Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to be able to share this afternoon in the acknowledgement of the work of RAMSI, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. I particularly note the other title that it has, which I think is very meaningful and encapsulates the whole meaning of this exercise—that is, Operation Helpem Fren. In that focus, it talks about how this operation was conceived. It was a cry for help from one of our friends in the Pacific, the Solomon Islands.

We know that over a period of time there had been violence and disruption in this beautiful country and there was a need for support. At that time, the Solomon Islands cried for help from a friend. Australia, under Prime Minister Howard, responded to that call. But it wasn't only Australia. As we know, one of the real strengths of the RAMSI exercise was the way that the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum gathered together and made a joint commitment that they would work with the people and the government of the Solomon Islands to ensure that there would be real peace and security in that community.

I think that over the period of time 2003-17 we saw 15 island nations, including Australia and New Zealand, working together, bringing their skills, professionalism, commitment and sense of area—a sense of being part of the Pacific—to make sure that RAMSI, Operation Helpem Fren, would be a success, and that we would see what we have seen now. We have seen a country that has re-established law and order, a country that has new friends across the Pacific who have worked together to make sure that there will be security in the region, a thriving economy, the opportunity for children to go to school and an opportunity for an effective police force. One of the core elements of this particular process was this commitment to effective law and order and a strong, trained professional police force.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells and I have many shared experiences. One of those experiences was a visit to the Solomon Islands earlier this year with Senator Wong and Minister Bishop. Among other things, we met with people who had been part of the policing program, and we heard Minister Bishop talk about the pride with which all the participants in RAMSI had seen the way that the police were able to develop not just in their own area, but also to a well-trained organisation that was sharing their skills now, taking the Operation Helpem Fren to help other friends, to ensure that we build on this basis. Minister Bishop particularly mentioned the fact that training is now provided by the Solomon Islands to other Pacific island states. They deploy officers to UN missions across the world, and support disaster relief funds in neighbouring states—places like Vanuatu, following Cyclone Pam.

One of the real joys of that visit was to see the pride of the newly recruited women members of the police force standing shoulder-to-shoulder in their community of police, to proudly take on the role they had chosen. They had careers working in security for their community. One of the particular elements was engagement in the newly formed domestic violence laws in that nation. That is so inspiring to other countries and so inspiring to the community across all the Solomon Islands. They know that their government, their police force and their community now are committed to ensuring that women and families are safe. The work with the domestic violence shelter provided a high point, I think, Senator Fierravanti-Wells, of our visit.

Senator Fierravanti-Wells mentioned the loss of life during the commitment to RAMSI, and that has been acknowledged in the other place, where two beautiful speeches were made by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bill Shorten. I have obtained Senator Fierravanti-Wells' approval to table both those speeches. I think they should be tabled. I was particularly impressed by the way Bill Shorten was able to link the history of our relationship with the Solomon Islands to the example and the experience we had through RAMSI and also for hope into the future. It is important to look at the future, because this period, the RAMSI Helpem Fren period, has now been concluded. But that, as Senator Fierravanti-Wells pointed out, is not the end of a relationship; it is the hope for the future of the relationship.

I want to mention the photographic display that was launched yesterday in this place. The photos were truly beautiful, confronting and inspiring images that looked at the hope for the next phase in the Solomon Islands' community and government. These pictures pulsated with a sense of hope for an optimistic future. Women, families, young people gathered together to acknowledge and celebrate the work of RAMSI but were also looking to the future. We know now of the signed commitments into the future of our ongoing working relationship with our friend, Solomon Islands. We know that there is great hope for this time. We know that our government is committed totally to ensuring that that relationship will continue.

This has been a genuinely successful exercise in terms of: the engagement of the people across the Pacific; the acknowledgement that there was a need for an intervention; the acknowledgement that that must be done with partnership; and, also, the rebuilding of communities so that when there are more calls—and there will be more calls not just in the Pacific but across our world for support, for help—we know there will be a sound basis, through the work that was done through RAMSI, for further operations of helping friends to be there and to be successful.

Question agreed to.