Transcript
MATTHEW DORNAN: Where that funding will come from I guess is an open question. I guess because it's loans a lot of it is going to be off-budget. However, in Scott Morrison's speech the other week, he did talk about a combination of concessional financing and grants, so it will have some impact on the aid budget. And I guess this signals a shift by Australia into infrastructure more broadly, which is partly in response to the comments from Pacific Island leaders that Australia has focused too much on governance and hasn't done enough in the way of physical infrastructure.
MACKENZIE SMITH: Also announced were the new diplomatic missions. And these are countries with strong if not dependent ties to other countries in the region, like New Zealand, France and the US. What are we to make of Australia stepping in there?
MD: It's interesting, isn't it? Yeah, I thought particularly the announcement of a diplomatic mission in Niue was most interesting. I think partly it's a signalling effect. The Australian government wants to show that it is interested in the region, that it is engaged in the region. And that's in response to criticism that there has been a benign neglect of the Pacific by Australia, and I think to some extent that criticism is true. In terms of their purpose, I suspect a wish to be more responsive to what is going on in the region is behind that announcement. I would question some of those announcements. I think particularly in the case of Niue, given its very small population and its very close ties to New Zealand of course. I'm not sure it does make a great deal of sense for Australia to have a diplomatic mission there. But yeah, those are the factors that are driving that announcement.
MS: There's also going to be more police and defence force cooperation, another announcement coming out. A new ship naval ship and of course the navy base on Manus Island, which was already talked about. Should we be concerned about an increase in militarism in the region, or what do these announcements mean more broadly?
MD: They definitely do point to a stronger focus on defence by Australia in the region. And some critics have argued that Australia is militarising its engagement with the Pacific. The fact that this follows not that long after Pacific Island Forum leaders met in Nauru and signed the Boe Declaration, which focused on human security, but was very pointed in identifying climate change as the primary threat to security in the region. I think that's very interesting. Scott Morrison, in his speech last week, didn't even mention climate change. So, there's clearly a big gap in terms of Australia's engagement with the region, and I think this security focus is problematic because of that gap.