Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Following last week's AUKUS announcement, what is the Albanese Labor government doing to strengthen ties with our regional neighbours and friends, particularly in the Pacific?

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

I thank the member for Moreton for his question and for his ongoing interest in our relations in the Pacific region. AUKUS is about promoting stability, security and prosperity in our region. We are investing in our capabilities on defence, but we're investing very heavily in our relationships in the region as well. That's why, on the way home from the AUKUS announcement in San Diego, I visited Fiji to congratulate the new prime minister, Prime Minister Rabuka, on his election at the end of last year and also to talk with him about the ongoing relationship that we have with our Pacific neighbours. We know that the government inherited a relationship that was in a bad state. We know that that occurred prior to the election with the issue in the Solomons of a breakdown in credibility and relationships. The entry fee for good relations in the Pacific is action on climate change. They take that issue more seriously than any other because it's a threat to their very existence. That's why these relationships are so important.

I also thank the Prime Minister of Fiji for his support and work in putting back together the Pacific Islands Forum. We had had a breakdown in the relationships with the forum, with not all of the nations attending the forum that I attended, hosted by Fiji, last year. But the re-joining of Kiribati to the Pacific Islands Forum is very important to putting the Pacific family back together. We are investing in a stable and secure region. We have a signed security agreement with Vanuatu. We have committed to concluding another one with Papua New Guinea. In January, I was the first non-PNG citizen to ever address their parliament in Port Moresby, and I thank Prime Minister Marape for that great honour. We have also signed a bilateral partnership with the Cook Islands. In just nine months, we have hosted seven—tomorrow, it will be eight—Pacific leaders. Tomorrow, the Leader of the Opposition will join me on the forecourt to welcome the Prime Minister of Samoa as an official guest, and I will host her at the Lodge tomorrow night.

These relationships are very important for Australia's future. They are important for the region. We'll continue to work constructively, and I pay tribute to the work of Senator Wong and Minister Conroy in particular for the work that they've done in this region.