23 January 2008
Interview on ABC Radio Australia
Subjects: Pacific relations, upcoming travel to Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati
NARRATOR: The election of the Rudd Government promises major changes in Australia's relations with its Pacific neighbours. The relationship has often been turbulent - complicated by diplomatic disputes and cultural differences. Duncan Kerr is Australia's newly-appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs. Steve Holland asked him about the Australian Government's new Pacific outlook.
KERR: We'd like to be a partner to the Pacific Island countries. It doesn't mean surrendering our own national interests or requiring Pacific Island countries to surrender theirs, but there are lots of areas where we have common interests. We do have long-term strategic relationships, we are very important to the Pacific and the strength of weaknesses in Pacific Island countries can present challenges to us, as the Solomons showed. So there's a task to be done and it requires goodwill on all sides, and the Rudd government is determined to put aside problems that have dogged the relationship over the past five or so years, which have created a lot of strain and tension in those relationships.
HOLLAND: And how will you overcome these problems?
KERR: Well I think it means a lot of face-to-face diplomacy but the fact is that the opportunity of a new government to start afresh gives us a great chance to make good starts on things that need to be done and, for example, the very successful meeting between Prime Minister Rudd and Prime Minister Somare as an adjunct to the Bali meeting on climate change. That relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea had suffered strains, but both sides spoke about a new beginning and, of course, the new Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands is visiting and Prime Minister Sikua is saying that we need to make a fresh start. So there is good reason to believe that just the fact that there is a new government on the scene, not burdened by any of the difficulties of the past can really rebuild a relationship built on mutual respect and partnership.
HOLLAND: And you mentioned long-term goals, if we could touch on these long-term goals, perhaps you'd be able to outline maybe a few examples or top priorities in terms of these goals?
KERR: Well I guess Australia's prime goal in the Pacific is to make certain that as far as it is within our power we have a strong, healthy and vibrant Pacific Island community of nations. Where countries fall into considerable or great difficulty, history has proved that we can't simply ignore those problems, the Solomon Islands is a good example as anywhere where many warnings of the troubles facing the Solomons were given to the Australian Government and we then ignored them at the time and were forced to intervene with a very large military and policing component after the breakdown in that country had become so extreme that it could no longer be ignored. So I think we've learnt that our engagement has to be a continuing one, it has to be hard-headed but it also has to be respectful, and we have to be listening to our Pacific Island neighbours to work through issues and difficulties as they emerge.
HOLLAND: Does that mean the future of RAMSI is looking like it's going to be prolonged?
KERR: Well RAMSI has been a very successful initiative, but of course there were considerable stresses in respect to the previous Solomon Islands Government. That does not appear to be the case and I met with the High Commissioner from Solomon Islands the other day, who assured me that the incoming government in the Solomon Islands supported the RAMSI initiative, and also was very pleased with the bilateral assistance that Australia provides to the Solomon Islands. So both on a regional and a bilateral basis I think the signs are good for a much healthier ongoing relationship, not ignoring the fact that the Solomon Islands has gone through tremendous strain and upheaval and trauma over the last few years and not trying to diminish the challenges that country faces into the future.
Media inquiries: Mr Kerr's office - 02 6277 4991