Australia is proud to be a long standing and deeply engaged member of our Pacific family across the three regions of Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia.

We have strong relationships with countries and peoples across all these three regions, which we've seen senior Australian leaders reaffirm immediately following the election of the Albanese Labor Government.

In the Government's first 100 days, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, and other ministers have visited Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

They sent a clear message about Australia's contribution in the region as a partner of choice and our desire to be reliable, to turn up, to show respect, to listen, to be transparent and open.

These visits signalled that Australia will be an honest partner on issues that Pacific cares about and will respond to shared challenges like climate change, COVID-19 and development.

The government is working hard to repair some of the reputational damage done by those opposite.

Since 2013, those opposite undermined Australia's standing in the Pacific by cutting aid by $11 billion in 2015, and dismissing the Pacific's vital interests on climate change.

Who can forget the former prime minister Scott Morrison, the current leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton, and others laughing at jokes about Pacific Island countries being swallowed up by the effects of climate change?

This government, the Albanese Government, is bringing new energy, respect, and resources to the region to help build a stronger Pacific family.

We recognise that climate change is the single biggest threat to the security, livelihoods and wellbeing of many of our island nation neighbours.

It is an urgent global challenge and it is one we will play our part to help tackle.

Towards this end, our Government will increase support to the Pacific through a new Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing, Partnership for Climate Related Infrastructure and energy projects in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

We will also increase official development assistance by $525 million over the next four years, including to address climate change, adaptation and resilience.

The recent Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting in July welcomed Australia's renewed commitment to Pacific climate change priorities.

At this meeting, Australia joined Pacific leaders in declaring that the region is facing a climate emergency.

We also stressed the urgency of lifting our ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Pacific leaders welcomed our interest in partnering with the Pacific to host a future UN climate change conference.

I commend Pacific Island countries for being world leading in their commitment to addressing climate change.

They are on the front line, and more.

And they are facing more extreme weather events such as cyclones, flooding and rising oceans.

These will have a direct impact on people's access to fresh water and major essential industries such as fisheries, forestry, agriculture, and tourism, all which could seriously suffer from the effects of climate change.

I'm proud to be part of a government that pledges to listen to and to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pacific family.

Now, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Australia is also strengthening cultural and sporting ties.

Sports diplomacy can play to Australia's strengths in the Pacific by leveraging our shared love of various codes like rugby union and our role in cricket.

After meeting with PNG's Prime Minister Marape in July, Prime Minister Albanese suggested potentially creating an NRL team for PNG, and possibly including the wider Pacific.

And as the Prime Minister said, rugby league is one of Australia's proudest legacies in Papua New Guinea.

As I'm sure you'd agree, Mr. Deputy Speaker, rugby union is much loved in many of our key Pacific countries.

And I want to congratulate Rugby Australia, who has got the Women's Eight team going to Fiji in January next year.

As well as cultural, church, and historical connections, sport is among these visceral ties of Australia to our Pacific family.

Thank you.