QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr CONROY (Shortland—Minister for Pacific Island Affairs and Minister for Defence Industry) (14:31): I thank the member for Bonner for her question. The Albanese Labor government has been working hard to build strong relationships in the Pacific. We do this because the Pacific is our home, and our security and prosperity depends upon a safe, stable and prosperous Pacific.
We turn up, we listen and we act on Pacific priorities, and we seek to be the partner of choice in the Pacific. Last week, I joined the Prime Minister and Minister Bowen at the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Palau. It was a great opportunity for the region to work together on the issues that matter for all of us.
One such issue is transnational crime. The Pacific has become a transit route for drug trafficking, with Australia and New Zealand regretfully being the main destinations. This is having a devastating impact on some Pacific communities and is leading to drug use and rising rates of HIV.
Transnational crime requires a transnational response, and that's why PIF leaders endorsed the Waqa Moana Initiative, which focuses on enhanced aerial surveillance, better regional coordination and more training for regional police. It's Pacific led and Australia backed, with a $600 million investment announced by the Prime Minister. This will respond to a huge security challenge for the Pacific and combat the scourge of drugs in Australia.
It's the latest example of the Pacific collectively filling any gaps in Pacific security, and it's another example of us acting together. Another example is the Pacific Policing Initiative, which was agreed on by PIF leaders in 2024 and backed by Australia. At the PIF summit, there were 120 officers from 13 Pacific nations providing security as part of this initiative.
They stand ready to respond to any sort of emergency in the region. This is a response for the region by the region. Another area where we're working collectively together is sport.
It has a unique power to bring people together and support healthy lives, gender equity and youth leadership. That's why we're backing Pacific athletes in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. In Palau, we also announced a doubling of flights under the paradise express, which supports direct flights between Brisbane and Koror.
It all brings people together and it brings more economic diversification for the Pacific. Our work comes off the back of an alliance with PNG and Fiji, new treaties with Tuvalu, Naoero and Vanuatu—and as we negotiate treaties with Tonga and the Solomons. It underscores the fact that Australians are safer and Australia is more secure because of the government's work to be the partner of choice for the Pacific.