Julie Bishop - Member for Curtin

Radio Australia, Pacific Beat with Geraldine Coutts

Subjects: Papua New Guinea; Fiji

E&OE…

JULIE BISHOP    Bob Carr's statement is a gross overreaction. There have been some suggestions within PNG that mid-year elections may have to be delayed, but the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has committed to elections this year. So for Senator Carr to threaten to organise the world to condemn and isolate PNG and talking about sanctions is a gross overreaction. And I believe that it would have come as a shock to PNG. He hasn't met personally with the PNG leaders since he has become Foreign Minister. I don't understand that he has discussed this issue with them before grandstanding in the media. It's the sort of megaphone diplomacy that I had hoped he wouldn't engage in.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Have you heard even in the corridors what those so sanctions might be?

JULIE BISHOP    Well I think that it was just a loose comment, I don't believe that he's seriously considered threatening PNG with sanctions, I think it was some political grandstanding. One of his highest priorities should be repairing the relationship with PNG after years of mismanagement by the Labor Government. But his decision to threaten them with sanctions when there is no suggestion the Prime Minister is going to delay the elections, is just going to create more tension, and I think it jeopardises one of our most important relationships in the region.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Well following on from that point, Andrew Trawen who is the PNG Electoral Commissioner, has said it will take a change to the constitution to delay the elections. In an interview, Peter O'Neill, the Prime Minister himself has said he wasn't in favour of delaying them. But we know that PNG is the land of surprises or the unexpected. Again I just wonder what it is that is the basis or the premise that is the comment by Bob Carr?

JULIE BISHOP    Well it's most odd because last week his Parliamentary Secretary Richard Marles put out a press release welcoming the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea's commitment to hold elections on schedule, and stating that Australia would be proud to play a supportive role in the elections. Then for Bob Carr to come out and talk about organising the world to condemn and isolate PNG and threatening sanctions, is most perplexing - a very poor start for Bob Carr as Australia's Foreign Minister.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Well broadening it out a little bit, because you've written an article where you were commending I think Bob Carr for his trip to New Zealand and his prospect I suppose of mending the fences that were damaged, perceived damage done by Kevin Rudd and Commodore Bainimarama of course was critical of Kevin Rudd's performance in the Pacific. What other evidence is there to suggest that the relationship with the Pacific has been damaged?

JULIE BISHOP    The relationship with Fiji is an extremely important one, and to date the Labor Government have taken an extremely hard line and refusing to engage in any way with Fiji. Now we do not condone in any way the military coup or the fact that they have abandoned democratic values and the rule of law, and we will continue to argue that Fiji must return to democracy. But it's widely acknowledged that the Government's current stand of doing nothing is not working. Their former Parliamentary Secretary of Pacific Islands Affairs actually sought out help from the United States, because he thought Australia was close to exhausting its diplomatic options on Fiji and it wasn't working. I think that reflects badly on Australia. We should be able to engage with Fiji and help Fiji return to democratic rule at the earliest opportunity, and we stand to be isolated from our friends and allies on this issue. Japan, the United States, New Zealand are all talking about engaging with Fiji and maintaining a dialogue, yet the Australian Labor Party in government is refusing to.

GERALDINE COUTTS    What is your attitude as spokesman for Foreign Affairs for the Coalition, what do you think from the sidelines that should be done in Fiji given that there's criticism of the judicial system, there's still criticism of the fact that there is poor media liaison between the Government and the media itself? What can be done?

JULIE BISHOP    We have two choices; the Labor Government has taken the choice of just accepting whatever eventuates, or we can take steps to work with Fiji to restore democracy, and the Coalition will adopt that course. That means doing what we can to help Fiji return to democratic rule at the earliest opportunity; that will mean working with our friends in the region, to engage with Fiji leaders, to promote reform. We could assist in electoral reforms for example. There are a whole range of things that we could do to develop a roadmap to restore democracy and normalise relations with Australia.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Now to be fair though I think numerous attempts have been made to reengage Fiji, ministerial action groups and all sorts of Commonwealth delegations have there most recently, and not much progress has been seen from that. And the Commonwealth indeed recently has said that they won't be looking to have Fiji rejoin the Commonwealth any time soon. So it's not as though effort hasn't been made?

JULIE BISHOP    Well the attitude has changed significantly. The United States Ambassador in Fiji has said that the United States seeks more direct engagement with the Fijian Government and wishes to see the restoration of democracy, and so they are engaging. New Zealand is engaging and trying to find constructive solutions. Japan has called for continuous dialogue with Fiji, and China and Russia are now actively engaged with the regime. And as I point out in the article that I wrote, Australia's influence on the world stage is at its greatest when our standing in the region is strong. So people are looking to Australia to show leadership on this issue in relation to Fiji, and we shouldn't let the opportunity pass.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Well a lot of the interest shown as you've mentioned in Russia and other places is self-serving, because the Pacific is one vote, one seat on the UN Security Council and the UN as well. That's a bit cynical isn't it?

JULIE BISHOP    My point is that other countries are engaging with Fiji and Australia is not. Fiji is an important economy in the Pacific, it is important for security and stability in the Pacific and yet the Australian Government has turned its back on Fiji. That approach is not working.  We believe that a new approach is needed. That is why we're calling to develop a roadmap to restore democracy and work towards normalising relations with Australia.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Do you think that Australia and New Zealand should remove the travel sanctions that are still in place?

JULIE BISHOP    We should review all of the sanctions in place, they have been in place since 2006, and clearly we should have a look at them. Australian tourism is at a peak in Fiji, yet we have sanctions in place, and so I think we need to review it.  At the last election I said that our position would be to reassess our relationship with Fiji with a view to opening negotiations, make electoral reform one of those issues where we can work together with them, and of course that would mean reviewing the travel sanctions. But I think we have to open the dialogue first before we talk about anything with the sanctions.

GERALDINE COUTTS    Have you designed your roadmap for Fiji?

JULIE BISHOP    We certainly are getting input. I have had meetings with many of the relevant stakeholders and that's what we intend to do on coming to government. We would engage with Fiji to seek to develop this roadmap. Obviously it is a two-way effort, it's not just Australia dictating what it wants. It is working with Fiji to see how we can restore democracy and how we can be part of the constructive solutions that are clearly needed.