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

Thank you, Senator Green, and thank you for your interest in and engagement with our Pacific neighbours. I know how important that is to you and to the people you represent.

As you know, our government is investing in all arms of statecraft to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. That requires a Pacific Islands Forum equipped to face our shared challenges together. As I said, obviously, we have travelled to every member of the PIF and listened to their priorities, and we're working to deliver for our shared interests. Over two budgets, we have boosted our investments in regional security cooperation; policing; labour mobility; climate and humanitarian responses; sport; media; and regional capability. We have delivered on our commitment to expand and improve the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, with more workers in Australia than ever before. We have increased our investments in climate finance in the Pacific, for the Pacific, and we will rejoin the Green Climate Fund. We're determined to ensure that it delivers directly for our Pacific partners. We have increased our development assistance, and we have doubled the Australia Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific's grants component.

Our investments will help our regional partners to become more economically resilient, to develop critical infrastructure and to provide their own security so that they have less need to call on others. We have also enhanced our support for the Pacific Islands Forum, the pre-eminent regional institution, to build a stronger and more united Pacific family and to deliver the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. We have also delivered a Pacific engagement visa, which will make a uniquely Australian contribution to building a stronger Pacific family.