Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I know Minister Regenvanu, and I respect him. I would make the point that that is not a demand that has been publicly made, nor even privately made to me in the discussions with many Pacific islands, around the conference of the parties that we want to co-host. We understand the position that the minister and other Pacific island nations have put forward. We understand that they have seen Australia over and over again, over the years, take a position on climate which did not reflect the reality of their lives. But we want to work with them. We want to elevate their voices and the real, lived experience of Pacific island nations because they have a powerful voice when it comes to climate—and so they should. As Alok Sharma told a Pacific gathering, 'We now have in Australia a government that is back on the front line of the fight against climate change, and I'd like us to cheer that now.' We're very grateful for that support.