Pat Conroy has taken his Pacific affairs portfolio into Cabinet, a sure sign the Federal Government is beefing up its Pacific watch. Photo: ADF.
Anthony Albanese has sharpened his government’s defence focus and elevated the need to keep strengthening ties in the Pacific.
The Prime Minister’s recent frontbench reshuffle parachuted Pat Conroy, a previously junior minister, into Cabinet saying the defence portfolio needed two senior ministers.
“Pat Conroy will move into the Cabinet as the Minister for Defence, Industry and Capability Delivery, Minister for International Development and the Pacific,” the PM said when announcing the changes.
“Obviously AUKUS, both Pillar One and Pillar Two are critical.
“Pat’s been an important member of our National Security Committee and I’ve made the decision that this area is such an important area of delivery, that it’s worthy of two Cabinet ministers.
“He will join Richard Marles, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence as Cabinet ministers.”
It marked a huge promotion for Mr Conroy who, until then was Minister for Defence Industry, Minister for International Development and the Pacific in the outer ministry.
The significance of it as it relates not just to defence but also to Australia’s relationship with its nearest neighbours was not lost on the new Cabinet minister.
“It is worth noting this will be the first time a minister directly responsible for the Pacific has been in Cabinet,” he said on the day his new assignment was announced.
“This is a clear demonstration of the importance the Albanese Government places on our relationships with the Pacific family and our commitment to supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for Australia and our region.”
On Monday (22 July), Mr Conroy said he was honoured after being sworn in by the Governor-General.
“It has been more than 30 years since Neal Blewett last directly represented Australia’s international development at the Cabinet table in 1991 as the minister for trade and overseas development in the Hawke and Keating governments,” he said.
“And this is the first time a minister with direct responsibility for Australia’s engagement with the Pacific has been appointed to Cabinet.
“This government has worked tirelessly to build the depth and breadth of our relationships with the region around us. And our work continues on rebuilding Australia’s international development program to be a program that delivers great outcomes for the region, and one of which all Australians can be proud.
“I look forward to representing these critical portfolios in Cabinet and working with my colleagues and the Prime Minister on supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for Australia and the region.”
Embedding Australia’s Pacific Minister in Cabinet is seen as a strategic move serving to send messages to island nations as well as to the government of China.
To the Pacific Islands, the move stresses the importance the Australian Government places on the relationships.
To Beijing, it is a clear sign Canberra is not taking lightly China’s moves in the region.
At an ASEAN defence ministers gathering in Jakarta earlier this year, Mr Conroy stated clearly that Australia believed there was no role for China in policing the Pacific Islands.
“We are aware they are seeking a greater security role in the Pacific and we have been consistent in our view that there is no role for China in policing, or broader security, in the Pacific,” he said in an interview with newswire Reuters.
This followed a United States caution to Pacific Island leaders against accepting the help of Chinese security forces.
Kiribati has recently – and quietly – allowed Chinese police to work in the country’s community policing and on a crime database program there.
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