Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

Good morning and thank you Ashely Saltner for the Welcome to Country.

I begin by acknowledging the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather today. I pay my respects to their elders past and present, and I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

I want to thank Claudia Brumme, and Townsville Enterprise for hosting the forum today. It’s wonderful to be here with so many leaders of the tourism industry, looking to the future of tourism in North Queensland, and in Australia.

I see a few familiar faces here today that I had the chance to catch up with at the Queensland Tourism Awards last Friday night in Brisbane – another great event that really highlights how incredible our great state is when it comes to the visitor economy.

In Townsville, and North Queensland as a whole, you know the importance of tourism. The tourism industry in Townsville makes up just over 5 per cent of the economy, bringing in over one billion dollars in Gross Regional Product in 2023-24.

In 2024 alone, the region welcomed 2.5 million domestic and international visitors. These numbers show just how important Townsville and North Queensland are as tourism drivers, not just for Queensland, but for the whole country.

As a former Special Envoy to the Great Barrier Reef, and in my personal capacity as someone who loves spending family time on Magnetic Island, the value of this region is clear to me.

Events like the Tourism Futures Forum provide crucial opportunities to hear from you, as the drivers of our visitor economy.

In my role as the newly established Assistant Minister for Tourism, I have had the privilege to attend several industry forums in the past few months, including just down the road in Mackay in September, meeting with tourism industry and community leaders in the Mackay and Whitsundays region.

And just last week, I was in Darwin speaking with a range of local tourism operators. At these events, I’ve picked up some recurring themes. In the tourism sector, you love your work, and the passion that you bring to this industry is always on display. It is an industry that is all about people.

Almost a year ago Townsville flooded. Homes, businesses and farms inundated with water. I don’t have to remind the people in this room about the impacts of those floods. I know from experience in my home of Cairns that recovery can be slow, but banding together as a community, and bringing together all levels of Government and industry is how you can ensure that you build back better.

And what better example of that than the Up for Unexpected Campaign launched in September. Bringing together Council, TEQ, TEL and both the State and Federal Government.

This campaign is the region’s largest ever tourism campaign, aimed at bringing visitors from across the country, and letting them know that Townsville – and North Queensland – is open for business.

Of course, there’s also the Building Resilient Tourism Infrastructure Fund which opened in June of this year to eligible impacted tourism businesses in North Queensland

We know that the best way to recover after businesses are impacted by a natural disaster is to open their doors sooner, and this fund goes a long way in ensuring businesses are more resilient.

The one big thing that draws visitors to Townsville, to Queensland, and to Australia is the incredible Great Barrier Reef.

Which is why I was so proud to stand next to the Prime Minister a few months back during the election campaign and announce that our government would again back the tourism industry through a 10 million dollars Reef Educational Experience Fund.

• $6 million of this fund is dedicated to a Kids for the Reef rebate program, which will help schools across the country send their students on excursions to the Reef.
• $1 million will be spent to help Reef tourism operators with the costs of upgrades, checks and clearances needed for the school trips.
• And $3 million is for a marketing campaign to support and drive sustainable international visitation to the Reef.

This builds on the $180 million that our Government has invested in Reef HQ. A project that will deliver more than 720 million dollars in economic benefit for Townsville over 30 years and bring with it more than 1300 jobs.

The community fought hard for this project – to bring the Reef to the community and the tourists who come to visit – now it is time to back it in and get behind it.

And, of course, there is the $1.2 billion that the Australian Government is delivering to ensure that the Reef is protected, alongside the 77,000 jobs that rely on it.

At the same time, the Albanese Government is working tirelessly to position Australia as a world-class destination. The second phase of our global Come and say G’day campaign is going well, showcasing Australia to international markets. Ruby the Roo has been doing a great job, but Robert Irwin – hasn’t he been a smash hit!

The campaign has been launching in key tourism markets around the world, encouraging international travellers to book a holiday to Australia. I had the honour of launching the Japanese campaign in September.

Our relationship with Japan is a special and important one – and it was an excellent opportunity to strengthen this tie and participate in the launch of the next exciting chapter of this campaign to entice Japanese travellers to visit us.

This second chapter of the campaign will bring the total investment in Come and Say G’day to 255 million dollars since 2022.

While there are a lot of opportunities for the tourism industry, there are still challenges and more to do – including addressing workforce and skills shortages.

