The Pacific Policing Initiative has been endorsed by leaders at this week’s Pacific Islands Forum. Photo: Anthony Albanese Instagram.
Australia’s win in having the Pacific Policing Initiative endorsed by the region’s leaders has been briefly overshadowed by a video of Anthony Albanese jokingly trying to get the United States to pay for half of the program.
The Prime Minister joined other leaders in Tonga this week for the Pacific Islands Forum, where the PPI was endorsed as a “major regional initiative” to strengthen collective security throughout the Pacific.
But on Wednesday night (28 August), the PM was videoed by a New Zealand journalist joking with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell that America should cough up half of the $400 million Australia is pouring into the program.
“We can go halfsies on the cost if you like. Only cost you a bit,” Mr Albanese said after Mr Campbell had described the program as “fantastic”.
The PM had already labelled the program a “cracker” while talking with Mr Campbell.
The US Deputy Secretary also told Mr Albanese: “I talked with Kevin about it, and so you know, we were going to do something like that, and he asked us not to, so we did not. We’ve given you the lane, so take the lane.”
But while the PM initially tried to laugh off questions about the conversation the next day, the media throng wanted him to confirm that the “Kevin” was indeed Australia’s US Ambassador to Washington Kevin Rudd, and what it was that the Americans were planning to do in the Pacific.
But the PM was having none of it, saying the PPI was an initiative that came from the Pacific – and he chided the journalist who took the video.
“I’m aware of the video of a private conversation. Kurt Campbell’s a mate of mine, it’s us having a chat,” Mr Albanese said.
“Someone, you know, it’s up to them, to whoever did that, to think about their own ethics when it comes to journalism. It was a private conversation. It was a jovial conversation, and a friendly one. You know, it is what it is.
“People try and read something into it. You must be pretty bored, frankly.”
Suggestions had been raised that some Melanesian leaders were concerned the PPI would be used as a way for Australia to try and exclude China from security measures in the Pacific.
But Mr Albanese said none of the Pacific leaders had raised any of those concerns at the forum.
“Not a single person at the plenary raised that yesterday,” the PM said.
“This is Pacific led, and it’s a cracker of an announcement.”
The Pacific Policing Initiative aims to boost the capability of Pacific nations to meet law and order and internal security requirements and to support each other in times of need.
The PPI has three pillars:
- Up to four regional police training Centres of Excellence, located in the Pacific, to enhance policing capabilities through specialist training and operational support for Pacific police personnel
- The Pacific Police Support Group — a multi-country police capability with a ready pool of trained Pacific police to deploy in response to Pacific country requirements, such as for major event management or additional capacity in times of crisis, and
- A PPI Policing Development and Coordination Hub to be hosted in Brisbane – including access to state of the art AFP facilities for training and to prepare for any Pacific Police Support Group deployments.
Australia will deliver about $400 million over five years to the program.
Mr Albanese noted that the PPI was a practical contribution to the Pacific Islands Forum’s peace and security vision outlined in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and builds on the recent experience of the Solomons International Assistance Force.
“This policing initiative continues a long history of Pacific police forces working together to strengthen regional peace and security and to support each other in times of need,” the Prime Minister said.
“Pacific leaders are working together to shape the future we want to see – improving capability, cooperation and interoperability among Pacific police forces benefits all Pacific countries and the security of our communities.
“This is a Pacific-led, Australia-backed initiative, harnessing our collective strengths. We are stronger together.
“The security of the Pacific is the shared responsibility of the Pacific region and this initiative benefits each of our nations.”
Discussions on an integrated regional policing capability were first held at the Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police meeting in 2023.
Pacific police are finalising a PPI design process that ensures this initiative will be by the Pacific and for the Pacific.
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