Latest news with #PatConroy
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Half this country desperate to live in Aus
More than half of the citizens of Tuvalu have applied for a visa to permanently migrate to Australia. Just more than a month ago, Australia opened the The Falepili Mobility Pathway ballot, a program to provide citizens of the tiny island nation of Tuvalu a permanent migration pathway to Australia. The country has a population of just 10,643, while at least 5157 of them entered the lottery, more than half of the nation's people. This was through 1466 registrations, with many of the people being included as family members on applications. The ballot, which closed on Friday, randomly selected up to 280 people each year to apply for the visa. It is open to all Tuvalu citizens, regardless of age, and visa holders do not need to gain employment in Australia before applying. Tuvalu's population is particularly exposed to the effects of climate change. Credit: Supplied If the pace of applications keeps up, it could mean the entire population of Tuvalu could live in Australia within 40 years. Selections for the ballot will take place between July 25, 2025 and January 25, 2026. The scheme allows successful applicants to live, work and study anywhere in Australia indefinitely, sponsor relatives to also migrate to Australia, and apply for citizenship once eligible. The population of the island nation is one of the world's most exposed to the effects of climate change, with this program providing a path to flee as the impacts worsen. The visa program is part of an agreement between Australia and the Pacific nation. Credit: Supplied The pathway is part of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union that both countries signed on August 28, 2024, part of which is to build climate resilience. Also included in the union is a commitment of $38m to invest in climate adaptation measures on the island. Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said the ballot's opening was a 'landmark moment'. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia When the ballot opened last month, Pacific Island Affairs Minister Pat Conroy called it the 'most significant agreement' between Australia and a Pacific country since Papua New Guinea's independence in 1975. 'The opening of the mobility pathway ballot is a landmark moment for Australia and Tuvalu,' Mr Conroy said. 'Alongside the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and the Pacific Engagement Visa, the Falepili migration pathway will strengthen relationships with our Pacific neighbours. 'It demonstrates how we are working in partnership with the Pacific to ensure our region remains peaceful, stable and prosperous.' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the program provided a pathway 'as climate impacts worsen'. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said 'as climate impacts worsen' the program allowed Tuvaluans to live, study and work in Australia. 'The pathway reflects the deep trust between our two countries, and we look forward to the contributions Tuvaluans will make to Australian society,' Senator Wong said.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
First Australian tanks handed over to Ukrainian army
The first tranche of Australian tanks has been handed over to the Ukrainian army to help its defence against Russia's invasion. Australia pledged to give Ukraine 49 Abrams tanks worth $245m. Defence minister, Richard Marles, said the tanks would aid Ukrainian firepower and complement other military equipment donated by allies to repel Russia's invasion. 'Australia remains steadfast in our support for Ukraine and seeing a just and lasting peace,' Marles said. A majority of the tanks have been delivered and a final tranche will arrive in the coming months, but actual numbers have not been released. Russian missile and drone strikes in Ukraine are targeting civilians in record numbers, according to the United Nations human rights office. June marked the deadliest month for civilians in more than three years, the UN said. Australia will also deploy a Wedgetail aircraft to Europe in August to protect the corridors to Ukraine through which aid is delivered. 'Australia stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine,' defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said. Australia has committed more than $1.5bn to aid Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022. It comes as the federal government negotiates a non-binding security pact with Ukraine, following more than two dozen other nations that have similar agreements. The agreements are largely vague, are not legally binding and don't include joint security or defence guarantees. Areas of co-operation for Australia and Ukraine likely to be included in such a pact span military assistance and collaboration. A second agreement eliminating double taxation to encourage investment in Ukraine to help it rebuild after the devastating war is also set to be inked. The delivery of tanks also comes as United Nations and humanitarian partners launched an appeal to try and raise hundreds of millions of dollars to protect Ukrainians facing a harsh winter as Russia attacks critical infrastructure. The winter response plan aims to deliver humanitarian assistance to more than 1.7 million people between October 2025 and March 2026.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Australia hands over first tranche of tanks to Ukraine