We know this is an industry where people are at the cornerstone – it’s people who make this industry thrive. The success of every hotel, restaurant, and visitor experience depends on the passion and professionalism of those who work in it.

We also know there are pressures being faced by the industry about having the right people, at the right time, to fill a skilled workforce, and we take this seriously.

As a government:

• We have introduced 14 new occupations, including Travel Consultant, to the Townsville North Queensland Designated Area Migration Agreement to support workforce availability in Townsville. Thank you to Townsville Enterprise for the work you do on behalf of the community with our government on the DAMA.
• We are offering Fee-Free TAFE places which include tourism and hospitality courses.
• We have invested in the establishment of Service and Creative Skills Australia, a Jobs and Skills Council that is charged with reviewing and improving the training outcomes for tourism and hospitality qualifications.
• We’ve launched the new ‘eeger’ online platform, a free employment and skills free platform to connect jobseekers and employers connect more easily than ever before.
• The Australian Tourism Industry Council launched the Quality Tourism eLearning Hub in September, which was developed thanks to an $8 million Australian Government investment.

And I know there are many in the industry, including people in this room, who are doing their fair share to attract, to skill up, to retain their workers to ensure they are meeting the needs of our visitors.

I’d like to acknowledge that – and thank you for doing what you do to ensure visitors leave our region with wonderful memories.

Through these initiatives, we are supporting more Australians will develop the skills to succeed in the tourism industry.

Because what a brilliant career you can have in this sector. Gone are the days of tourism being a “fill-in” job – something you as a backpacker, or while you’re at uni. It has become a professional, skilful career. Once you have the skills and training that you need to work in tourism, you can work almost anywhere in Australia.

Industry leaders have made clear the critical role workforce availability plays in North Queensland’s economic growth, and we are listening.

To wrap up, thank you once again for the invitation to be here today. I look forward to hearing your insights on the future of tourism and the outcomes from today’s sessions – but also to continuing this dialogue moving forward.

By working together, we will ensure our tourism industry remains strong, that it is as resilient as can be, and that our visitors leave this region having had an incredible experience. And in this important ‘green and gold’ decade, working together is more important than ever as we prepare the country for the Brisbane Olympics in 2032 and all the opportunities that come with it.

Thank you.

Source: South Australia Police

Officers from SAPOL’s Offender Management Section today, Friday 21 November, arrested a 26-year-old man and charged him with four counts of breaching his reporting obligations and an active parole board warrant.

He was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 19 January in relation to the fresh charges and remanded in custody on the warrant.

Detective Chief Inspector Naomi Oberscheidt, Officer in Charge Offender Management Section states, “Our officers are dedicated to holding offenders accountable for any actions that threaten the safety and well-being of children in the community.”

Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report

If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on Triple Zero (000).

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Source: Australia Government Statements 2

This week, Australia welcomed Ministers from three continents – the Americas, Asia and Europe – to Melbourne to advance our shared commitment to open, rules-based trade.

Today, I chaired the Ninth Commission Meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The meeting of 12 trading nations progressed improvements to the high-standard trade agreement that is already supporting growth across our economies.

We marked the conclusion of the first General Review of the Agreement, endorsing negotiations that will upgrade the CPTPP in key areas such as electronic commerce, trade in services, customs administration and trade and women’s economic empowerment.

We also launched inaugural Trade and Investment Dialogues with ASEAN and the European Union, reinforcing the CPTPP’s role in the global economic architecture and deepening engagement with major trading partners.

I was pleased to announce that we have made substantial progress on Costa Rica’s accession process.

In addition, we have identified four aspirants who are in line with the Auckland Principles – they are Uruguay, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Indonesia.

We have decided to commence an accession process with Uruguay and will commence with the others in 2026, if appropriate. This reflects the strong interest in joining this high-standard agreement and our ambition to grow the CPTPP membership.

I thank CPTPP Parties for their collaboration and look forward to working with Viet Nam as Chair in 2026 to progress negotiations to further strengthen and expand the Agreement.

The CPTPP is one of the world’s most ambitious trade agreements, which connects 12 economies, 590 million people and nearly 15 per cent of global GDP. Australia is the 2025 Chair of the CPTPP.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell

“Australia is committed to open, rules-based trade. The CPTPP remains a cornerstone of Australia’s trade policy and a model for inclusive, sustainable, and rules-based trade.”

