ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Welcome back to Australia. You are, of course, very familiar, and all of your delegation, I welcome all of you here for what is a very historic day. After this meeting, we will exchange the documents to formally bring into force the Pukpuk Treaty. This is extraordinary. Our first alliance for Australia since 1951. It says something about the relationship between our two great nations.
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, my brother, the Honourable James Marape whose leadership and support has helped make the PNG Chiefs possible.
Tongan Prime Minister, Lord Fakafanua who is such a passionate advocate for the young people of his nation and the difference rugby league makes to their lives.
Samoan Prime Minister Honourable Laʻaulialemalietoa who is a keen supporter of Samoa’s national rugby league teams and their contributions to Samoa.
And Chairman Peter V’landys who was central to bringing this partnership together.
The Australian Government is helping grow rugby league across the Pacific, committing $250 million over 10 years to the Pacific Rugby League Partnership.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today joined his counterparts from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga in Brisbane to launch the new partnership, which aims to strengthen the link between sport and opportunities in education, leadership and employment.
The leaders were joined by the Chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), Peter V'landys and representatives from a number of Pacific rugby league federations.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Well, Prime Minister, you are most welcome in Brisbane at what is going to be a very historic day in the relationship between our two nations, but also our relationship across the Pacific family as well - quite a gathering. So many things bring us together.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the Honourable James Marape MP, have today announced the entry into force of the Pukpuk Treaty.
Australia and Papua New Guinea are now formally allies. This is Papua New Guinea’s first alliance with any country, and Australia’s first in more than 70 years.
The Pukpuk Treaty is underpinned by a mutual defence commitment, recognising that an armed attack on either country is a threat to both nations, and the security of the region.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Fakafanua, you are very welcome here in Australia. This is our first meeting, but, of course, Australia and Tonga have such a warm and long friendship. We're all part of the Pacific family and that is why I'm so pleased to welcome you here. Indeed there is, of course, the people-to-people connections are so strong, including in my local electorate in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, where there's a substantial diaspora as well.
JULIE-ANN CAMPBELL, MEMBER FOR MORETON: The Prime Minister is here in Queensland this morning because we make things here in Queensland, and I'm not just talking about making it two out of three tonight at the State of Origin, although that would be a great way to top off today.
The Albanese Labor Government is backing local jobs and manufacturing through its investments in Australian-made electric trucks – with the first locally built Volvo electric truck rolling off the production line in Brisbane.
The Government’s investment of $70 million with Volvo Group Australia – through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) – will see more Australian-made electric trucks on our roads.
After returning from Fiji and the Solomon Islands and signing historic agreements with Fiji and Vanuatu, Prime Minister Albanese will host Pacific leaders from Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga in Brisbane for ongoing regional security talks.
These important meetings will take place on the same day that Australia’s historic mutual defence treaty with PNG comes into force.
Prime Minister Albanese will hold bilateral meetings with each of the Leaders in Brisbane to discuss regional security, trade and economic growth opportunities.