{"id":36903,"date":"2018-01-29T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-28T19:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=36903"},"modified":"2018-01-28T11:57:20","modified_gmt":"2018-01-28T00:57:20","slug":"australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"438\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36904 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Australia\u2019s aspiration for the South Pacific must be for the creation of an economic, political and security community. Australia and New Zealand will be central to such a community\u2014and will carry the cost\u2014but much of the head, heart and soul will come from Papua New Guinea and the other members of the Pacific Islands Forum. And in this rendering of the \u2018islands\u2019, Timor-Leste has to belong.<\/p>\n<p>At its most ambitious, the community would have a common currency based on the Oz dollar, a common labour market, and common budgetary and fiscal standards. Integration of that magnitude will take decades, given the huge challenges the islands face. This community model is discussed in detail by the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aph.gov.au\/Parliamentary_Business\/Committees\/Senate\/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade\/Completed_inquiries\/2002-04\/png\/report\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2003 report <em>A Pacific engaged<\/em><\/a> with its vision of a \u2018Pacific economic and political community\u2019. \u00a0Here\u2019s the committee\u2019s first recommendation:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>That the idea of a Pacific economic and political community which recognises and values the cultural diversity in the region, and the independent nations within it, and takes into account differing levels of growth and development, is worthy of further research, analysis and debate. Such a community should be based on the objectives of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sustainable economic growth for the region;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a democratic and ethical governance;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shared and balanced defence and security arrangements;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">common legal provisions and commitment to fight crime;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">priority health, welfare and educational goals;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recognition of and action for improved environmental standards; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recognition of mutual responsibility and obligations between member countries of the community.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Over time, such a community would involve establishing a common currency, preferably based on the Australian dollar. It would also involve a common labour market and common budgetary and fiscal standards.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019m proud to have a copy of that report, signed by the committee chairman, Senator Peter Cook, with his dedication saying that I had a lot to do with its recommendations. My submission certainly called for a grand vision of community. But it also argued that community creation isn\u2019t merely Australia offering favours\u2014it\u2019s a core expression of Australia\u2019s interests and history and strategic needs. There\u2019s always lot in it for us.<\/p>\n<p>In the earlier era of empire, the Oz ambition was to rule a region called <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Australasia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Australasia<\/a>. These days, the community is a much easier sell wearing the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oceania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oceania<\/a> moniker. The geography endures as our understanding shifts.<\/p>\n<p>Both sides of Oz politics are promoting community ideas: \u2018integration\u2019 from the Coalition government and a Pacific \u2018pledge\u2019 from Labor. The Turnbull government\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fpwhitepaper.gov.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">foreign policy white paper<\/a> offers the South Pacific\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/foreign-policy-white-paper-2017-integrating-the-south-pacific\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">economic and security integration<\/a>. The policy states that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australias-agenda-for-integrating-the-south-pacific\/\">integration is \u2018vital\u2019<\/a> to the Pacific.<\/p>\n<p>Labor\u2019s shadow defence minister, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/publications\/richard-marles-australia-pacific\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Richard Marles<\/a>, calls for Australia to make a \u2018pledge\u2019 to the islands based on a deeper defence relationship and the offer to \u2018assist the functions of government in the Pacific\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-frets-fights-south-pacific\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">argy-bargy about China\u2019s aid to the South Pacific<\/a> saw two sets of interests collide\u2014Australia\u2019s view of itself as the South Pacific leader versus the inevitable arrival of China. Canberra\u2019s snarkiness has <a href=\"http:\/\/devpolicy.org\/the-upside-of-the-china-pacific-aid-controversy-20180119\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plenty of downsides<\/a>, yet there\u2019s some upside if it pushes Australia to lift its game. The Oz strategic denial instinct is a constant with a 150-year history. The frisson of fear from the foreign bogey always forces us to focus.