SUVA, May 1, 2018 – Defence Industries Minister Christopher Pyne’s assertion on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast program that Australia looks after the South Pacific region at the behest of the US is an insult that conveniently ignores Australia’s role in exacerbating climate change that puts island states in catastrophic danger.The minister made the factually incorrect and arrogant comment during a discussion about French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming trip to New Caledonia.
“Australia regards the South Pacific as really an area that we have a particular responsibility for, to protect people from people smuggling, illegal fishing, environmental vandalism and unnecessary military build-up,” Mr Pyne said.
“The United States regards this part of the world as Australia’s primary responsibility and they think, quite rightly, that we are the closest significant power and it’s our job to make sure the area is well looked after, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”
Pacific Island Represent activist Genevieve Jiva said the minister’s comments were belittling and infuriating and completely ignored Australia’s contribution to climate change, which is the main challenge Pacific island states are actively grappling with.
“Everyone knows that burning coal is the number one cause of climate change. Australia can’t claim to protect the Pacific from environmental vandalism while it runs its economy on coal and exports more of the climate-destroying commodity than any other nation in the world,” Ms Jiva said.
“What makes matter worse is that despite the science and Australia’s nominal commitment to the Paris Agreement it still has no credible plan to reduce its coal use or exports. The government is still flirting with the idea of giving $1 billion of taxpayer money to Adani Group to build one of the world’s largest coal mines, these are not the acts of a nation that truly cares about protecting the Pacific.”
The comments come just days after a report in The Guardian highlighted how Australia has neglected the Pacific region and its leaders. Only two Pacific leaders have been invited for official visits to Australia since 2013 while aid to the region has also fallen.
For interviews:
Matisse Walkden-Brown, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Head of Pacific Net
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