“In an uncertain global trading environment, the CPTPP provides stability, predictability, and high-standard trade rules that benefit businesses and communities across our region and beyond.”

“I thank my counterparts from across the twelve CPTPP economies for their constructive and forward-looking discussions over the past two days – Australia’s international partners are critical to our prosperity and enabling our businesses to diversify and grow.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Financial Services and Assistant Treasurer, The Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP

“Trade is key to our prosperity. It fuels productivity, drives our economy and creates well-paid jobs.

“The Australian Government is committed to helping our exporters, start-ups, and service providers tap into regional supply chains, drive competitiveness, and build resilience in a rapidly changing global economy.”

Our inaugural dialogues with the EU and ASEAN were a productive step toward deepening economic collaboration and unlocking new trade and investment opportunities.”

Quotes attributable to the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP

“The CPTPP economies collectively play a major role in global trade.”

“As the 2025 CPTPP Chair, Australia affirms its role as a reliable partner and an advocate for free, stable, rules-based trade in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.”

“Our discussions today progressed trade and investment integration between our economies, while ensuring our agreement delivers for business in response to ongoing global challenges.”

Media Notes:

For further information visit the CPTPP web page on the DFAT website or view the joint statements below:

• Joint Ministerial Statement on the occasion of the Ninth Commission Meeting of the CPTPP, 21 November 2025, Melbourne
• CPTPP-ASEAN Trade and Investment Dialogue Joint Ministerial Statement, 20 November 2025, Melbourne
• CPTPP-EU Trade and Investment Dialogue Joint Ministerial Statement, 20 November 2025, Melbourne

The media conference can be viewed on DFAT’s YouTube channel

Imagery is available via the: DFAT Multimedia Library

Source: South Australia Police

Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said the discovery of the vehicle is a significant step in the investigation.

“The recovery of this vehicle is a significant breakthrough in our investigation into Chris’s murder.  Detectives will now focus on how the Triton got to this location and the people who assisted in moving it.  The vehicle will now be subjected to extensive forensic examination,” said Detective Superintendent Fielke.

The investigation remains active, and detectives continue to pursue several lines of inquiry.

Police are still seeking information from the public about who may have been using the Mitsubishi Triton around the time of Mr Robertson’s death.

“We urge anyone who saw this vehicle in the Cherry Gardens area or has any knowledge of its movements between Sunday 28 September and today to contact us immediately.”

Chris Robertson was last seen alive on Saturday 27 September while celebrating with friends. His body was located on Tuesday 30 September at a Lonsdale premises. A post-mortem examination revealed he died as a result of injuries sustained during a severe assault.

Anyone with information about the vehicle or the murder of Chris Robertson is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – Information can be provided anonymously.

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Source: Tasmania Police

New $12.5m Bridgewater station a boost for Tasmania Police and community

Friday, 21 November 2025 – 4:17 pm.

A multi million-dollar project to deliver a new police station at Bridgewater is complete, with the station fully operational and the base for a new era of policing in southern Tasmania.
Tasmania Police Southern District Commander Jason Elmer said the $12.5m station expanded policing capability – providing increased capacity for officers, conference facilities, an incident management centre, a vulnerable witness interview room, and enhanced office and staff amenities.
“The vulnerable witness room is part of Tasmania Police’s commitment to creating trauma-informed spaces for victim-survivors. These rooms feature calming décor, soft furnishings, and comfort items to help put individuals at ease, along with advanced recording systems that reduce the need for repeat interviews, minimising the risk of re-traumatisation,” Commander Elmer said.
“The major incident room enhances the station’s capacity to co-ordinate emergency responses, such as during bushfires or floods, by providing a dedicated space for timely decision-making, information sharing, and the distribution of community warnings.”
The Bridgewater station operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new station will accommodate around 44 constables; six sergeants, one divisional sergeant; one divisional inspector; one detective sergeant; and six detective constables.
Tasmania Police Inspector Bridgewater Division Luke Horne, pictured, said the new station, at more than double the size of the previous station, was built with current and future policing needs in mind.
“This new Bridgewater station is a significant boost for policing in southern Tasmania. It is fit-for-purpose and will enable Tasmania Police to further deliver on our core goal of providing public safety in the community now, and into the future,” Inspector Horne said.
“The Bridgewater Division is one of the largest Tasmania Police divisions, servicing the four municipalities of Brighton, Derwent Valley, Central Highlands and Southern Midlands.
“The Brighton and Derwent Valley regions have experienced significant population growth in the recent past, adding to the need for expanded resources and improved facilities. With our new, purpose-built station here in Bridgewater as home base, we are confident we can continue to meet anticipated growth in policing requirements in the Division.”
Prior to the recent completion of the new Bridgewater Police Station, officers from Bridgewater division worked out of Glenorchy Police Station for 12 months.
The new Bridgewater Police Station was designed by Tasmanian architectural firm Philp Lighton Architects, with construction company Fairbrother as the principal builder.

