PM: It's good to be here in Niue at the Pacific Island Forum. This is an important gathering of regional leaders where our objective, of course is to, what we do together as a community of Pacific Island countries to enhance our political stability. How do we enhance our common interests for economic development. And how do we deal with the great challenge affecting us all, and that's climate change. This forum here in Niue will be addressing each of those challenges.
On the question of the political stability of our wider region, of course there has been an assault on that because of the attack on democracy in Fiji. This region, this community of States, prides itself in supporting the principles of democracy and this community therefore will be discussing what measures can be taken in response to the contempt for democracy which has been reflected in the position by Bainimarama.
On the question of economic development today here in Niue I have signed and am signing the first of our Pacific development partnerships with the Governments of Papua New Guinea and of Samoa.
This is a new framework for Australia's aid relationship with the countries of the Pacific. It's based on a principle of mutual responsibility. Australia has already indicated through the Port Moresby Declaration that we're prepared to be long term partners with the countries of the region on their path to development. But at the same time, we need to see measurable progress in education indicators, in health indicators, and also in the provision of infrastructure. We also need good data to support that as well.
And these agreements, which have been already signed by myself and the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare, on behalf of Papua New Guinea, and later today with Samoa, embody this principle.
It's important for one core reason. We've all signed up to the millennium development goals, but if you look at the way in which this region is tracking against the millennium development goals, in many countries, most of the indicators are heading in the wrong direction on health, on education outcomes, and on other critical barometers of economic development.
Therefore, we can either simply stand to one side and say that's the way things are, or we can try and do something about it. And certainly our resolve is to try and do something about it. And that underpins the principles I articulated in Port Moresby in February in the Port Moresby Declaration which embraced the principle of a Pacific Development Partnerships, and six months later we are signing the first two of those.
In the course of the year or two ahead we have already embraced a timetable for doing a further six Pacific Island countries, and we will continue to work our way through each of those.
Finally on the question of climate change. As I've been in many international meetings in recent times, climate change is often discussed almost in a theoretical sense, that's it's some future problem facing the planet and not one of immediate pressing present reality.
For many of our Pacific Island neighbours, climate change is a current and unfolding threat to their physical survival. And the Pacific Island countries are saying to the countries of the world, including Australia, including the United States, including the Europeans, including the Chinese and the Indians, the time for action, concrete action on climate change, is now. It is the right thing to do it is the responsible thing to do. And we can't simply push action off indefinitely into the future, hoping that someone else will solve this problem for us.
Over to you, folks.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible) your counterparts, what is their reaction to Bainimarama's boycott?
PM: Well, I'm sure you've already spoken to the Chief Minister, and also to the Prime Minister of Tonga about their positions, I'll allow them to speak for themselves, not wishing to characterise their independent national positions.
I think there is an overall sense here that one, Bainimarama made solemn undertakings to their forum twelve months ago. That is, that there would be democratic elections held in Fiji in March of 2009.
Secondly, we now have Bainimarama saying that's not going to happen. And it's quite plain from actions on the ground in Fiji that he has no intention for that to happen.
And thirdly, therefore, I think this is a direct and deliberate slight and snub to the leaders of the Pacific Island countries assembled here in Niue. And we will be discussing today and tomorrow the forum country's reaction to that.
JOURNALIST: But at this very early stage from your discussions with these two leaders, what do you think the measures that you talked about earlier could possibly include?
PM: Well, let's wait to see how that unfolds. There is discussion today and tomorrow. I've only spoken with two of the leaders so far. But I think if there is a mood across the Pacific Island Forum, it's that Bainimarama has gone not just one step too far, but many steps too far. And saying to the leaders of the South Pacific Island countries themselves he doesn't care about them, or coming back to account to them the undertakings he gave to them twelve months ago, I don't think Bainimarama has won any friends for himself in this gathering.
JOURNALIST: Could this be the beginning of the end for the Forum?
PM: I believe the Forum is a robust gathering of local democracies, and therefore the challenge for us in these meetings is to uphold and stand firmly behind that principle of democracy. And therefore, that means holding to account those who violate that principle, and holding them to account on the solemn undertakings they have given to this body. That very much will occupy the focus of the attention of Island Governments and certainly it has been a large part of the conversation I've had with them.
Secondly though, in terms of the forum, the overarching challenge which these island countries face is the challenges of development. And as I've said, if we as the international community's signed up to the millennium goals in the year 2000, in September the leaders of the world will assemble again in New York to review progress against those Millennium Development goals at the half way point through to 2015.
And the report card for the Pacific Island countries is not good. It just ain't good. Therefore, a core challenge for the forum, and for us working with the forum as the provider for about half the development assistance cooperation for this entire region, is how can we start to turn this around.
And I emphasise to you all that the serious nature of the substantive engagement that we've had with island countries on these Pacific development partnerships. The objective is to make the principle of mutual responsibility entrenched. And for achievement against those development goal objectives measureable into the future as a part of Australia's continuing aid commitment to the neighbourhood.
JOURNALIST: Does that principle of mutual responsibility mean that Australia will end up spending more money on aid in the region?
PM: It will depend entirely on performance within the region. You calibrate our development assistance cooperation arrangements on the basis of measureable improvements in performance. If you go to child health barometers, if you go to basic indicators in terms of maternal health, post childbirth. If you go to indicators for kids completing secondary school equivalent, or literacy and numeracy achievements from Primary School. These are very basic markers.