<\/p>\n<p>Australia has a role in talking about the best use of aid. We\u2019re the region\u2019s biggest donor, and we\u2019ve got the scars from quietly burying our share of white elephants; we know how hard it is to do good aid, because we\u2019ve delivered much that didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n<p>Oz bitching at Beijing, though, is poor tactics because we\u2019re also blaming the islands. Much better to let island governments lead the discussion, and then weigh in via regional organisations. The Pacific Islands Forum has an important role in promoting understanding about the good and bad of aid. And the Pacific Community (the old South Pacific Commission) offers valuable technical expertise, plus it draws in other important players such as the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>Accepting that China is in the South Pacific to stay\u2014and it is\u2014then it has plenty to offer. China can listen and can be persuaded. The best geopolitical news for the region last decade was the ceasefire between China and Taiwan in their fight over diplomatic recognition in the South Pacific. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/publications\/china-and-taiwan-south-pacific-diplomatic-chess-versus-pacific-political-rugby\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">destabilising impact of that chequebook diplomacy<\/a> was dramatically displayed in Solomon Islands in the riot and razing in the heart of Honiara after the 2006 election.<\/p>\n<p>The freeze on diplomatic competition was all about the China\u2013Taiwan relationship, but in agreeing to diplomatic detente they responded to sustained protests from Australia and the South Pacific about the appalling cost of their contest. China can throw its weight around and do damage; that calls for lots more talking by the region and better regionalism.<\/p>\n<p>Building a Pacific community strengthens the islands just as it serves Australian interests. The geopolitical contest is getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/report\/crowded-and-complex-changing-geopolitics-south-pacific\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u2018crowded and complex\u2019<\/a>, as Joanne Wallis outlined in her 2017 ASPI paper. Wallis also last year published a fine book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mup.com.au\/books\/9780522872248-pacific-power\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Pacific power? Australia\u2019s strategy in the Pacific Islands<\/em><\/a>, which spent a lot of time considering the question mark in the title. But she offered a succinct rundown of Oz power:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Australia is larger and has vastly more material resources than Pacific Island states: it represents 94.5 per cent of the region\u2019s gross domestic product (GDP); 98 per cent of defence and security spending; 60 per cent of population; and contributes 60 per cent of all development assistance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Australia has the means to build a community with its neighbours. Do we have the imagination and the will?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia\u2019s aspiration for the South Pacific must be for the creation of an economic, political and security community. Australia and New Zealand will be central to such a community\u2014and will carry the cost\u2014but much of &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":36904,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1029,285,99],"class_list":["post-36903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-foreign-aid","tag-foreign-policy","tag-south-pacific"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Australia\u2019s aspiration for the South Pacific must be for the creation of an economic, political and security community. Australia and New Zealand will be central to such a community\u2014and will carry the cost\u2014but much of ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-28T19:00:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-01-28T00:57:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"438\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Graeme Dobell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Graeme Dobell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI&#039;s analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png\",\"width\":640,\"height\":438},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/\",\"name\":\"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-01-28T19:00:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-01-28T00:57:20+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f\",\"name\":\"Graeme Dobell\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Graeme Dobell\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/graeme-dobell\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist","og_description":"Australia\u2019s aspiration for the South Pacific must be for the creation of an economic, political and security community. Australia and New Zealand will be central to such a community\u2014and will carry the cost\u2014but much of ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/","og_site_name":"The Strategist","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org","article_published_time":"2018-01-28T19:00:14+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-01-28T00:57:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":640,"height":438,"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Graeme Dobell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ASPI_org","twitter_site":"@ASPI_org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Graeme Dobell","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/","name":"The Strategist","description":"ASPI&#039;s analysis and commentary site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Oceania-2-e1516864328335.png","width":640,"height":438},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/","name":"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community | The Strategist","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2018-01-28T19:00:14+00:00","dateModified":"2018-01-28T00:57:20+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australian-ambition-aspiration-south-pacific-community\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Australian ambition and aspiration for a South Pacific community"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f","name":"Graeme Dobell","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Graeme Dobell"},"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/graeme-dobell\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36903"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36903"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36908,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36903\/revisions\/36908"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}