Doorstop interview – Rarotonga, Cook Islands
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It’s wonderful to be here in the Cook Islands at the Pacific Islands forum. This is an important gathering of the Pacific family, which Australia plays a critical role. And we’ve received a very warm welcome here at the beginning of the conference. It is continuing, and then we will then have the Leaders Retreat this evening and then into tomorrow at Aitutaki. We have had also very important bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the President of Kiribati, and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, as well as informal discussions I’ve had with Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, the Federated States of Micronesia, and other nations in our region.
This is an important gathering. And it comes as the Pacific Islands are particularly concentrating on the issue of climate change. And this morning, there was a very constructive discussion, including the Pacific Resilience Facility, the idea that we will have, in addition to the Green Climate Fund and other multilateral funds which are there, something specifically aimed at adaptation, resilience in the Pacific, as well as providing support for infrastructure. Australia has an important role to play here. And if you look at our commitments that we have made over a period of time, they are substantial. And today, I was able to outline the commitments that we have to confirm that we will be making a contribution to the Pacific Resilience Facility. We’re already helping to, along with the United States, to fund the administration costs to establish that facility going forward. In addition to that, we’re providing some $350 million in our Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership. That was part of the commitment that we took to the election. In addition to that, we have at least $2 billion of climate financing commitment across the globe as part of our existing ODA commitments that we’ve made. And we will have further discussions and more announcements tomorrow, including specific programs that we’ve been asked to support by Tuvalu. But it’s been extremely positive, the reception that Australia has received here. There’s a recognition that my Government is committed to climate action and that we’re playing a positive role, not just with our commitment to reduce our emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. But that, importantly, we are playing a role in the region, and indeed, around the globe. In addition to that, there has been a range of discussions about other issues facing the region, including security issues, including economic growth. There’ll be a discussion shortly about labour mobility, of which our programs are playing an important role and are very much appreciated here in the Pacific because of the remittances that go back to the families and people involved in that program, which has been very positive for Australia in areas including agriculture, but also very important for the region. Happy to take questions
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Pacific island nations are very keen for Australia to be ambitious with its climate funding and its climate policies. As part of that ambition, will you be able to present a 2035 target to the region next year?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’ll make those decisions a bit similar to what I said prior to the last election, is we’ll make our announcements at an appropriate time. We’ll work them through. We want to make sure that they’re based upon what is achievable. We have a transition that’s very important for our economy. And it is a transition that’s providing opportunities as well. One of the things I was able to speak about at this morning’s plenary session was the transition in areas such as producing green steel and green aluminium. That will make an enormous difference. I see exciting developments in green energy, through green hydrogen in particular, but also the critical minerals and rare earths that Australia can produce that are helping the globe. So, whether it’s here in the Pacific, or whether it be in the United States, or in China, our message is the same. That we see the transition as a huge opportunity. That Australia is well positioned to make a difference for the world. And when I was in Whyalla recently, you’d recall a previous Government speaking about Whyalla being wiped out them off the map. Whyalla is not only thriving, it is with the steel manufacturing there, turning off its coal-fired generators, looking at renewables and green hydrogen going forward and looking at a really positive future for that regional city. And similar issues are being raised right around the world. If you look at places like Gladstone, I had a discussion, a very positive discussion, with the CEO of Rio Tinto while I was in Shanghai. They’re looking at the facilities there at Gladstone. We can really take advantage of the opportunities that Australia will have if we get it right. We got to get it right this decade to set us up for the decades ahead. And that’s good news for the Pacific as well.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you aware of reports that Nauru walked out of the plenary session? Is that linked to the return of the Suva agreements to discussions at the retreat? And are you concerned about Pacific Islands Forum unity?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I’m not aware of that. What I’ve seen is a great deal of unity. I had a discussion with the new President of Nauru this morning. It was a great opportunity to congratulate him on his election.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER: I’m not going to get into those issues. We’ll work through the issues at the Pacific Island Forum. What I’ve seen, and what I’ve heard, emphasised by all of the leaders who’ve spoken, and every country has spoken this morning during the plenary session and then informally as well, is a great deal of unity of purpose. When I was here in my first Pacific Island Forum in Fiji last year, not every country was represented. Here we had the countries have come together in a spirit of unity. And I look forward to the next couple of days of deliberations.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible).
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they’ve been very positive about Australia’s position when it comes to climate change. There’s a recognition that since the change of government, there’s been a change of Australia’s position and that we are taking the challenge of climate change seriously, not only domestically, but also helping in the Pacific.
JOURNALIST: Do you feel any pressure, though, from Pacific leaders to curb Australia’s coal and gas exports?
PRIME MINISTER: I feel I have had nothing but positive feedback about Australia’s position.
JOURNALIST: The Treaty of Rarotonga, the South Pacific nuclear free zone was signed in 1985. It was landmark for the Forum. At the recent White House Summit with President Biden, Forum island countries called on the United States to ratify the protocols of that treaty. They’re the only country, major power, that hasn’t done so. Do you endorse the call from your fellow Forum members that the US should step up to ratify this?
PRIME MINISTER: I endorse the United States as a sovereign nation that has the right to determine its own position. I don’t think it needs advice from me. We support the Treaty of Rarotonga. All of our activity is consistent with it. And what I do is speak up for Australia.
JOURNALIST: Speaking of the Treaty of Rarotonga, there’s been a push from several Forum members to strengthen it or discuss it more tomorrow. Is that something you would endorse? Has it been raised with you?
PRIME MINISTER: We support the Treaty of Rarotonga. It is a good document. It has stood the test of time. All of the arrangements that we’ve put in place have been consistent with that. And it retains our support.
JOURNALIST: Does it need to be revitalised, though, in the way that Mark Brown has suggested?
PRIME MINISTER: It retains our support. We think it’s a good Treaty. That’s why we signed it. That’s why a whole range of countries, including Pacific island nations, have signed up to it. And it’s a positive thing taking us forward. Thanks very much.