PRIME AUSTRALIA L
FOR MEDIA TUESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 1979
ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENTARY LUNCHEON
FOR KING AND QUEEN OF TONGA
It is the first time, Your Majesties, that you have been here
as King and Queen, and we welcome you very greatly for that.
But also we understand that you spent some of your youth hereyour
years in college, and at Sydney-University. We hope you
will be able to, in re-visiting Australia, meet some of your
earlier friends and at the same time renew your acquaintance
and knowledge of this country.
Australia, in recent years has been moving much closer in its
relationships with many of the countries of the Pacific, and
for that reason also we very greatly welcome your presence
here on this occasion.
Tonga and Australia are living in a changed area. It has been
seeking its own identity in recent years to a much greater extent
than ever before. I -think a great deal of progress has been
made. New nations are learning to work together for their own
advancement, for the safety and well.-being of the region. Most
nations, most States, have now achieved a fully independent
status. That trahsition has been undertaken calmly, smoothly,
constructively. I think that is in marked contrast to the
transition that has sometimes occurred in some other parts
of the world.
I believe, Your Majesties, that it is very much a tribute
to your responsibility and sense of occasion, that one-so often
finds in the South Pacific and amongst-South Pacific nations.
The transition has been a smooth and a peaceful one, and by and
large a prosperous one. I think that is greatly to the credit
not only of former, as it were, colonial powers, but certainly
to the credit of the newly independent nation.
Regional co-operation I think is contributing greatly to that
peaceful progress. There is a common approach in many of the goals
that the nations-of the Pacific share amongst each other. There
are many reasons why there should be that common approach: there
are similar problems often of scarce resources; of very small
land areas; problems of expanding population; exports finding
it difficult to get adequate markets in other countries; exports
that are often vulnerable to changes in demand, to changes in
prices. Against that, there are small domestic markets which make
it difficult to expand industry unless it is based on exports. / 2
-2
There are often per capita costs. There are often high-based
costs that make economic advancement difficult for many of
the nations of the Pacific. But for all of these reasons,
the problems that occurred, or difficulties that occurred in
common, it means that a common approach to the solutions is
very much to the advantage to the nations of the Pacific.
There is a second and vastly important reason why the nations
of the Pacific, together with New Zealand and Australia, seek to
work together through common goals, through common objectives.
We all want peace. We want a peaceful world. We want a South
Pacific, in our own theatre, free of great power rivalry not
under the dominance of any of the major powers or the super powers.
Those common objectives I think do give us common ground in
many aspects of our relationship with the wider world. I think
enables us and helps us to put the case for moderation, for
consensus, for reason. . Sometimes people suggest that a
middle-ranking country such as Australia should keep its head
down in the wider'areas of international politics. I do not have
that view. The Government does not have that view. I do not
believe it is one that would be shared by a majority of Australians.
Because what happens in the wider world is so important that
we cannot leave issues that affect us very greatly merely to be
solved by others who have more power, a longer interest
or. involvement in some of these major i-ssues.
It is not adequate to leave solutions to the great powers, to
the super powers alone. Nor is it adequate in some other forum
merely to leave the solutions to the great mass of numbers that
might be gathered in a particular forum. It is of vast importance
for countries, for middle-rankJ-ing nations such as Australia, to
put a view of moderation, but to put that moderate view with strength,
to try and achieve agreement, to try and lessen differences where
those differences occur. That is the only way ultimately,
we can achieve a more secure and a safer world.
I venture to say that if had not been for the involvement of
some countries not directly concerned, that what was achieved at
Lusaka would not have been achieved. The progress that has been
made in recent weeks in London would not have been made if it
were merely left to the countries who were directly concerned in
the first instance. That I think is an example of where a
concerned interest by others can help contribure to reaching a
consensus, to reaching agreement, and hopefully to resolving one
of the more difficult and intractable problems in that instance,
that has bedevilled relations in Africa over a very long period.
On this point, there is some cause for us to be optimistic about
the ultimate result. That again, gets us back to the interests
of the Pacific and of Australia and of New Zealand. There are
matters that are likely to impinge upon the future and well-being
of the nations of the Pacific, of New Zealand's, of our own interests.
It is up to us to be involved, to do what we can, to secure a
safe path-for the whole region and all the nations of the region.
In that, I believe a middle-ranking country such as Australia should
not write itself down. I be lieve the countries of the Pacific,
Your Majesty, should not write themselves down in the influence
that they can have and should have in determining their own future
and what happens to the region in which they live.
The interdependence in the region has grown over recent years.
That interdependence can be seen in the early origins of the
South Pacific Commission: in 1971 the South Pacific Forum,
-where the South Pacific Heads of Government meet on a regular
basis to discuss problems of mutual interest and concern.