The first tranche of Australian tanks has been handed over to the Ukrainian army to help its defence against Russia's invasion. Australia pledged to give Ukraine 49 Abrams tanks at a value of $245 million. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the tanks would aid Ukrainian firepower and complement other military equipment donated by allies to repel Russia's invasion. "Australia remains steadfast in our support for Ukraine and seeing a just and lasting peace," Mr Marles said. A majority of the tanks have been delivered and a final tranche will arrive in the coming months, but actual numbers haven't been released. Russian missile and drone strikes in Ukraine are targeting civilians in record numbers, according to the United Nations human rights office. At least 139 civilians have been killed and more than 790 injured as of July 15. June marked the deadliest month for civilians in more than three years, the UN said. Australia will also deploy a Wedgetail aircraft to Europe in August to protect the corridors to Ukraine through which aid is delivered. "Australia stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine," Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said. Australia has committed more than $1.5 billion to aid Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022. It comes as the federal government negotiates a non-binding security pact with Ukraine, following more than two dozen other nations that have similar agreements. The agreements are largely vague, aren't legally binding and don't include joint security or defence guarantees. Areas of co-operation for Australia and Ukraine likely to be included in such a pact span military assistance and collaboration. ❄️As war shatters homes and vital infrastructure, the people in #Ukraine face a harsh winter ensure timely delivery of life-saving winter assistance, humanitarians are appealing for urgent funding to support the most vulnerable: — OCHA Ukraine (@OCHA_Ukraine) July 17, 2025 A second agreement eliminating double taxation to encourage investment in Ukraine to help it rebuild after the devastating war is also set to be inked. The delivery of tanks also comes as United Nations and humanitarian partners launched an appeal to try and raise hundreds of millions of dollars to protect Ukrainians facing a harsh winter as Russia attacks critical infrastructure. The winter response plan aims to deliver humanitarian assistance to more than 1.7 million people between October 2025 and March 2026.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Australia says China likely to spy on military drills with US
A Chinese ship was observed moving through the Torres Strait off the Australian coast. (Australian Defense Force/AP pic) SYDNEY : Australia's government said Sunday it expects China to spy on major military drills it is conducting with the US and other allies. It also renewed a charge – denounced by Beijing as a 'false narrative' – that China wants to establish a military base in the South Pacific. The comments by a government minister came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a six-day visit to China to bolster recently repaired trade ties. More than 30,000 military personnel from 19 nations are set to join in the annual Talisman Sabre exercise from Sunday across Australia and Papua New Guinea. 'The Chinese military has observed these exercises since 2017, and it would be very unusual if they didn't do that this time,' said Pat Conroy, Australia's minister for the defence industry and for Pacific Island affairs. 'We'll obviously observe their activities and monitor their presence around Australia,' he told Australian public broadcaster ABC. 'People observe these exercises to collect intelligence around procedures, around the electronic spectrum and the use of communications, and we'll adjust accordingly so that we manage that leakage.' The strategically important South Pacific region is at the centre of a diplomatic scramble for influence pitting China against its Western rivals. 'We're seeing in my portfolio of the Pacific, China seeking to secure a military base in the region,' said Conroy, who has previously made the same assessment. 'We're working very hard to be the primary security partner of choice for the region, because we don't think that's a particularly optimal thing for Australia.' China inked a secretive security pact with Pacific nation Solomon Islands in 2022. Although the details have never been published, the United States and close ally Australia fear it may be the prelude to some kind of permanent Chinese base. Australia wants 'a balanced region where no one is dominated and no one dominates', Conroy said. China's embassy in Fiji this month insisted claims that it wanted to set up a military base in the region were 'false narratives' driven by 'ulterior motives'. Beijing has spent hundreds of millions of dollars building sports stadiums, presidential palaces, hospitals and roads in Pacific island nations. Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Nauru have in recent years severed longstanding diplomatic links with Taiwan in favour of China.
