David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Minister, could you update the Senate on the concluding phase of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands and outline what RAMSI has achieved?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank you, Senator Fawcett, for your question. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and welcome our friend the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, as a guest of government to Australia. Ours is a friendship that spans many decades. It's across aid, it's across trade, it's across security, and it's across the many lives that have been lost.

Just last week, I was in the Solomon Islands for the 75th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Guadalcanal and the sinking of HMAS Canberra. I was privileged to be at the end of RAMSI celebrations, and they were led by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. This marked the end of a 14-year deployment and the success and the legacy that RAMSI has left not just for the Solomon Islands but also for the region. At its height, there were almost 2,000 military, 375 police and 185 advisers. It was a civilian-led operation, Operation Helpem Fren. It cost $3 billion, of which $2.8 billion was contributed by Australia.

Let me take senators back to April of 2003. The then Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Sir Allan Kemakeza, wrote to the then Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, requesting our assistance. Our assistance was very, very swift. The mechanism for providing assistance was the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, known as RAMSI. Why it was such a success was that it was truly a regional response. All 15 members of the Pacific Islands Forum contributed. Yes, we contributed the bulk, but we did contribute as equal partners. It is a legacy of regional cooperation, and we are looking forward to discussing the post-RAMSI framework for continued regional security. (Time expired)

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, a supplementary question.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister inform the Senate of what that post-RAMSI framework is so that we can reinforce the gains made by RAMSI and ensure an enduring peace?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Fawcett. It is in the national interests of both Australia and the Solomon Islands to continue to work together to ensure that the gains made under RAMSI are preserved. We have provided a post-RAMSI package of $141 million, consisting, basically, of three components: stability, economic growth, and human development. We will be having a justice program and a governance program and will continue to assist the Solomon Islands police.

Today, the Solomon Islands and Australia have signed a bilateral treaty which will allow Australia and the Solomon Islands to cooperate on security and defence matters. More importantly, may the events of RAMSI never happen again. But our security treaty is not just about security; it's also about going in to help our neighbours, particularly in times of humanitarian disasters.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, a final supplementary question.

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister update the Senate on how the work undertaken by RAMSI has directly benefited Australia?

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia benefits greatly from peace and stability in our region. Solomon Islands is a very, very close neighbour and, as a neighbour and a friend, we have a significant national interest in that state, as we have in the ongoing security of the Pacific and of our Pacific Island neighbours. Can I remind the Senate that our defence white paper said that, after the defence of Australia, the stability and security of our region is paramount.

We do not want to see a repeat of what happened in RAMSI. We do not want to see a repeat of the circumstances that led to an intervention like RAMSI. Without RAMSI's work it is possible and highly probable that the Solomon Islands could have disintegrated into a failed state, therefore becoming a safe haven for all sorts of transnational crimes, including narcotics, money laundering and arms. In conclusion, could I pay tribute to those Australians who served in RAMSI. (Time expired)