Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026

Ms JARRETT (Brisbane) (19:13): I rise to speak in support of the appropriations bill, with a focus on our Pacific partnership. It's an important part of this bill, and we are building our relationships with our closest neighbours—or should I say rebuilding our relationships. As part of the Pacific family, we are embracing the opportunities to build closer ties across the region, which will bring economic and social benefit to all of us, including in my community in Brisbane.

Pacific countries look to Australia as a key partner in the region that supports local and regional security, economic development and disaster assistance. Our Pacific family also looks to Australia as a climate leader and wants to collaborate with us to build renewables, batteries and resilient communities for the future. They also look to Australia as a sporting mate and an ally that is home to the greatest NRL team, the Brisbane Broncos!

I commend the Albanese government's approach, which once again returns Australia as a key partner in the region—a partner that listens and respects our neighbours. We know the opposition's failure to acknowledge climate change, a top priority for the Pacific, hamstrung Australia's ability to develop genuine and long-lasting relationships. When it comes to climate change and leadership, the Albanese government is taking real action at home to reduce our own emissions.

We've got a target of 82 per cent renewables in our grid by 2030, and recently renewable energy surpassed fossil fuel based energy across the main national grid. There are more than 78,000 home batteries that can store solar power, with more in the pipeline, and this is the result of strategic and targeted action to reduce emissions here in Australia. We also recognise our responsibility to support our neighbours to reduce their emissions, and our efforts mean we can be the partner of choice for those who live next door.

Australia is delivering a record aid flow to the Pacific, which will help build the renewables, storage batteries and resilient communities across the region. Australia is supporting access to climate finance, with a $100 million contribution to the Pacific Resilience Facility. This Pacific led community resilience financing facility will provide grants for climate action, disaster preparedness, nature based solutions and projects which respond to loss and damage.

All this helps support a peaceful, stable and resilient region. Australia is also helping countries access more climate financing by embedding local climate finance experts in partnerships with the Climate Finance Access Network. This will benefit partner countries, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Tonga.

We are also supporting the Pacific's transition away from fossil fuels and building a clean energy future. The Albanese government is contributing over $350 million in climate infrastructure through the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership. Early projects include the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Partnerships program, which has already announced its first two partnerships—one with PNG and the other with Solomon Islands.

This clean energy will help people in remote and rural communities access solar energy and associated lighting. It doesn't just mean clean energy, though. It will create jobs, generate income and help support important healthcare services.

Australia and Papua New Guinea have also announced almost $227 million in the energy financing partnership, which will rehabilitate the Ramu 1 hydropower plant to boost renewable energy for Papua New Guinea. My community of Brisbane and wider Queensland has a deep cultural and historical connection with our nearest neighbour, Papua New Guinea. In the 2021 census, more than 17,000 Queenslanders said they were born in the country.

The Albanese government has achieved landmark progress to secure a shared future with PNG not only on renewables but also through sport and security. Over the past 50 years, our countries have continued to share our deep love of sport, especially the great game of NRL. Like many of you, I am incredibly proud of the Brisbane Broncos—the men's and women's teams, who won those titles this year.

I'm sure there were many in Papua New Guinea watching and listening, as we did in Brisbane over the weekend. NRL is the most popular sport in PNG, and diehard fans have waited a long time for PNG to field a new NRL team. The two governments have worked together with the Rugby League Commission to deepen our connections in supporting such a team, and our partnership will create new opportunities for girls and women in rugby across PNG and the Pacific.

Australia supports a strong and unified Pacific family through its work collaboratively to address— (Time expired)