The Hon Bob McMullan MP

Media transcript

4 February 2008, Australian High Commission, Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Press Conference - Tongan media

with the Hon Duncan Kerr MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs

Kerr: Thanks very much. We should just introduce ourselves and then you may ask us anything you wish. My name is Duncan Kerr, I am the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, and my colleague Bob McMullan is the Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance. We are visiting Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati, as an initiative to give expression to the new Rudd Labor Government's commitment to strengthen and build on our relationships through the Pacific.

The Prime Minister has met already with PNG Prime Minister Somare in an early meeting in Bali and then met Prime Minister Sikua of the Solomon Islands. In arrangements announced after the election the Prime Minister appointed two Parliamentary Secretaries to work with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and himself to give a greater sense of the importance of this region to make certain there was more continued engagement across all of the Pacific Island countries. And so this is a first step and insofar as we have important strategic and political relationships with our region they make no sense unless they also involve Development Assistance and so we will be working together, Bob McMullan and myself, so that we try as far as possible always to coordinate our work. We won't always travel together, but we will be working with our respective teams of advisers to make certain that we don't create complications or overlap in the way in which we go about our business.

We met this morning with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and then with the Prime Minister. They were very useful, constructive, very open discussions. We are not coming from a base of very difficult relationships in the past, indeed, we made the point we are not seeking to criticize the former Australian Government when we say that we wish to strengthen and build on our relationships, Australia's relationship with the Pacific. At least in respect of Tonga, the base is pretty strong and so what we want to do is to enhance that rather than to suggest that there is some major crisis or something that the new government has to address.

There are lots of issues that we need to work through and further progress, but in the main, stability of the relationship is well established and a commitment to it is well understood. So we thought today's work was very important, a reaffirmation of our commitment, and we look forward to working with the Government of Tonga over the term of the Rudd Labor Government to strengthen those relationships. And of course, the Prime Minister of Tonga is also the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum and in that capacity we also had the opportunity to discuss some broader regional issues and that gives Tonga a particular seat at the table in a whole range of issues where Australia's relationship with other Pacific Island countries in the region as a whole are concerned. Bob, do you want to say something briefly?

McMullan: Very briefly because we will then open to your questions.

The only thing I would say in addition, we were both really pleased we could have Tonga in the first trip we've made into the Pacific as a new government. It's an indication of the priority we give to this relationship, and from a development assistance point of view the government has a broad commitment to substantially increase our development assistance budget over the next six or seven years that would include more assistance to the Pacific. Its not only about this region but it will share in that and we have a commitment from the Prime Minister to develop partnerships with all the countries in the region, and the region as a whole, so we can assist in the economic and social development of the region and we are really delighted to be here and be discussing it and we're open to your questions.

Media: In your discussion this morning with the Prime Minister, can you elaborate more on some of the key issues that you focused on and was there any talks about Australia and New Zealand helping out upgrading the Tonga Police Force?

Kerr: Well, yes, let's go through some of the key things: we wanted to express our appreciation for Tonga's involvement, particularly in RAMSI, the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, and there is a chance for a fresh start. There is a new government in Australia, a new government in Solomon Islands. The approach of the Solomon Islands Government to the regional initiative, RAMSI, is much more positive than that of the previous government in the Solomon Islands, so we see hopefully a transition from RAMSI's initiative being essentially stabilization and focused around law enforcement which will still remain part of its role but into those broader reaches of making certain that living standards and development issues start being incorporated.

We did speak about the Australia-New Zealand-Tonga arrangements for support of the Police and we were given to understand that whilst the appointment of the new commissioner has not yet been made it is proceeding and we are going to have further discussions with the Minister of Police, I think its tomorrow, so if there are any administrative issues that we need to sort out we can do it there but we have had a very positive response about that.

We had a broad discussion about Tonga's own future and the Prime Minister said how the road map direction that he has indicated will lead to an initial election, I think later this year, on the current electoral system, and then a transition to an election on a broader franchise under the timeframe that's been announced

There were a whole range of other issues that were discussed but I think that just sets out sort of the broad nutshell of where it's at.

Media: Can you elaborate on the upcoming seasonal workers scheme to Australia?

McMullan: Yes. What our Prime Minister said, and what we said to your Prime Minister and to the Forum Minister, is that Australia knows that a lot of countries in the Pacific, including Tonga, are very interested in the idea of what we call labour mobility – the seasonal workers scheme. New Zealand is undertaking a trial so what we said before the election – that remains our policy after the election. We will have a close look at that New Zealand initiative, we'll talk to our friends in New Zealand and to all our friends in the Pacific about whether they think it's been successful and on that basis during the course of this calendar year 2008 we'll make a decision about whether we can go in that direction and if so what form that initiative will take. So, we are aware of it; we are interested in it; we haven't made a commitment to it; there is a lot of complexity in Australia about it but we are closely monitoring what's happening in New Zealand and we will make a decision during the course of this year about whether we proceed and if so how.

Media: With regards to the new government that you are currently representing will there be any immediate change to the current aid assistance to Tonga?

McMullan: Not immediately because we have some contractual commitments and agreements with Tonga and we will meet those but we are in the normal course in discussions about a new agreement with Tonga and that will be finalized in the near future. And one of the things we discussed with the Prime Minister this morning was his desire, which we are happy to work with him on, to give more emphasis to technical and vocational education and training in the development assistance program. So what finally emerges will be a matter of agreement between the governments and there is still a bit of work to do, but looking for a suggestion about where a new emphasis might be I suspect that from today's discussions that area of technical and vocational education and training will be a new area of higher emphasis in the next development assistance program.

2008