Press conference, Port Moresby

SUBJECTS: Visit to PNG; LandCruisers gifting; PNG-Australia relationship; PNG-Australia Defence Treaty; Australia to Recognise Palestinian State.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Perhaps I would just say, it is wonderful to be here with my good friend, Billy Joseph, the Minister for Defence. It’s great to be back in PNG. This does feel to me like my second home. It’s the country in the world that I’ve been to most outside of Australia and this is my first visit since our re-election back in May. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the very strong relationship between our two countries which is growing stronger by the day. I think the state of our relationship on the 50th anniversary of Independence of Papua New Guinea is a credit to both countries and the defence agreement is an example of the sorts of things that we’ll be talking about come Independence. But we are really looking forward to what we will be able to say around Independence Day about the future of this relationship, which will be stronger even in the future than it has been over the last 50 years. Can I thank Minister Joseph for having me here at Murray Barracks and say it is always a joy for me to be back here in PNG. It doesn’t take much to convince me to get on a plane to come to PNG and I’m really looking forward to what we’ll be doing tomorrow as well, which is going to be a very exciting opening at the Lombrum Naval Base. 

JOURNALIST: A question to the Minister for Defence, I’m aware that the 12 LandCruisers are to protect the internal security of our country, one of which is tribal fights that are happening in [inaudible] region. So where will be the allocations of the LandCruisers — here within the city, or will they be allocated to the different provinces?

DR BILLY JOSEPH, PNG MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEFENCE: That is for the defence organisation, CDF to advise us of. But it is a capability for us to use. Internal security is not our main focus, that is the focus of the police. But from time to time we have always [inaudible]. This is not to go and fight somebody, this is for our own defence personnel protection. So if they are [inaudible] then these vehicles protect our defence, our officers, and people who are operating in the highlands or wherever they may be. 

JOURNALIST: Deputy Prime Minister Marles, the Australian Government has today announced its intention to recognise the Palestinian state at the next UN General Assembly. The Shadow Defence Minister has said this decision is premature. Do you agree with the timing of the decision, and are you confident that the Palestinian Authority will come good on the conditions that it’s agreed to?

MARLES: Well, look, obviously I very much agree with the statement that’s been made by the Prime Minister and by the Foreign Minister, and endorse it. And clearly I endorse the timing of the statement as well. It is a very significant statement that has been made today in respect of recognition. We hope that it plays its role in exercising our voice internationally and contributing to peace in the region. We clearly want to see a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. We want to see humanitarian assistance flow to those in Gaza, and we obviously want to see a return of the hostages to their loved ones in Israel. Now, beyond that, I’m mindful I am overseas, and this is a matter that’s been playing out as I’ve been flying here, so I’ll leave my comments at that, but clearly it is a very significant statement that’s been made today, and I very much endorse the statement that’s been made by both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister.

JOURNALIST: On the topic of the negotiations between the two nations on the bilateral defence treaty – does that include a mutual clause, or any sort of commitment where both countries will consult each other when facing a security threat?

MARLES: Well, the Minister and I first started negotiating this updated defence agreement in January of this year – and we’ll have more to say about the content of it as that is signed in the lead-up to Independence Day. It is, though, as we said when we were announcing that we would be pursuing this agreement, when we spoke about this in Brisbane in January, this does update the Status of Forces Agreement which is currently in place between our two countries, which actually dates back to 1977, I think, and so it is an important updating of that arrangement. We both see this as a very, very significant agreement which will be signed between our two countries. A power of work has been done by officials in both Papua New Guinea and Australia to have this done in time for Independence Day – that was the commitment that we made when we both announced this back in January of this year. And as we get closer to Independence Day, and the announcement of the treaty itself, we will speak more about the substance of the agreement.

JOSEPH: Most of the work is done by the technical team, and we have been informed that they’re progressing very well. And so once the treaty is announced, we will talk about the details of the treaty.

HOST: Defence Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, would either of you like to provide any concluding remarks before we move to the Sergeant’s Mess?

MARLES: Perhaps I’d just say it is wonderful to be here with my good friend Billy Joseph, the Minister for Defence. It’s great to be back in PNG. This does feel to me like my second home. It’s the country in the world that I’ve been to most outside of Australia, and this is my first visit since our re-election back in May. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the very strong relationship between our two countries, which is growing stronger by the day, and I think the state of our relationship on the 50th anniversary of the independence of Papua New Guinea is a credit to both countries and the Defence agreement is an example of the sorts of things that we will be talking about come independence. But we are really looking forward to what we will be able to say around Independence Day about the future of this relationship, which will be stronger even in the future than it has been over the last 50 years. Can I thank Minister Joseph for having me here at Murray Barracks. As I say, it is always a joy for me to be back here in PNG. It doesn’t take much to convince me to get on a plane to come to PNG, and I’m really looking forward to what we’ll be doing tomorrow as well, which is going to be a very exciting opening at the Lombrum Naval Base.