Now, we will be long term partners with the region on the condition that our investment in these areas is met through these partnerships, these development partnerships, and resulting in measurable achievements. There is no blank cheque here. And that's why we in Australia believe this is the right way to go.
As I said, the alternative is to just to say ‘all too hard, all too difficult, the region can't develop'. That's not my attitude. We actually have a national responsibility to do this. And furthermore, it's in Australia's national interest for us to help built long term political and economic stability in this neighbourhood.
If we don't, we create significant long term security problems for ourselves in this neighbourhood. And this has been an area of, shall I say, too significant neglect over the past decade or so on the part of previous Governments.
JOURNALIST: On the case of Bainimarama, you're limited in what you can actually do, aren't you? You've got tough measures already. If you impose further sanctions, do you risk the danger of hurting the Fijian people themselves?
PM: Well there's no magic solutions with all of this. You've just got to be practical, realistic, but at the same time, be absolutely clear about the principle. I'm not about to be part and party to a regional arrangement which says that you can traduce democracy and get away with it. We cannot legitimise that norm here in our region.
You've got to say that if a regional state violates fundamental principles of democracy that, that is not acceptable according to the norms of this region. And the alternative is simply to allow that the drift into a sense of what is normal and acceptable. I'm not about to do that, my predecessors didn't, I'm not about to.
JOURNALIST: So you have got diplomatic sanctions, are you considering economic sanctions?
PM: Well we have discussions to go through both today and tomorrow and let's see what emerges from that. This forum is made up of 16 countries, Australia is one of them and we will be actively participating in those discussions.
But as I said the key thing is to be absolutely clear cut that this form of behaviour, this violation of democratic principles, is unacceptable in this region. It is not on. That is not the way in which this regions conducts is political business, and we cannot legitimise it.
JOURNALIST: On guest workers, Sir Michael Somare welcomed the announcement in Papua New Guinea. Your meeting with other leaders of nations that weren't included in the pilot. Do they have a right to be disappointed in that?
PM: Well, as I said to someone yesterday, I think it was in Wellington, I've been Prime Minister of the country for six or seven months, or seven or eight months now. It takes a while to work these things through.
The key thing with those who will come to help Australian industry, Australia's fruit growing industry, and to prevent fruit from rotting on the vine is to make sure this pilot program works, works smoothly, and works effectively. The second step is to evaluate at the 18 month and three year point how it's gone. And thirdly to build on that experience.
We've been up front with our friends in the region that that's how it is going to proceed. That's what we intend to do.
JOURNALIST: So how did you choose which countries got to be in and which countries got to be out?
PM: Well, I rely keenly on the advice of our diplomatic advisors who are professional people who provide the Government with advice from our missions right across the region.
JOURNALIST: Did they give you reasons for their advice?
PM: I'm sure they gave well fortified reasons for their advice.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: Well I just don't want aid to be inputs measured. It's got to be outcomes measured. That's a very simple principle, that's what mutual responsibility is about. That is, we'll be co investors with our friends from the rest of the international community together with the sovereign Governments of the region, but this is a two way street. And the two way street means investment here by way of inputs but you have got to make improvements on the measurables.
Measurable outcomes on health, measurable outcomes on education, measurable outcomes on infrastructure. Otherwise it's simply a process without rigour and I'm not up for that.
JOURNALIST: (Inaudible)
PM: Nice verballing, good try.
What it does mean is as follows. I have said to all of our friends in the region, we see ourselves very much as long term partners in this neighbourhood and we regard ourselves as friends and we treat our neighbours in the region with respect.
We will be co investors with them in their challenges of development, but its co investment with them on the basis of mutual responsibility with publishable data on what improvements are being registered, and that is a very important way forward.
JOURNALIST: In regards to climate change, you've talked about that a bit and said it's going to be the theme of the conference. Have you given thought to environmental refugees going to Australia and preparations for that sort of thing?
PM: Well, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and I were asked about this in Auckland yesterday and our attitude is this, what countries like Tuvalu and Kiribati say to the rest of the world is this: this is a huge warning bell on climate change, a huge warning bell.
And for those with ears to hear, that's what it is saying. And I think the best way to interpret the climate change challenges of the exposed low lying island states is for the countries of the world to act rather than to push it off.
That is a think the message to come out of those countries rather than hauling up the white flag and saying it's all too late.
JOURNALIST: What is the mood towards Australia? A year ago Australia had bad relations with PNG, there was problems with the Solomons, Sogavare has left, what a difference a year makes and it's been a bit of luck with Sogavare leaving. What's the mood towards Australia?
PM: Well, I'm sure you will deduce that over the next day or two. Far be it for me to characterise the views of our neighbours in the Pacific.
Look I think the key thing in our dealings with the sovereign countries of the region is to proceed always on the basis of respect, and we do that.
Each of these countries, each of these communities, each of these societies is quite different in their circumstances, and that's our first principle.
Secondly, it's engaging with these communities and countries and sovereign Governments on a basis of mutual responsibility. Here's our proposal for partnership, this is what we want to do, these are the measures we want to see improve over time, come with us.
Now, that's their choice, whether they wish to or not, but that the framework that we are laying out.
JOURNALIST: Is this the first time you have held bilateral talks in a dive shop Mr Rudd?
PM: This is a classy place, so you just mind your tongue.