AllAfrica
15-07-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Australia is right not to commit to hypothetical Taiwan conflict
The United States can count on Australia as one of its closest allies. Dating back to the shared experiences in the second world war and the ANZUS Treaty signed in 1951, Australia has steadfastly worked to help ensure the US remains the principal security guarantor in the Indo-Pacific. Australia's track record speaks for itself. Yet additional demands have been placed that rankle. The Pentagon wants to know how Australia – and other allies such as Japan – would respond in the event of a war with China over Taiwan. Making these demands – which are being sought as part of the review of the AUKUS nuclear submarine agreement – is both unjustified and unreasonable. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy have declined to make a public commitment, alluding to the United States' own policy of 'strategic ambiguity' about how the US would respond. Since federation in 1901, Australians have found themselves alongside US counterparts in almost all the major conflicts of the 20th century and beyond. It is this shared experience that led former Ambassador to Washington Joe Hockey to coin the term '100 years of mateship.' The pinnacle of the security relationship is the ANZUS Treaty which is a loosely worded document barely 800 words long. However, it is important to remember AUKUS is just that – a technical agreement, albeit premised on the century-spanning trusted collaboration across the full spectrum of national security ties. More recently, the US administration has made demands of allies, including Australia, the likes of which have not been seen in living memory. This spans not just tariffs, but also increased defense spending. American policymakers appear oblivious of or unconcerned about the blowback they are generating. It is this context that makes the US demands for a broad-ranging and largely open-ended commitment over the defense of Taiwan, in advance of any conflict, so extraordinary and unhelpful. Australia has long had a fear of abandonment. Ever since the searing experience of the fall of Singapore in 1942, officials have been eager to burnish ties with US counterparts. Conversely, there has always been a strong element in the community that has feared entrapment in yet another US-led war in Asia. The experience in the Korean and Vietnam wars, let alone Afghanistan and Iraq, left many guarded about the efficacy of hitching the wagon to US-led military campaigns. In essence, though, Australian policymakers have long sought the Goldilocks solution: not too enthusiastic to trigger entrapment and not too lukewarm to trigger abandonment. Now Australia, Japan and others face a surprising new push by American officials for a commitment to a hypothetical conflict, under open-ended circumstances. The irony is that American demands for a commitment fly in the face of the loosely worded ANZUS alliance – which stipulates an agreement to consult, but little more than that. The AUKUS agreement includes no such guarantees, either. The overt and confronting nature of Washington's demands means the prime minister effectively has no option but to push back: We support the status quo when it comes to Taiwan. We don't support any unilateral action […] we want peace and security in our region. Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy was adamant Australia would not be committing forces ahead of any 'hypothetical' conflict: The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance, but by the government of the day. A further irony is Australia, like Japan, is already hugely invested in its US military relationship, particularly through its military technology. The purchase of the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, for instance, was meant to help enable the generation of interoperable forces, yet no such demand has been made when it comes to an advance commitment over their use in support of US ambitions. So why invoke AUKUS in such a way? Evidently, the way the US is trying to stand over Japan and Australia is harmful to its own interests. Such adversarial and unduly transactional behaviour could provoke a popular backlash in Australia and elsewhere. The government has rightly rebuffed the calls saying it would be up to the government of the day to make such a decision. It is likely this will not be well received by the Trump administration. The PM is right though, to say it's hypothetical and not worthy of a public endorsement. Yet a further irony is that this is mostly a moot point. The key benefit of alliance collaboration is already in place – and that relates to the efforts to deter China from ever acting on its desire to change the status quo in the first place. As former PM, now ambassador to Washington, Kevin Rudd explained in his book, The Avoidable War, geopolitical disaster is still avoidable, particularly if the US and China can find a way to coexist without betraying their core interests through managed strategic competition. This strategic ambiguity is meant to complicate a potential adversary's military planners and political decision makers' thought processes over the advantages and disadvantages of going to war. China already knows a clash over Taiwan would mean US allies like Japan and Australia would find it virtually impossible to avoid being entangled. The strategic ambiguity can be maintained ad infinitum, so long as an outright invasion is averted. And the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan? I remain sanguine that conflict can be avoided. But to do so would involve clear and compelling messaging: both through diplomatic channels and through the demonstration of robust military capabilities that war would be too costly. John Blaxland is a professor, at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
