Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you. It would not have been possible without the support of the Lowy Institute for International Policy or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The support of the foundation in particular is beyond invaluable; it is almost incalculable. The Pacific Friends is based at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. Its inaugural executive director is Bill Bowtell, known to many of us in this parliament. He is also the Director of the HIV-AIDS Project at the Lowy Institute. I know Bill, I know his commitment and I know he will do an outstanding job. The work of the fund is in all of our interests and worthy of our strong support. It is a very important regional initiative and one of which I am delighted to be a part. I thank the inaugurators of the Pacific Friends of the Global Fund for that opportunity.