PRIME MISNISLEA
FOR MEDIA TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1980
SPEECH AT PARLIAMENTARY LUNCHEON FOR
GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF FIJI
Your Excellency, it gives me V'ery great pleasure to welcome
you here today.
Your presence adds to the growing history of a continuing and
significant relationship between Fiji and Australia.
of course, in the wider history of the South Pacific the name
Cakabou has a distinguished place.
It was one of your predecessors who invited Queen Victoria to take
possession of the Fijian Islands, to protect them from marauding
outsiders. It must confess that at the time, some of these marauders were
operating from the Australian colonies.
Your Excellency, I can assure you, we have improved a little,
since then.
But this improvement has been necessary for both of us.
For too long, there had been. a tendency for xiany countries
like yours and ours in the South Pacific, to fail to recognise
the common traditions that we share from our geography and our
British connections.
These common traditions lead to common interests and facilitate
common solutions to regional problems.
Your presence here today symbolises the commonality in our
relationship but, Sir, you come to us as a distinguished visitor
in your own right.
As.. the first Fijian National to occupy the office of Governor-General,
you must reflect with pride on the fact that, during your period of
office, you have witnessed the beginning of a new relationship
between the people and the government of Fiji and AustLralia. ./ 2
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Our contacts with the people of Fiji go back a long time
but until more recently the. empha-sis had been on contact through
Australian companieSt operating in Fiji..
They failed to produce personal contacts on a scale comparable,
for example, to those which existed between Australian and Papua
New Guinea.
This made for shortcomings in understanding, and for failures
in our appreciation of one another which we have only recently
begun to correct.
But I think that, in the past few years, especially since your
independence in 1970, we have done much to bridge the gaps which
existed previously both with Fiji and with your neighbouring states
in the South Pacific.
We have, of course, accepted that with the ending of colonial
arrangements, we in Australia must accept special responsibilities
as the most advanced and most developed nation in the region.
Your government, and those of your neighbours, have made it clear
that they accept Australia as a member of the South Pacific community.
We have responded by taking up. your invitation to participate
in a wide range of regional activities.
In particular, I have attended several meetings of the South Pacific
Forum,' and my Ministers have attended meetings of the South Pacific
Conference and Regional Meetings on shipping, civil aviation,
health, labour, education and trade.
At the forum, we have been prepared to discuss political issues
quite freely, and to demonstrate our commitment to the Pacific
neighbourhood. even when this has meant a partial derogation of our
relations with more powerful states further afield.
We have been prepared to support this commitment with aid programmes
and trade concessions.
In the aid area alone, we have recently lifted our forward pledge
for the Island states from $ 84 million to $ 120 million over the next
3 years.
of this, $ 30 million in grants has been earmarked for direct
assistance to Fiji.
In the trade area, we have offered duty-free or preferred access
to our market for a wide range of products without any
reciprocation, and I am optimistic that an accord can be settled
in the next.-few weeks.
I would expect Fiji to be the major beneficiary of the concessions
we have offered.
We have promised increased cultural exchanges.
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We are also examining the needs of the Island states for maritime
surveillance and enforcement systems.
Earlier this year, our soldiers worked together in Zimbabwe, closely
and effectively.
In times which call for increased defence preparedness, we are
expanding our, albeit modestprogramme of defence co-operation
in the region, most specifically with the Royal Fiji military
forces. Other relationships and special arrangements are possible in the
years ahead, and these, and the programmes on which we are currently
embarking, are certain to effect even closer ties between our
countries. But, importantly, we are consulting each other more closely and
from the frequency and frankness of our contacts we are beginning
to develop an empathy for, and appreciation of one another.
Your government Ministers and ours are more active in government
to government discussions, and our officials are increasing their
exchanges of views. / 4
In international conferences, the Pacific group is beginning
to take on as much relevance as other groups to which Australia
belongs, and the group of 77 to which Fiji and the Island States
have felt allegiance.
Indeed, in international gatherings such as UNCTAD and the
Commonwealth, Australia has promoted discussion of the. problems
and interests of small island states, especially those of the
South Pacific.
In this I think we can claim some measure of-success.
I am confident this success will extend to an enhanced
appreciation at the people to people level.
I know you are proud of your Rugby footballers and they are
always welcome and entertaining guests in AustraliF.
In fact our Rugby team leaves next month on a tour of Fiji and
it is rumoured, Sir, that your visit has been timed so that
you can take home intelligence on the Australian team.
But new ties are also being added at the people to people level
to the traditional contacts between our countries.
Already some 50 Fijinationals a year are coming to Australia
under sponsorship of Australian employers for paid in-service
training.
An increasing number of your nationals are entering our institutions
and colleges for courses of study.
And, more Australians are working as technical advisers and
experts in your governmental ranks.
One of the more symbolic examples of these new links was your
commissioning of Sir Arthur Tange to reviewsyour entire Public
Service systems.
Just over 40 years ago, Sir Arthur worked in Fiji in the Bank
of New South Wales and now, after a distinguished career in
The Australian Public Service, he has been asked to return to
pass on his knowledge and wisdom.
Your Excellency, most of the South Pacific, in which we have
come to regard Fiji as the pivot, has recently undergone a
transition from a colonial status to independence.
The Island States have rightly asserted their new status and
ought to forge new links with other nations.
But with independence has come a need to stand on one's own
feet, to meet challenges from those who would try to assert
their will against the democratic choice of peoples and without
respect for traditions and basic freedoms.
No-one could be more exposed than small island states standing
alone. Fortunately, it has been reassuring to find in our neighbourhood
a collective will to reject any legitimacy in such advances
and to eschew overtures for footholds from the Soviet union.
This will is -strengthened by a common intent in our region to
preserve democratic rights and to protect national and
regional interests.
when we, in Australia, suspended negotiations for Soviet Union
fishing rights and terminated cruising rights for Soviet ships,
each of the island states took its own form of appropriate
action.
When the Australian Government called for a boycott of the
Olympic Games in Moscow, we found island governments doing the
same.
We don't expect there always will be the same identity of view,
but there is obviously a close similarity in will and action
which we welcome.
Your Excellency, we, in Australia, do have an interest in the
political stability and economic development of our neighbouring
South Pacific region where Island Governments are dedicated to
serving their own peoples.
Fiji is a large part of the South Pacific community, and without
your example others in the area might weaken in their will to
persevere with liberal approaches.
We stand ready to give close attention to the needs of your
nation in achieving economic and social justice for the people
of Fiji.
We want Fiji to prosper.
Your Excellency, I am confident about your nation's future and
can assure you that Fiji can have confidence in our support for
your endeavours.
You are an honoured and welcome guest amongst us today.
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