Turnbull leaves Pacific out of foreign relations speech

Thursday, 24 Mar 2016 04:24:07

Malcolm Turnbull says India is one country Australia should be building ties with. (AFP: Peter Parks)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Australia should look beyond China to India, Indonesia and South-East Asian countries for the transformational economic growth they will provide in the future.

In his first major speech in Australia on foreign relations since taking office, Mr Turnbull covered everything from the global threat of terrorism to technological innovation and Australia's recent defence white paper.

But the Pacific Islands got scant attention in Mr Turnbull's speech at the Lowy Institute and Papua New Guinea, the country Foreign Minister Julie Bishop describes as a dear friend, did not rate a mention.

Lowy Institute research fellow Jonathan Pryke told the ABC that "the speech was really one of a big picture of the [overall] region, and how Prime Minister Turnbull really sees our place in it".

"I think from that element of the speech there's a lot to take out of it... just the way he's framed our place in the region."

Mr Pryke said that in the context of Mr Turnbull's speech discussing major economic powers, it was not surprising that the Pacific, a significantly smaller power, was not mentioned.

"But it is interesting that when you talk about economic growth in the region that PNG does get excluded, which plays to the fact that its not just about economic growth — it's about the right economic growth."

Another issue that was not discussed, one that former prime minister Tony Abbott had a big intervention on, was the legacy of the cutting international aid.

"The budget is coming up... and it's hard to see that there's going to be too dramatic of a change of the status quo of the legacy left by the Abbott government," Mr Pryke said.

"I can't see the numbers changing too much in either direction from what's already been planned."

Under Mr Abbott, it was said the Pacific often felt that Australia was not working with it on key issues of importance, like climate change.

But Mr Pryke said that was changing.

"We're already seeing a different tone, particularly with regards to climate change, the biggest upset to the Pacific as a region," he said.

"Just from what we've heard about the reversal of key policy decisions in this space, the announcement of further investment... I think it should be very encouraging to the Pacific."

AustraliaPlus

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Turnbull leaves Pacific out of foreign relations speech

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