Source: Tasmania Police

Northern firearms amnesty this weekend

Friday, 21 November 2025 – 3:53 pm.

Police are encouraging people to surrender illegal or unwanted firearms or ammunition at a firearms amnesty in the North this weekend.Acting Sergeant Nathan Ford said that under Tasmania’s permanent firearms amnesty, police will be conducting a firearms amnesty drive at Newnham this weekend.“Any illicit firearm is a concern to Tasmania Police, and we all know that firearms in the wrong hands are dangerous,” Acting Sergeant Ford said.“We take every opportunity to remove illegal firearms from our community by holding amnesty drives, carrying out random firearms storage inspections, and investigating diligently when firearms incidents or thefts occur.“Through our firearm amnesties, we’re calling on people to surrender illegal or unwanted firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, or gel blasters that have the appearance of a firearm, without fear of being prosecuted for the possession.“We know there are people in our community that have illegal or unwanted firearms in their possession, and this weekend is an opportunity to surrender them to police, to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands.“If you have items to surrender – come along to the mobile amnesty drive, transport the items safely and legally in your vehicle, leave them in your vehicle and walk up and speak to officers who will safely retrieve the items.”
The firearms amnesty drive will be held on:Saturday 22 November, 2025Between 10am and 1pmNewnham Station
“If you have items to surrender, but you’re unable or unwilling to attend this amnesty drive in person, email firearms.amnesty@police.tas.gov.au or call 131 444 to make arrangements for police to collect items from you.”“We know that there are people who know about illegal firearms in our community. If you have any information, I urge you to contact police on 131 444 or report to Crime Stoppers Tasmania.”

Source: Australia Digital Transformation Agency

Today, the DTA is opening consultation with digital sellers and industry stakeholders on the proposed Digital Seller Underperformance Policy. This policy is designed to enable fair and transparent management of seller underperformance information and drive improved digital project outcomes across Government.

Source: South Australia Police

The collision occurred on Mount Burr Road, Monbulla, southwest of Penola, about 1.30pm on Friday 21 November.

Mount Burr Road is currently closed to all traffic around the scene between Old Kalangadoo-Penola Road and Riddoch Highway.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find an alternate route.

Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

Local construction company Fairbrother Construction will lead the $45M redevelopment of Bendigo Art Gallery – the City of Greater Bendigo’s largest-ever infrastructure project.

Following a competitive tender process, Fairbrother’s appointment was endorsed at the November Council meeting.

Mayor Cr Thomas Prince said the Gallery had been Council’s number one priority project.

“This exciting announcement marks the beginning of a landmark project for our city and region,” Cr Prince said.

“The new Bendigo Art Gallery will be a destination of national and international significance – a vibrant, engaging space defined by timeless architecture and designed to inspire both our community and visitors.”

The project will deliver a second level blockbuster exhibition space, innovative learning centre, theatrette and Traditional Owner Place of Keeping for Dja Dja Wurrung cultural materials.

City Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cooney said the Gallery project was an exciting opportunity for the local construction sector to be part of.

“Fairbrother stood out for its experienced local team, commitment to engaging local sub-contractors, and proven track record delivering major projects on time and on budget,” Mr Cooney said.

“Fairbrother has also built similar cultural attractions across Australia, including our own Gallery extension in 2014 and the iconic MoNA in Tasmania.

“This project is an incredible investment in arts and culture as well as the economic future of our region, and we look forward to working with Fairbrother to bring this new building to life.”

The redevelopment is expected to generate more than 260 jobs during construction, with the completed project creating 170 local jobs and driving up to $35M in annual spending for the local economy.

Fairbrother General Manager – Victoria, Ben Millar, said the firm was thrilled to be appointed to lead the construction of the Gallery’s next chapter.

“Fairbrother has a strong track record of delivering community infrastructure projects within the Bendigo region, inclusive of previous stages at the Gallery and we appreciate this opportunity to again contribute to the cultural landscape of our community,” Mr Millar said.

“It is a privilege to be involved in such a pivotal project for the Bendigo region, which will welcome future generations of visitors, artists and local families and further strengthen Bendigo’s reputation as a leading destination for the arts in regional Australia.”

Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot welcomed Fairbrother to the project and said the team was now focused on preparing for the Gallery’s closure later this month.

“We’re excited to work with Fairbrother, whose team clearly demonstrated an understanding of the project’s bespoke design and high-quality finish requirements,” Ms Bridgfoot said.

“Our goal is to deliver a world-class gallery and a place that honours the Gallery’s founding motto, ‘Art for the People,’ when it was established 138 years ago.”

The Gallery will close to the public on Sunday November 30, as staff continue transferring artworks into storage.

Since July, the team has been preparing for the closure and planning an offsite program, including CURIOSITY: Building Breakthroughs in LEGO® Bricks, opening at the Discovery Science and Technology Centre in March 2026. Tickets go on sale Monday December 1, 2025.

The redeveloped Gallery is expected to reopen in early 2028, with more announcements to come on exhibitions, events and activations during the closure.

The redevelopment project is being funded by a $21M investment from the Victorian Government, $9M from the City of Greater Bendigo, $4M from the Gallery Board, and more than $9.35M in philanthropic support, including major contributions of $4M from the Sidney Myer Fund and $3M from the Ian Potter Foundation.

Source: Australia Government Statements 2

Host, Sally Sara: Pat Conroy is the Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs – and joins me now. Minister, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.

Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy: Thanks for having me.

Sara: I need to ask you the ‘Are we there yet question?’. When are you expecting the results of this review from the Pentagon about AUKUS?

Conroy: We know it’s very imminent and so we expect it shortly, but we’re not in a position to announce when that is. That’s a decision for the U.S. Government. But we take a lot of confidence in what President Trump said in his historic meeting with Prime Minister Albanese that AUKUS is going ahead – full steam ahead. And we saw that on display yesterday at HMAS Stirling with the USS Vermont undergoing maintenance at our naval base. This is the deepest level of maintenance that’s ever occurred outside U.S. territory and had Australian workers performing maintenance on a U.S. submarine. And it demonstrates that AUKUS is on track and we’re hitting all our key milestones.

Sara: Are you expecting this AUKUS Review by the end of the year? Is that the kind of timeframe we’re in?

Conroy: Well, we’re not going to get drawn into speculating about the timeframes. We expect it to be imminent. But we’re getting on with the job as is the U.S. system. And President Trump said is that it’s full steam ahead and we’re seeing that momentum in all levels of the U.S. system. The maintenance period for the Vermont is going very well. It includes Australian innovations including metal fabrication to support the conning tower, including a water purification plant that is a world’s first to make sure that there’s pure water going to the submarine – these are all driving jobs. They’re driving value add for the Alliance. And it’s just another example of AUKUS proving the detractor’s wrong and that we’re getting on with it.

Sara: So, how significant is the announcement of this first contractor to the construction of Virginia-class submarines?

Conroy: This is very significant. We’re running two separate qualification programs where we’re qualifying Australian companies to produce parts for not just our submarines but the U.S. and U.K. submarines. This is a great way of building our sovereign industrial base to build our own submarines in Adelaide and that will contribute to the 20,000 jobs that AUKUS will deliver. HIFraser’s the first company to qualify to produce three valves and pipe fittings for the U.S. Virginia-class submarines. And that means more jobs for Australians. But it also helps the U.S. increase the industrial base supporting their submarines. They’re ramping up production – that’s important for us. And having great Australian companies like HIFraser as part of that process is a is a definition of a win-win.

Sara You’re listening to Radio National Breakfast. You’re hearing from the Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy. Minister, the Opposition Leader, Sussan Ley will give a national security speech tonight at the Menzies Institute in Melbourne. She’s expected to express concern about the nation’s fuel supply. Does Australia have enough oil to meet its domestic needs if there were a serious global supply chain disruption?

Conroy: Well, we’re working on increasing our fuel supply, both how much is held in Australia as well as a maritime reserve shipping fleet to make sure that we can transport it around. We’ve been very clear that what we inherited from the last government was unacceptable. They consistently breached the IEA 90-day standards and they tried to satisfy it through saying that they had options of fuel in Texas. We’re working to build our fuel reserves. In the defence industry, for example, we’ve provided grants to look at fuel refining in this country. We’ll continue the work on that – but Sussan Ley’s got no credibility on that, nor does she have credibility on the broader defence issues. When they were in government, they were a disaster zone. They cut $20 billion from the defence budget in secret and added $42 billion worth of spending promises without increasing the budget.

Sara: Labor’s already had a term to sort out this fuel issue. Why haven’t you been able to sort it out?

Conroy: Well, we are working on it – and we’ll continue to do so. We’ve increased the defence budget by $70 billion, which is the biggest increase in the defence budget in peacetime ever. And we’re providing capability at speed to the Australian Defence Force. We’re also obviously working on where we can increase fuel reserves and that continues to be a work in progress. But I’m not going to say to your listeners that it’s solved – but it’s a work in progress that we’ll continue to work on.

Sara: A question about conventions when it comes to defence and politics. So, this week the PM wore a Navy baseball cap during a press conference while criticising the Coalition. Does that meet those conventions about having some separation there?

Conroy: Oh, absolutely. Those conventions go to hiding behind uniforms to make political attacks. The PM wasn’t wearing a uniform. I was wearing the same cap. We were wearing those caps for two reasons. One, we were celebrating an important milestone in the development of AUKUS. And secondly, we were doing a press conference in the full sun. So, you’re sensible to be wearing caps. I think people are reaching for a very long bow to draw any connection between that and Scott Morrison doing press conferences at RAAF bases with Top Gun music being played and red carpets being laid out. We were very careful in what we were announcing. It was not a political announcement. It was about progress in AUKUS. And as part of that, at the end of the press conference, the PM was asked questions about other matters of the day. I think they’re a bit silly if they think of that as a comparison to what Scott Morrison was doing.

Sara: Let’s talk about COP. Given the stalemate with Türkiye over competing bids to host next year’s COP Climate Conference, is Australia preparing to withdraw its proposal completely?

Conroy: We’re continuing to negotiate the best possible outcome for progress on climate action and to draw attention to what’s occurring in the Pacific. And so we are still negotiating – we’re still seeking to win the rights to host the COP in conjunction with the Pacific. But we’re also being frank with the Australian people that the U.N. Framework Convention has consensus rules – which means that any one country can block a successful bid. So, we’re working through that process. We’re still seeking to host COP – but we’ve been very clear that our focus is on getting a positive outcome for climate action and highlighting what is going on in the Pacific. And what we’ve also alerted people to is that if resolution can’t be achieved by the end of the week, the U.N. rules mean that the climate conference would devolve to Bonn in Germany and the Germans aren’t particularly keen to host it. And that would remove the opportunity to highlight the impact of climate change in the Pacific. So, we are working through a number of options. We’ve said that we would not veto Türkiye if they were chosen. They haven’t been chosen yet, but we would not veto it. And we would obviously look at what would be the options to highlight what’s going on in the Pacific. And that could include a high-level leader’s meeting in the Pacific as well as a pledging event at the COP aimed at building support for the Pacific Resilience Facility, which we are the largest funder of at the moment. So, we’re very focused on strong climate outcomes and supporting the Pacific.

Sara: Would it be fair to say that Australia would be prepared to abandon its bid as long as Pacific nations are guaranteed a role in next year’s conference wherever it’s held?

Conroy: What I can say to you is we are absolutely determined to see this result. That’s really important, firstly so that we avoid a COP in Bonn without a COP President, without a Pacific focus – and we are very focused on acting in the national interest, including a positive outcome for the Pacific. Chris Bowen is busily negotiating in Brazil right now and we’ll see how the next couple of days go. But we’ve made very clear, we respect the U.N. process, and our ultimate aim is to advance the national interest and support a strong Pacific outcome.

Sara: Minister, thank you for your time this morning.

Conroy: Thanks, Sally. Have a great day. Bye.