PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

Rudd, Kevin

Period of Service: 03/12/2007 - 24/06/2010
Release Date:
19/08/2009
Release Type:
Video Transcript
Transcript ID:
16764
Released by:
  • Rudd, Kevin
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key discusses the Pacific Islands Forum 2009

NZ PM John Key: Well, here we are in Cairns. It's the end of the Pacific Forum Leader's Meeting, the actually dialogue today. It's been a very productive couple of days.

Tomorrow we've got a post-Dialogue forum. We'll be talking to some other parties that come from around the world, like the United States.

Today at the Forum we had an extensive discussion - everything from climate change right through to economic development in the region, talking about ways that we can roll out renewable energy for the Pacific leaders, looking at how sports can play a role in the development of countries, so it was a very good-humoured meeting. We had 15 partners around the room talking about the fortunes of the Pacific region.

It's been hosted in Cairns. This is the 40th meeting, and Australia is in the Chair for this particular year - took the baton from Niue, where it was held last year.

Cairns is a great place, actually. I've been here a few times before for social reasons, but not actually for work, so it was great to be up here. I've been hosted in a fantastic facility here at the convention centre. It's pretty hot outside, been about 28 degrees, and that's been extremely nice.

Tonight we're off to, I think it's the national park, or some sort of, at least, outdoor facility where we're going to have a big dinner, a lot dignitaries coming into town for that, and then tomorrow we'll be having the post-Dialogue forum and back to New Zealand. So it's been a very interesting two or three days, a lot of issues to be debated.

Bit sad that Fiji's not with us. They've been suspended from the Forum for reasons that everybody's aware, but maybe one day they'll set their country on the pathway to democracy and they can be restored back to the Forum.

16764