Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Fawcett, for the question. As a close neighbour, Australia has a strong interest in the ongoing security of our Pacific neighbours. As I have indicated to the Senate before, the 2016 Defence white paper identified Australia's immediate neighbourhood as our highest strategic priority after the defence of Australia. In April 2003 the then Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Sir Allan Kemakeza, wrote to request Australia's assistance in addressing the violence besetting his country. Following consultations between the governments of the Solomons, Australia and New Zealand, a comprehensive package of assistance was agreed to. The centrepiece of this was RAMSI, which was proposed and unanimously endorsed by the foreign ministers of the Pacific Islands Forum. RAMSI has been critical to re-establishing and maintaining peace and stability in the Solomons for the past 13 years, and it has been a success because it has been a regional effort, with 15 Pacific countries contributing to RAMSI since its inception. It was led and largely funded by Australia and has helped to restore law and order, to rebuild national institutions and to reform the economy of the Solomon Islands. I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the work that we have done and the positive benefit there has been for the people of the Solomon Islands. As the Senate may be aware, RAMSI will end on 30 June next year. That said, our support for the Solomon Islands and the stability and security of that country will continue, and we are working with the government of the Solomon Islands on a new police capacity-building program, which will include advisers from the Australian Federal Police.