Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wentworth for her question, and, more importantly, I thank her for her commitment to acting on climate change and participating in this parliament as the representative for Wentworth on behalf of her constituents. For the people of Wentworth—or the people of Grayndler, for that matter—acting on this can make an enormous difference, but, as she correctly identifies, for people in the Pacific—the people of Tuvalu, the people of Kiribati—this is an existential threat to the very existence of their nations. When I attend the Pacific Island Forum hosted by the Solomon Islands next week, I will be attending as a participant, not as a block to climate action. That is one of the big distinctions that has occurred.

The entry fee for credibility in our region, in the Pacific and in ASEAN is action on climate change, and we indeed will be pursuing our hosting of the conference of the parties to be held, we hope, in Australia in partnership with our Pacific Island neighbours and family. I welcome the overnight support for that from at least one person in the Liberal Party, Senator Hume. It's important that we engage constructively. We will do so. We have funding for climate change infrastructure, resilience and preparation as well as agreements, such as the Falepili agreement with Tuvalu. We have a specific program recognising that sea levels are rising. That is having an impact and allowing a number of Tuvalu citizens to be able to come to Australia each year. That has been welcomed. In the lead-up to the Pacific Islands Forum, I've had discussions with a range of our neighbours—including Vanuatu, which I will visit on the way to the Solomon Islands next week—about our joint commitments which are there.

The member quite rightly quotes Admiral Barrie and the fact that this is a national security issue. It is because these issues do raise our relationships with our neighbours. They also raise the issue of security and the very survival of those island states. They also raise how we participate and how we're seen by our neighbours. That is important. I've said that our defence relationships are also about investing in our relationships, not just our capability, and this is just one way in which we do so.

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