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

A strong economy, as Senator McGrath has alluded to, does enable us to invest more in regional security initiatives, whether it's the Pacific Fusion Centre that I announced during the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru—and I acknowledge our friend and colleague the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, who is here today—the Lombrum Naval Base in Papua New Guinea, or the Black Rock training centre in Fiji, to name just a couple of this government's recent initiatives. They enable us to work more closely with our regional partners to address security challenges of importance to them and to work in partnership with them. Not only does a strong economy enable us to invest in the essential services that Australians rely on, it also adds weight to our diplomatic efforts. That's why we place such importance on our economic diplomacy that continues to promote Australia as an attractive place to visit, to study and in which to invest. And, last week, we launched our new Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Agenda, which will enhance our support to Australian exporters looking to break into new markets.