Press convention – Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It’s an amazing honour for me as Australia’s Prime Minister to be right here to have a good time 50 years of the delivery of this nice nation of Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Marape gave a robust and inspirational speech this morning the place he spoke about the truth that the Australian flag 50 years in the past was lowered, it wasn’t torn down. Australia was companions in what was an efficient and peaceable transition, to the good credit score of these nice leaders, led by Mr. Somare, of whom a statue is positioned outdoors Parliament House right here in Port Moresby. But additionally to the credit score of the Whitlam Government. Gough Whitlam confirmed imaginative and prescient, needed to make it possible for, as he stated on the time, that Australia could not be free until Papua New Guinea was as nicely.

And over my Prime Ministership, now that is my third go to to PNG. On the primary go to, I went as much as Wewak and addressed the Parliament right here, the primary overseas chief to deal with the PNG Parliament. And in fact, Prime Minister Marape addressed the Australian Parliament as nicely. I then got here again and walked the Kokoda Track for 3 days with Prime Minister Marape, the spotlight of which was the ANZAC Day Dawn Service on the Isurava Memorial. When you stroll that observe, you simply can not help however be in awe of the sacrifice that Australians made with a purpose to defend our democracy and our sovereign nation throughout World War II. But we all know that they could not have finished that with out the help of Papuans and New Guineans, who had been offering help throughout that point, once they had been underneath fireplace, coping with illnesses like malaria and cholera and different illnesses, working in terrain that was so tough and dense, and in an expertise that was far eliminated, lots of them had been from Victoria, very totally different terrain, however they did that. And at the moment, I feel ever since then, if not beforehand, there’d been such a detailed bond between our two nice nations. And as we speak, collaborating within the celebration is the following step in that.

JOURNALIST: PM, can you signal the defence treaty tomorrow, although it hasn’t but been authorized by PNG’s Cabinet?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the PNG Cabinet, in fact, yesterday was on account of meet. They did not have quorum, as a result of everybody’s gone again to their locations the place they’re from, to have a good time this as a celebration all through your entire nation. So we can advance the treaty tomorrow. Prime Minister Marape is coping with his Cabinet, attempting to cope with that remotely, however we’ll work these points by means of, and it is comprehensible and we respect the sovereignty, in fact, of PNG. Australia is able to go, however in fact, we have now to undergo our processes as nicely, together with our Treaties Committee.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the treaty between Australia and PNG commits each nations to defend one another from an assault. Do you assume Australian troopers can be prepared to die defending one other nation?

PRIME MINISTER: We have such an curiosity in the concept that Papua New Guinea might be underneath assault and we’d sit again and watch, ignores the historical past which is there between our two nice nations. Ignores geography and ignores sensible points as nicely. This is a superb democracy. This is about advancing the sovereignty and safety of each of our nations.

JOURNALIST: This is a celebration of fifty years of independence. You’re additionally, subsequent week, going to recognise the sovereignty of Palestine. There’s one other state, nicely could be state, on this area, Bougainville, that is looking for independence. Some 98 per cent of Bougainvillians have voted to hunt that independence. Just, does or will Australia help its aspirations to develop into an impartial state?

PRIME MINISTER: What we’ll do is help the method that is been established between PNG and Bougainville. That’s a course of that is underway. It’s one which we respect, and we’ll respect these processes.

JOURNALIST: PM, again on the treaty, it additionally commits each nations to creating one another’s militaries. Is there a funding dedication, or what kind of price range goes to go in the direction of build up PNG’s navy?

PRIME MINISTER: We already present substantial help and coaching. I used to be up at Wewak. There had been Australian Defence Force personnel there. We present vital engagement as nicely and coaching. That’s an excellent factor, the place coaching as nicely, by means of our Police Pacific initiative, we are actually coaching cops all through the Pacific on the Pinkenba facility in Brisbane. In addition to that, we’re establishing a centre right here in PNG as certainly one of 4 centres across the area. Now, if we have now interoperability, if we have now these coaching, engagement and that interplay, then that simply improves the way in which that we will reply to points like transnational crime as nicely. So we see this as a pure development from the connection that we have now.

JOURNALIST: Is it truthful to say that you simply’re not fairly positive but whether or not you will be signing the settlement as deliberate tomorrow?

PRIME MINISTER: No. We agree with the settlement, we’re able to log off. Prime Minister Marape is speaking to his Cabinet who’re in several components of PNG, and we respect that course of.

JOURNALIST: PM, would you name this the NATO of the South Pacific?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I’d name this – this about Australia and the South Pacific. This is what we do, and what we do as Australia is act in our personal nationwide curiosity. We do not copy issues in different components of the world. Thanks very a lot.