I think the very principle of consensus about which I have been
speaking the call for moderation is exemplified in that
particular forum as one nation stands out against
agreement, aqainst the consensus of the others, everything is
done, by the groupsconcerned to try and overcome the
difficulties,* to try and seek a moderate path, to try and seek
a solution that is acceptable. Not just the majority a,
solution which is ult%-imately acceptable to all the nations of
the forum. That is an example small in the wider world area
if you like but important to the South Pacific. It is an
example of the way in which relations between nations ought
to be conducted.
Beyond that, there is the South Pacific Bureau for Economic
Co-operation to help achieve greater economic development
and co-operation between the island States of the Pacific.
There are now co-operative . arrangements in relation to fisheries,
shipping services, aims at rationalising air services, and
there is greater co-operation in trade and telecommunications.
Australia is associated, and wants to be associated, with all of
co-operative arrangements. They are practical examples of the
way in which nations can work together, and in this case should
work together to secure their own national objectives.
Greater development of trade and greater possibilities in trade,
are going to be very important, Your Majesty, as I know you well
understand, for the well-being and development of the Pacific nations.
Negotiations have now begun to try and achieve a comprehensive,
non-reciprocal trade agreement between Australia and New Zealand
and the Forum island countries. I hope very much that that
agreement can be brought to a successful conclusion. It has
as an objective, the extension of duty free access to the
Australian-New Zealand market for as wide a range of products
as possible from the Pacific nations. In addition to that, we
have had a trade and development mission visit the island States
identifying trading opportunities from--those States to Australia,
identifying opportunities for investment from Australia in the
island States themselves.
The South Pacific Trade Commission office has been established
in Sydney which is designed to assist in gaining access
to the Australian market for the products of the Pacific nations.
It will operate as part of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic
Co-operation.
In these important areas of trade, there is clearly an intention
and a willingness to make progress and to provide greater
opportunities. I hope that those efforts will be successful.
Your Majesty, I believe Australia and Tonga relations have
always been friendly and on the best possible terms, with a
warmth between our two countries. I am sure it is our joint
objectives to maintain and enhance-that in future years. / 14
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We are both members of regional and international forums.
In those forums we work closely together on many different
issues. We are both members of the Commonwealth. We were
both at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting
which was first held last year in Sydney, which will next be
held in India in 1980.
I have had particular pleasure working with Prime Minister
Prince Tui'Pelehake, who joined platforms with me in a
number of these regional forums. There are many things in
which we have a common concern. For example, at the
. Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting in Sydney
a concern was expressed the problems of small States.
Problems of representation in the wider international theatre
can be expensive and very difficult to a small island State.
How can those problems be overcome? What can be done to
assist to make sure that the point of view of those nations
is put effectively and with adequate strength in the forums
where it needs to be heard. As a result of that Sydney
meeting the Commonwealth Secretariat was invited to develop
proposals which might then be put to Commonwealth members
generally in relation to the problems of small States. A
report from the Secretary-General was put to the Lusaka meeting
with a plea and a call for as many nations as possible to act
upon the various recommendations within it. That is a matter
that Australia will want to follow closely.
Your Majesties, I think that Sydney meeting also emphasised
one other matter which is important to the nations of the Pacific.
At the wider Commonwealth meetings so often other matters
dominate the agenda, but the matters that might well be
important to Pacific nations, and some of the members of the
Commonweailth, don't always get heard, aren't given enouqh time
on the wider agenda of the Commonwealth. Therefore,
the regional meeting has a particular relevance, has a
particular concern to the smaller States, because it does
enable the agenda to be properly tapered to meet their needs,
their concerns, and to make sure that something can be done
about their particular matters. The follow-up from the Sydney
meeting has given us an indication that something
useful and positive can come from that. Those matters at
the Sydney meeting involved not only the one Ihave mentionedthe
problems of small States but also matters of trade and
progress, as I have indicated has also been made on that
particular front.
Your Majesty, I am pleased to ani'ounce also on this occasion,
that the Foreign Minist ' er has decided that our diplomatic
representation to Tonga should be upgraded with a Permanent
Resident High Commission being established in Tonga. I hope
that can again be taken as an instance of Australia's concern
to establish the closest possible relationship, to be able
to work in harmony and co-operation with the nations of the
Pacific as we pursue our common objectives.
Your Majesty, I would again like to welcome you very much to
Australia on this occasion. I hope that your days here will
be happy and successful ones, and I would now like to ask the
Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Hayden, and then the Deputy
Prime Minister, Mr. Anthony, to support me in this welcome.
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