Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. We are now 20 months into this pandemic, and the delta strain is ripping through Papua New Guinea—a mere four kilometres away from Australia. Isn't Senator Fierravanti-Wells right to say that this government 'has dropped the ball on providing urgent support to our most important Pacific partners'?

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

I absolutely reject Senator Wong's question, and I absolutely reject the proposition that is apparently put by Senator Fierravanti-Wells, which I have not actually heard.

As I said in response to the previous question from Senator Scarr, who has a deep and abiding interest in these issues, we have been working very closely in particular with Papua New Guinea. Let me repeat, for the benefit of the chamber, that working in partnership with another government involves recognising their sovereignty, their leadership and their systems to address some of the most significant challenges that they are dealing with in the context of a global pandemic.

There is no doubt whatsoever that, for Papua New Guinea, for Timor-Leste, for Fiji, for a number of countries that have dealt with significant surges of COVID-19 in the region, this has been a very difficult period, and each government has dealt with it in their own way. I acknowledge particularly the efforts that the government of Fiji has made to reach such high vaccination levels amongst its population. I acknowledge the work that Papua New Guinea is doing, and has been doing for a very long time in extremely difficult circumstances, across perhaps the most complex geography you can possibly imagine, to try to address the challenges of COVID-19.

I mentioned in my remarks in response to the previous question the personal protective equipment and testing equipment and supplies we've delivered—the oxygen concentrators, the pressurised air masks, the genomic tests, our support with provincial health service delivery—and the closeness with which we are working with the government of Papua New Guinea on addressing the very difficult issue of vaccine hesitancy. I don't think we should underestimate those. That's why we're working with churches, non-government organisations and the government itself in many of those places. In Timor-Leste, I'm pleased to say— (Time expired.)

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why has the Morrison-Joyce government failed to work with our partners in Papua New Guinea to rally a global multilateral response to support PNG's health system? Is it because it is led by what Senator Fierravanti-Wells described as the 'prime marketing office' instead of the Prime Minister's office'?

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

It's interesting to suggest that working with the WHO, with Gavi, with CEPI, with UNICEF, with humanitarian and development assistance deliverers like many of the agencies here in Australia that we support, with ISOS, with Aspen and with other organisations—and in particular with WHO's regional director Kasai, who is one of WHO's leading administrators—are examples of the work that we are doing with those sorts of international groups to which Senator Wong has referred. As I said, I'm not the beneficiary of the views put by Senator Fierravanti-Wells, but, based on Senator Wong's assertions, I don't agree with them.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, a second supplementary question?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They were views put in the parliament, Minister; you might want to acquaint yourself with them. I ask a supplementary question, which is this: why has the government left the fate of one of our closest neighbours and most valuable partners in the hands of ministers that Senator Fierravanti-Wells describes as a 'revolving door' of L-platers?

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

I'm not sure that Senator Wong has the detail that would be helpful to her in relation to the work that the government has done with the government of Papua New Guinea. And I'm not sure it would come from the remarks of Senator Fierravanti-Wells in this case, given what you have explained to me. I think you're reflecting unfairly on Senator Fierravanti-Wells, and I think that's most unfortunate, Senator Wong—that you would reflect unfairly on Senator Fierravanti-Wells. What is important here, Senator Wong, is the work that we are doing with the government of Papua New Guinea, a sovereign nation with whom we are honoured to work and with whom we work very hard to address the sorts of challenges that other senators have raised sensibly and constructively in the chamber.