GREG JENNET:
Gone are the days when Australia might have left a senior diplomat to represent it at some of the subsidiary meetings of the 18 member Pacific Islands Forum grouping. Now, Ministers will be dispatched to many of its gatherings and today it's the turn of Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones to join colleagues in Vanuatu at a meeting also attended by Chinese s. He spoke to us from Port Vila. Stephen Jones, great to see you in an all-new setting away from Parliament House for once. There is heavy engagement by so many Australian Government Ministers in Pacific meetings these days. You're there with, broadly speaking, treasury and financial Ministers. Are you making any new commitments to our Pacific neighbours while there?
STEPHEN JONES:
The most important thing we're doing here is continuing the message that has been led by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, that we want a deep engagement with the region, at every level. It's not just the job of the Prime Minister or the Foreign Minister, but it's a whole-of-government responsibility across all of our economic, defence, our social programmes, our relationship with the region matters. It's in our economic and national security interests. It's good, we want to make it better. So in the bilateral meetings I'm having on the side of the conference, very strong message that is coming back from the region, that they can see that there's been a change in attitude and disposition and they like it.
JENNET:
In what sense do they seek extra support from you, if any, in financial terms? Are they actually asking for more international assistance on budget support? Is there anything being requested?
JONES:
Look, I haven't come here to write cheques today and we went to the election with a set of commitments around deepening our engagement, including our economic and our security engagement in the Pacific, and we'll do that. Minister Conroy will be bringing forward some proposals over the course of the next year which will implement those commitments. But today we're talking about our commitment to the 2050 climate change targets. Our commitment to the Blue Pacific Continent Plan. Our commitment to ensure we are working in partnership with our Pacific neighbours to grow the economies of this region. To deepen our defence and economic relationships and ensure that we are doing it side by side. Not as a position of coming to the Pacific and telling, but coming to the Pacific and listening. And that's the difference between the way Australia is dealing with our neighbours and the way that others might.
JENNET:
Do you see vulnerabilities still in the banking and taxation systems of Pacific Island nations? Obviously, some have developed reputations as tax havens. Is that still something to be worked upon?
JONES:
Nobody has a greater interest than the Pacific Islands themselves, the Pacific nations themselves, in ensuring that every cent of tax that is owed to their countries gets paid to those countries. Nobody has a greater interest in ensuring that they are engaged in the international finance systems and the banking systems than the Pacific Island nations themselves. So it's our challenge to ensure that we can work with them, consistent with our values, consistent with our national interests. To ensure that they have access to banking services. Have access to financial markets and that they can do it on the basis of security. Do it on the basis of transparency and do it on the basis that their economies are not being exploited by others. That they are a modern place to do business and to help grow the economy and the welfare of the people. That's our objective -
JENNET:
Sure.
JONES:
There'll be some issues we've got to work through. We're going to work through those issues. We are committed to ensuring that they continue to have banking services, for example, operating in the Pacific Island nations. We've got some issues we've got to work through. But our firm commitment is to ensure that we work as an Australian government with our banks and with the Pacific Island nations to ensure that those banking services can continue.
JENNET:
Yes, understood. You're there flying the flag, of course, for Australia. Stephen Jones. Are Chinese government representatives active in or around the meetings that you're attending?
JONES:
There are Chinese government representatives at the Forum. They are not members of the Forum, but they're in an observer status. And of course, there is Chinese government investment within the region. We're not playing a Chinese game. We're interested in working in partnership with our neighbours in the Pacific and about long-term, enduring relationships based on our values. We share so much in common; history, religious ties, sporting ties, family ties, education ties. There's a lot to build on. We're there about the long term and not about opportunistic engagement and relationship in any of the countries within the region. Long-term, enduring relationships, working on the challenges together. That's our game. Other interests in the Pacific might do it, try and do it differently, but that's not the Australian game.
JENNET:
Now I understand your motivation, stated right here, right now, yet all these gatherings happen in a context. I'm wondering whether the news from Australia had reached any members and therefore been discussed by you, coming from the Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian's address here yesterday, which had some really strident warnings about Taiwan in particular. Has that reverberated, in any way through discussions you've had?
JONES:
There's no doubt that those words would have been heard by government s and representatives of the Pacific Island nations represented here today. I don't want to talk about what other countries are doing. I want to talk about the way that Australia will engage. We're not coming into the Pacific to tell other people how they can and can't do their business, to throw our weight around and to have a tin ear towards the needs and aspirations of the region. We are coming here as partners, as peers, listening and deepening our engagement. Let other countries do their business in the way that they seem best for them, but Australia will do it differently.
JENNET:
All right, and a quick final one. Stephen Jones. The Solomons, they would be represented there. Have you had any opportunity to talk to their representatives? Just on, I suppose, to reinforce some of the points you're making publicly here with us.
JONES:
Got a full dance card over the next two days. I haven't caught up with the Solomon Island representatives yet, but you can be assured that at very senior levels within the government, including the Prime Minister, including the Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, we've had deep engagement with representatives of the Solomon Islands. I've been meeting with Vanuatu Reps, Fiji Reps, and Ministers, and I'll be working through the rest of the Representatives over the course of the next two days.
JENNET:
Understood. Well, you are but one of many Australian Ministers who will be engaged in these and other discussions in the months ahead. Stephen Jones, we really appreciate your time there in Port Vila today. Thanks for joining us.
JONES:
Great to be with you.