Australia and PNG to ratify treaty to 'reset' relationship

Transcript

Australia and Papua New Guinea are hoping to reset their relationship with a new agreement that moves the two countries onto a more even footing.

Australian MP and chairman of the parliament's treaties committee, Wyatt Roy, says until now the relationship has been characterised as aid donor and recipient.

Mr Roy spoke to Amelia Langford about the treaty and what it signifies.

WYATT ROY: This is an important agreement, both practical and symbolic, and essentially what it is about is moving away from the development focussed relationship between Australia and PNG, one where Australia was the aid donor and PNG Government was the aid recipient and we want to mature that relationship that really transforms our relationship . So this is a genuine economic cooperation treaty which really transforms our relationship into a strategic economic relationship, which is quite different. And I think it is really important to put it in the context of our actual economic links between the two countries. Australia invest in PNG more than 19 billion dollars which is actually more than we invest in China. for the PNG Government, Australia is their largest trading partner,  there is about 5.7 billion dollars worth of two-way trade. So, it is about the two countries maturing in their approach and getting beyond simply aid and aid donor to one of a real economic strategic engagement.

AMELIA LANGFORD: So a more even keel if you will?

WR: Yeah absolutely and I think instead of focussing simply on aid and development, the treaty outlines a sort of bilateral framework to cooperate in trade, investment, in business relations, which is incredibly important and growing in importance, and also addresses some of the more technical trade issues that we face whether it's quarantine or barriers to trade.

AL: And why are you now looking at this?

WR: Well I think the new coalition government has a very strong focus on our region and I think we are quite upfront about that at the beginning. The Prime Minister travelled to PNG quite early on in the life of the new government and wants to put a strong focus on it. Without being too partisan or political, I think it is an area that the former government quickly overlooked and I think they were more interested in what was happening in Geneva or the Asia Pacific region and this is really about the new government focussing its attention on our region and particularly important parts in this space and PNG is right up there as one of the biggest players in the Pacific.

AL: So PNG is very important to Australia now?

WR: Absolutely. As we have said, you've got two-way trade worth 5.7 billion dollars, we've got Australians investing
over 19 billion dollars into PNG and as PNG develops, that relationship is only going to become closer and more interconnected. So, we are putting a strong focus on this.

AL: Did PNG push for this new treaty?

WR: Absolutely. I think there is a different relationship between one of almost a handout and moving one of almost  a handup, or a mutual relationship of respect and cooperation and that reflects the reforms and the development that we have seen in PNG and this is the appropriate next step of our relationship, an important one, and one that offers new prospects for further development in PNG into the future.