Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. Minister, today the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Prime Minister Napat of Vanuatu signed a new treaty, the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Agreement, here in Canberra. As the minister has previously said, this agreement will 'transform the relationship between our two countries'. Could the minister explain what this treaty means for Australia and how it helps further secure Australia's place in our region?

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

Thank you to Senator Cox for her question. She asked what this treaty means and how it helps further secure Australia's place in our region. I would say that this treaty is transformative for Australia and Vanuatu and for our region. Today we welcomed Prime Minister Napat, Foreign Minister Ati and the Vanuatu delegation to Australia. Our countries share a deep and enduring partnership based on mutual respect, shared values and a common vision for our region.

Today we have elevated that partnership through the Nakamal agreement, an agreement which supports Vanuatu's development aspirations and economic transformation and, crucially, strengthens the security of our region. The Nakamal agreement has come about thanks to the leadership of Prime Minister Napat and Prime Minister Albanese, and that is why we now have this important treaty which the prime ministers signed today. It sets out an enduring framework to strengthen our links and cultural connections and recognises Australia's role as Vanuatu's closest economic partner, security partner and development partner.

In Vanuatu the Nakamal is the place where chiefs and leaders come together to talk, to resolve issues and to work out the way forward, where decisions are made with mutual respect, trust and understanding. This agreement reflects that Pacific security belongs to and is the responsibility of the Pacific family. The agreement confirms our role as Vanuatu's primary policing partner and that Vanuatu will not allow any foreign military bases or infrastructure in its territory and will keep its critical infrastructure free from militarisation and any form of foreign interference. With the signing of this agreement, the Albanese government has taken the next major step in our partnership with Vanuatu and our collective aspiration for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific.

Sue Lines (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cocks, first supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government has strengthened every single one of our relationships in the Pacific, with the signing of the Nakamal treaty being the latest step in this. How does the government's approach to strengthening our standing in the region make Australians safer and more secure in an increasingly contested world?

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

Thank you to the senator. I have said that Australia must navigate a world which is more divided and more contested. I think we can all see that. Strong regional relationships make Australia and Australians more secure. Unfortunately, we lost a decade in the Pacific when the right-wing parties were last in power. They neglected our region, they lectured the Pacific, they mocked their priorities and they failed to show up when it mattered. Now Australia does face a permanent contest in the region.

From day one we have been listening, consulting and responding to Pacific priorities. I travelled to every Pacific Islands Forum member in my first year as Foreign minister. There has been regular engagement from the Prime Minister, from Minister Conroy, from the Deputy Prime Minister and from many other ministers as well, including Senator Green. We've invested in rebuilding our relationships and we are restoring Australia's standing as a partner of choice for the region, and today's agreement is a demonstration of that.

Sue Lines (President) | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cox, second supplementary?

Dorinda Cox (WA, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Minister, for that wonderful answer and also for your amazing work alongside others in the cabinet—in particular, you mentioned Senator Green and her work. As you outlined, the Albanese Labor government has worked closely with those in our region, helping to deliver on their priorities and advancing our collective interests. What has helped Australia to engage constructively in the region, and what threats are there to this positive and collaborative approach?

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

We are making transformational breakthroughs in partnership with the Pacific in the region. That fundamentally begins with mutual respect and the recognition that we are all members of the Pacific family. That respect stands in contrast to the disrespect that we saw of the Pacific by the coalition over a decade. People still remember when Mr Dutton and Mr Morrison joked about water lapping at the door. Of course, we also have the coalition—the current Liberals—wanting to team up with One Nation, who disrespect Pacific leaders with slurs.

Put simply, a stronger, safer, sovereign Pacific is good for Australia, and it is good for our region. That is why we have agreements like the Pukpuk alliance with Papua New Guinea, the Falepili union with Tuvalu, the Nauru-Australia Treaty and now the Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu.