Key events
Penny Wong on funding offer to Solomon Islands yesterday
Here is what Penny Wong said about it yesterday (also on Radio National).
Patricia Karvelas: Let’s move to the Solomon Islands. Does the government’s offer to help fund the Solomon Islands election reflect concerns that prime minister Sogavare is planning to delay the poll?
Wong: It reflects our longstanding and historical commitment to supporting democracy and democratic processes in Solomon Islands, and we’ve previously offered support and we are offering support again.
PK: What exactly have we offered in terms of assistance? How much money are we talking about and has the offer been accepted?
Wong: Well, look, we have made an offer of assistance, and it’s a matter for Solomon Islands as to whether they will respond and how they wish to respond.
PK: So, they are yet to respond?
Wong: We’ve made an offer.
PK: Is this a direct response to request for funding from the Solomon Islands opposition?
Wong: No, this is because Australia has always and historically supported democracy in Solomon Islands. It’s something through the Pacific we’ve made offers previously for support for elections, just as obviously recently we were supportive of the Papua New Guinea election. So, this is a reasonably common approach that Australian governments have made over years.
PK: And do you expect it to be received positively?
Wong: Well, it’s a matter for the government of Solomon Islands. Ultimately, they are a parliamentary democracy. I understand as you said in your, I think, earlier question there’s legislation before the parliament that’s domestically controversial. That’s ultimately a matter for their parliament to resolve.
Simon Birmingham questions government’s communication with Solomon Islands
The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham, is speaking to ABC RN about the Solomon Islands’ government response.
He says that it was “entirely appropriate” Australia made the offer to help with election funding, but questions how it was communicated.
Speaking to Patricia Karvelas, Birmingham said:
These are quite damning statements from the Solomon Islands government and there is much now to be answered by the Albanese government in terms of the way in which this offer was communicated [and] why it was revealed in the public way it was, when it was revealed.
What are you critiquing?
“what has gone wrong here appears to be particularly criticism from the Solomon Islands about the making public of this offer and that they are seeing it as an attempt to influence their own nation, their own democratic processes”
– @Birmo
— RN Breakfast (@RNBreakfast) September 6, 2022
Solomon Islands PM accuses Australia of interfering in its democracy
Yesterday, the Albanese government’s offer to help fund Solomon Islands’ election became public, with Penny Wong confirming the offer had been made, after the government said it could not afford to hold an election and the Pacific Games in the same year.
But the government, led by Manasseh Sogavare, has responded with a pretty strong rebuke, accusing Australia of ‘interfering’ with its democracy:
The timing of the public media announcement by the Australian government is in effect a strategy to influence how members of parliament will vote on this bill during the second reading on Thursday 8 September 2022.
This is an assault on our parliamentary democracy and is a direct interference by a foreign government into our domestic affairs.
The Solomon Islands government has conveyed to the Australian government its concern on the conduct of bilateral relations via the media through the Australian high commission office in Honiara.
The Solomon Islands opposition had accused Sogavare of attempting to hold on to power for another eight months (at least) by delaying the election, with the controversial legislation which would put off the poll until next year, due to be debated in the Solomon Islands parliament tomorrow.
But the statement has kicked off the latest diplomatic squall between Australia and one of its Pacific neighbours.
Early childhood educators to strike across the country
If you have children in early childhood education, it’s early childhood educators day. And that means it’s also a day of action for the sector.
Early childhood educators voted a month ago to take action today, giving warning to parents and asking for support as they fight for better pay and conditions.
There is a march to parliament planned a little bit later today.
Good morning
Happy Wednesday.
There’s no exclamation mark there because it doesn’t deserve it.
Today will be an absolute whirlwind as the government tries to get ahead of the “do something about cost of living” calls with a couple of announcements – cheaper medicines (an election promise) and support for pensioners to downsize their homes to increase housing stock.
But that won’t help with the day to day costs.
With rising inflation and rising interest rates it’s left a lot of Australians in some pretty tight corners. Anthony Albanese warned of “difficult decisions” in the upcoming budget in his speech to caucus yesterday which has people wondering whether there are more cuts planned or just not a lot of help on offer. Given inflation is expected to get worse before it gets better, and the Reserve Bank of Australia flagged more interest rate rises yesterday, there is going to be even more pressure on the government to do *something* to address it.
The prime minister will be holding a press conference very soon and no doubt he’ll be asked all about that.
You have Sarah Martin, Josh Butler and Paul Karp covering all things Canberra today. Of course Mike Bowers is already on the hunt for what’s going on. And I (Amy Remeikis) will be with you for most of the day.
It’s the Midwinter ball tonight – the first time it’s been held since the pandemic – but the work won’t stop.
It’s at least a five-coffee day. Ready? Because I’m not. But let’s get into it.
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