

It took eight months before we saw minister Scott Morrison have a conversation with his counterpart in PNG around this issue. Indeed it seemed to me that on this particular visit, sadly, the Prime Minister muddied the waters a little. That is something we need to get right because, while this relationship is not defined by that, it is a key issue and it is important that we get it right in future.

Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I have the pleasure of joining my colleagues the member for Ryan, the member for Herbert and members opposite to talk about a country that is very dear to my heart. Papua New Guinea, our nearest neighbour and a dear friend to Australia, is a country I visit often. I have a special bond with it. My husband was born there and, while he spends most of his time in Australia now and calls Australia home, we visit Papua New Guinea often to catch up with relatives and also to pursue Australia's relationship with it, which is significant to both nations.

Our close connection to PNG is evidenced by the visits Australia has made there this year to build even stronger relationships. Our relationship is not just a wonderful friendship, or one of foreign aid, but one we can shift to an economic and strategic partnership as well. I recently visited PNG for a week from 28 April to 4 May; most of that visit was personal but I did have the opportunity, which I will speak about in a few moments, of visiting some of our aid projects.

This visit followed our Prime Minister's visit on 20-23 March, which was the longest and most extensive visit by any Australian Prime Minister so far. In February this year, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison, visited PNG and in May visitors to PNG included our foreign minister, Julie Bishop. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brett Mason, also visited from 6-9 April. It is significant to note, and this point has been mentioned by others in this debate, that the bilateral leaders summit between the two nations, which takes place annually, will be important to maintain and build our relationship.

Australia's aid to PNG will deepen to ensure that aid is delivered where we have the expertise to do so and where our aid will best support PNG's economic growth objectives. PNG has experienced strong growth for a decade now. Our foreign minister, at the Australian Papua New Guinea Business Council forum in Cairns during May this year, proposed to increase infrastructure investment in PNG. I am delighted to see our aid money invested not just in infrastructure but often in infrastructure that benefits some other goal.

One project I recently visited also had an impact on health. During my recent visit to PNG on 30 April I had the great pleasure of seeing this first hand, when I opened the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital hydro project, together with senior representatives from the High Commission. The hospital, first built in 1967 with just 100 beds, provides much in responding to the health needs of that region; but after 40 years it had fallen into disrepair. Australian aid assisted with this and, in 2009, Nazarene health ministries dedicated a new hospital. In 1964, mission work built a minihydro plant to supply electricity to the hospital to improve patient care; however in March 2009 a devastating flood in the River Kayne washed away the dam, forcing the hospital to connect to the PNGPL. This power system meant fluctuations in power supply and left the hospital with much damage to equipment and, of even more concern, electrical blackouts during medical procedures—some of them involving surgery.

It was with much delight, then, I opened the Kudjip Nazarene Hospital hydro project in April just outside Mount Hagen. It is a wonderful Australian government funded aid project, allowing uninterrupted power to be available at the most critical times during hospitalisation and important medical procedures. The project, from the reservoir intake to the discharge into the turbine generator, has seen 1.4 kilometres of water raceway constructed and will generate 255 kilowatts of electricity. Additionally, the cost of electricity supply for the hospital will be dramatically reduced. Patient fees will not be raised for at least another two years—not to mention that equipment, much of it donated from overseas, will no longer be damaged. Patients will no longer be placed in the predicament of having an operation stopped midway due to power failure. The power system has been replaced with a new system that provides safe, reliable and affordable power for patient care. Australia contributed just under $10 million to this most worthy project. Assistance also came from the Church of Nazarene, which must also be thanked for its tireless efforts to this outcome. Members on both sides of this debate have talked about the significance of our relationship with PNG, and I am proud to be part of this government that is continuing to build and strengthen this relationship.

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to make a contribution to this motion regarding Papua New Guinea, and I acknowledge the long relationship that the member for Ryan has had with the people of Papua New Guinea and the government. PNG is our closest international neighbour, and a very important relationship for the people of Australia and our government. There is an enduring fondness between the people of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Many Australian nationals work and live in Papua New Guinea, and similarly many Papua New Guineans live and work in Australia. We also share a wonderful fondness for the game of rugby league, and it is great to see the Kumuls, the Papua New Guinean team, doing so well in the Q Cup.

The relationship between Papua New Guinea and Australia does require careful consideration and nurturing, and I am pleased to see that the Liberal-National party's relationship with Papua New Guinea is improving because there has been a rocky relationship between the government of Papua New Guinea and the then opposition leader and now Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Papua New Guinean politicians are not ones for mincing words. In the wake of Prime Minister Abbott's meeting with Peter O'Neill, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, after the signing of the regional resettlement arrangements, it was said that Peter O'Neill made it clear to the Australian media that he did not appreciate his words being misrepresented by Mr Abbott. Thankfully since that time relations appear to have improved, and it is very important that the Australian government has a strong relationship with Papua New Guinea.

In recent times Papua New Guinea has been strategically very important to Australia in its approach to tackling people smuggling. The relationship with the Papua New Guinean government relating to Manus Island and the regional resettlement arrangement is a very important part of the architecture of the scheme to deter people-smuggling of asylum seekers to Australia. Unfortunately, since the election of the Abbott government enough attention has not been paid to processing asylum seekers on Manus Island, and that has been identified by the Cornell report—that is, there was a lack of progress in application processing that led to the disastrous events on 16 to 18 February.

Papua New Guinea has a long way to go in its development, and analysis of the Millennium Development Goals clearly indicates that unfortunately Papua New Guinea has much to do in terms of progress, particularly around poverty, infant mortality, education and women. Unfortunately, only 50 per cent of women in Papua New Guinea have a basic level of literacy. Only 40 per cent of the population have access to clean, potable drinking water. Gender-based violence is a very big issue in Papua New Guinea, and that was part of the reason behind Prime Minister Gillard establishing the Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development Program. In health care there are a number of challenges associated with HIV-AIDS. Tuberculosis, a preventable disease in most developed democracies, is still a big issue in Papua New Guinea. I travelled to Daru in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea as the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs to open a brand new tuberculosis clinic funded by AusAID and providing important ambulatory services up the Fly River to tackle what is a preventable disease in that particular region.

Papua New Guinea also presents enormous opportunity for its people and for our region. The resources projects that are beginning to come online, most notably ExxonMobil's $20 billion LNG project in the Highlands, are beginning to reap benefits for Papua New Guinea. But what is important in this project is that the economic benefits of that project to flow to the ordinary citizens of Papua New Guinea. In that respect, Australia was quite prompt in saying to Papua New Guinea that they need to look to put in place a sovereign wealth fund established in accordance with the Santiago principles of best practice to ensure that the benefits of economic development in Papua New Guinea benefit the people who need it most. It is an important relationship, it is an enduring relationship and it is one that I am pleased to be involved in.

Debate adjourned.