Well thank you very much to CMDR Brooker, ladies and gentlemen of the Australian Defence Force; of the Australian Public Service; of the Police; and every body else connected with this very important operation.
Can I say that Australia is very proud and very impressed by the effectiveness, the professionalism and the demonstration effect of what has occurred here in the Solomon Islands over the past few weeks. I have to say as I drove along those streets, I thought to myself you don';t get cheered on the sidelines in Australia like that, and neither you should otherwise you';d get delusions of grandeur. It is very good it';s very encouraging, it';s very heart warming to know that the people of the Solomon Islands appreciate what the Pacific Intervention force has done, and we have worked with our friends, with the New Zealanders and with the Fijians and with our friends from Papua New Guinea and Tonga and so forth and it';s been a combined effort and it's been an effort and an act of friendship extended to the people of the Solomon Islands at their request and at their invitation.
And to recognise that already a big difference is being made, to recognise that the people now feel that they can go out at night that they can let their children return to walking to school without being accompanied by their parents and once again they';re starting to enjoy ordinary living. That is a very important reward for all of us. And most particularly for the men and women, many of whom are assembled here today which have been responsible for the intervention. And responsible for not only, might I say the hard edge of the intervention, the authority the law and order, the strengthening of the justice system but also very importantly the softer side of it.
Because these interventions now really are two sided. You have to be able to project authority and power where necessary, but you also need to be able to shake hands with the locals and become part of their community as best you can, and to extend the hand of friendship to them and Australians and our friends in the pacific do that very well. I must say that the way in which it's been done here, as it was in Timor, and has been in so many other places, brings enormous credit to the men and women in the Australian Defence Force. The way in which the police, the defence personnel and the civilian personnel who will consolidate the change, if I could put it that way, after perhaps we';ve wound down the military involvement and the police presence is a little less. Making sure that good governance returns, making sure that money that';s …(audible)… raised from taxation is raised and is properly spent, all of those tasks mentioned are important.
I met some officers from the Treasury and the Department of Finance. You can never escape Treasury and Finance in the Federal Government. But that';s fair enough, they are doing a very important job and they';re doing a very important job for the people of the Solomon Islands and also can I compliment all of those people involved with aid effort, with AusAID, and some of the volunteers and representatives of the non government organisations who are also here. It shows that the great variety of Australia';s helping hand, the great variety of the gesture of friendship.
So, ladies and gentlemen, can I say it';s a great pleasure to be back on the Manoora. The Manoora has figured prominently in the activities of the Royal Australian Navy over past years. It';s a great ship and the Ship's Company and those associated with it have brought enormous credit to the Royal Australian Navy and enormous credit to the Australian Defence Forces. This is a great Australian led, but pacific operation, and to have the other countries involved and to know that we';re here at the expressed request and obviously with the good will of the people of the Solomon Islands is very important.
My final word from your fellow countrymen and women in Australia is they';re very impressed, they';re very supportive and they admire greatly what you have done in our name - to do good in our neighbourhood.
Thank you
[ends]