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

My question is for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Pacific and on how Australia is providing support to our neighbours in their health responses?

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

I thank Senator Fawcett very much for his question. Very swift action taken by our Pacific neighbours to restrict travel, along with quarantine measures, has very effectively kept COVID-19 infection in the Pacific to a very low rate, but that is not to say that we can be complacent. In fact, we must absolutely continue to be vigilant. Australia has pivoted our development partnerships to help Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to protect communities from COVID-19. We have, indeed, responded to over 80 requests from the region since January, including for a range of issues: PPE, medical supplies, quarantine management, laboratories, pandemic communications and outreach, isolation facilities, and emergency response services. We're working with the WHO, the Pacific community, New Zealand and the United States to procure and distribute GeneXpert diagnostic equipment to improve COVID-19 testing. This enables COVID-19 test results to be available and delivered in less than an hour, which is essential if countries are to respond quickly to any outbreaks. Testing equipment has already arrived in the Cook Islands, in Fiji, in Kiribati, in PNG, in Nauru, in Niue, in Samoa, in the Solomons, in Tonga, in Tokelau and in Tuvalu, with deliveries expected to other countries in coming days and weeks. We are very grateful for the support we've received from airlines and the ADF for the delivery of a number of those.

Our Pacific step-up initiatives are also pivoting to respond to the needs of our neighbours. Our Pacific women's partnership is supporting crisis centres to provide remote counselling and frontline service support. In Timor-Leste, we're working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in women's shelters. Our Pacific Fusion Centre is focused on producing targeted and timely information on COVID-19 to support key decision-makers. Our focus is on absolutely supporting our Pacific partners to address the pandemic.

Scott Ryan (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

Minister, can you advise the Senate on what Australia is doing in the Pacific region to help with the movement of people and essential supplies?

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

I thank Senator Fawcett. This is a really important question because Australia has a vital role as a transport hub between the Pacific and, usually, the world, but at the moment it's very focused, with our Pacific counterparts and Australia agreeing to establish a pathway for humanitarian, technical and medical supplies. This humanitarian corridor is absolutely essential to delivering life-saving supplies in response also to Tropical Cyclone Harold, which has of course compounded the impact of COVID-19 in the Solomon Islands, in Tonga, in Vanuatu and in Fiji. So we are standing with our Pacific partners as they also move to repair the damage caused by TC Harold.

We have ensured our diplomats, the Australian Federal Police, defence personnel and humanitarian workers have been able to remain in place to support the delivery of key services. The corridor is also facilitating the return of Pacific island and Timorese nationals to their home countries, including from places as far afield as West Africa. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (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 you outline to the Senate what Australia is doing to partner with our neighbours to help our region recover economically from the COVID-19 crisis?

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

We are looking beyond the immediate health security and safety impacts of COVID-19. We're engaging on economic support with PNG, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Nauru, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Timor-Leste. Their small island economies are heavily dependent on tourism and commodity exports. They're particularly vulnerable to the economic impact of COVID-19.

The Australian infrastructure financing facility for the Pacific will promote economic recovery when that point in time is reached by delivering infrastructure focused on jobs and growth and including health infrastructure. We also have new visa measures in place to enable workers in Australia, under the Pacific Labour Scheme and the Seasonal Worker Programme who are unable to return home, to stay here for up to 12 months. They'll be able to support themselves and their families at home, which is pivotal in times of economic difficulty, while also supporting key businesses and industries here in Australia.