Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

We see APEC as a very timely opportunity to engage with our Pacific counterparts, particularly in respect of the Prime Minister's announcement of new Pacific initiatives just last week. They reflect the priorities raised with me and with Senator Ruston, for example, by Pacific leaders and ministers, and they reflect the government's ongoing dialogue with our key partners in the region, who are very important to us even if not to those opposite, who can't give the chamber the respect of listening to these observations. They build on our existing Pacific step-up and they also build on Australia's commitment under the foreign policy white paper. Our Australian infrastructure financing facility will significantly boost infrastructure development in Pacific countries and in Timor Leste, and we know that is a billions-of-dollars challenge to address in coming years. It will build on our long track record of supporting critical infrastructure in the Pacific.