Tālofa lava.

E iate a’u le ava ma le mīgao, ou te fa’atālofa, ma fa’afeiloa’i atu ai, i le pa’ia ma le mamalu, ua aofia mai. Faafetai lava mo le fa’a-ava-noaina, o lō outou taimi, auā le fa’amanatuina o le Aso’ o’ Ausetalia.

O lēnei fa’amoemoe tāua, e lē gata ona tatou patipatia ai … le atunu’u, ma tagatānu’u o Ausetalia, Ae o se avanoa tāua fo’i, e fa’amanatuina ai le faigā-pa’aga, i le vā o tatou malo.

Welcome

My warmest welcome to you all. We are very grateful to be surrounded by friends of Australia this evening.  I thank you all for joining us to mark Australia Day.

Niina marni – that’s ‘hello – are you well?’ in the language of the Kaurna people who are the traditional custodians of Adelaide, where I’m originally from.

In Australia, it is customary for us to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet. Tonight, I begin by paying my respects to Samoa’s elders, past and present.

Before I go further, I would like to welcome and introduce our new Deputy High Commissioner, Simon Dawkins, his wife Sally, and their family, who arrived last week. I hope you will join me in making them feel welcome to beautiful Samoa.

I want to thank our recently departed Deputy High Commissioner, Claire McGeechan, and her family for the care and commitment they brought to strengthening the Samoa - Australia partnership.

Scene setting

Australia Day is a moment to reflect on our journey as a nation. That journey began more than 65,000 years ago with the First Australians, whose deep and continuing connections to land and water remain central to our national story.

Over time, our story was shaped by migration. From all over the world, people came seeking opportunity and belonging. They founded one of the world’s earliest and most enduring democracies. 

We are a multicultural nation with a deep commitment to democratic values. Respect, tolerance, compassion and equal opportunity. Amid the mixed currents of a multicultural Australia, these values have come to determine Australian identity. 

Yet, like any great story, ours includes difficult and painful chapters. 

Climate

A changing climate is one such chapter. Extreme heat and rainfall are threatening Australia’s fragile, unforgiving landscape. Bushfires and floods have ravaged Victoria this month. 

But climate change is a challenge we are rising to address. For the first time this year, over half Australia’s energy was generated from renewable sources. This year, for the first time, Australia and Pacific countries will bring world leaders to the region to understand our climate challenges.  

And we are committed to working alongside Samoa to support your adaptation to a changing climate.

A moment to acknowledge Australia’s social cohesion, too, has been challenged. The waves from distant conflicts have crashed on our peaceful shores. 

Last year, Australians were shocked by the unprovoked antisemitic attacks at Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people. 

These were incredibly confronting, not only because of the tragic and senseless violence, but because they were an attack on the values which underpin our way of life.

On behalf of Prime Minister Albanese, and the people of Australia, I convey our deep thanks for the messages of support we received.

To Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa and your cabinet – thank you for your prayers and candlelit vigil. These gestures from the Government and people of Samoa mean a great deal to Australia, and to me.

I acknowledge these challenges tonight because they reflect broader global pressures that are affecting the peace and wellbeing of our beautiful Pacific region. 

Global context & Pacific Perspective

Across the world, old disagreements are flaring into new conflicts. The rules and norms of international relations are being eroded and ignored.

And social media is fanning the flames of division. How do we, in the small and middle-sized countries of the world, protect ourselves? 

For Australia, we are focussed on four Rs. Our region. Relationships. The Rules. And resilience. We give thanks for living in a region where peace and community continue to shape daily life.

Where respect is the norm, not the exception. And where Pacific unity and cohesion give us strength in numbers. This does not happen by chance – it happens because of the proactive choices of Pacific leaders.

Peace does not sustain itself, prosperity does not arrive by chance, and security requires constant vigilance. Australia and Samoa understand this instinctively.

A world where ‘might is right’ is not good for Australia, it is not good for Samoa, and it is not good for the Pacific. Our geography, moana, and shared values connect us, and our futures are closely linked.

“E so’o le fau i le fau” - a reminder that unity is strength; that threads are stronger when woven together. That is why regional and global cooperation matters. That is why partnership matters.

Security

Many of the challenges affecting our people – from illicit drugs to cyber-crime to illegal fishing – are transnational. Samoa and Australia are working together with likeminded countries and Pacific partners to safeguard our shared interests from global threats. 

In support the government’s fight against illicit drugs, we acknowledge the practical collaboration between the Ministry of Customs and Revenue and Australian Border Force Officer, Inspector Michelle Bond.

We are working together through the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (PTCCC), headquartered here in Samoa, funded and supported by the Australian Federal Police.

Through our policing partnership, we are proud to support Samoa’s say no to drugs campaign, and to be helping to establish a cybercrime unit within Samoa Police. 

The Nafanua III, Samoa’s Guardian Class Patrol Boat, is an enduring symbol of our regional approach to illegal fishing. Last year’s Ika Moana exercise brought together six Pacific patrol boats and eleven Pacific countries under Samoa’s leadership.

It was a resounding demonstration of security by the Pacific, for the Pacific. Let me also welcome Lieutenant Commander Brett Manuel from the Royal Australian Navy, now serving as Australia’s Maritime Security Adviser in Samoa.

Government priorities

Domestically, we have heard Samoa’s priorities – health, education, economic growth, community development. Our partnership is continuing to provide practical support across all these areas. 

Let me share just a few examples. In social sectors our Tautua program has provided expertise and training on cancer control, tobacco and e-cigarette regulation, teacher training, prevention of violence against women and girls, and youth empowerment. 

In the past year we provided fifty Australia Awards scholarships to Samoan scholars. If I have learned one thing in my time in Samoa, it is that Samoa’s people are its greatest asset, and their education is the best investment we can make. 

And both our countries acknowledge that economic growth requires effective, accountable and responsible governance. Our Tautai: Governance for Economic Growth program has proudly worked with the Ministry of Finance and other partners to strengthen Samoa’s public financial management.

Tautai has worked with the Samoa Bureau of Statistics to ensure public policy can be grounded in accurate, up-to-date data.But we all know Samoans’ hearts are in their villages and districts. 

So I’m pleased to announce tonight that we are providing over $2 million in MALO grants this month to support community-led projects in almost every district.

Democracy and shared values

Australia and Samoa are different countries with different histories.Yet we share a commitment to democratic values and strong institutions. This is why Tautai helped to deliver OEC’s country-wide mass re-registration of the electoral rolls ahead of the 2025 election.

This is why we continue to support media training in Samoa and across the Pacific. And this is why we are proud to support the construction of Samoa’s Legislative Assembly Offices.

In years past Australia has supported Samoa to build the Maota Fono, the police headquarters, and the airport road. And as we proved through those projects, we will deliver quality infrastructure that will withstand the test of time. 

Closing

In closing, when we look across the varied ways we are working together, a clear theme emerges. At its heart, our partnership is rooted in the well-being of our people.

And so tonight, we come together to celebrate that partnership. We celebrate modern Australia in all its diversity. We celebrate the Samoan community in Australia and the ties that stretch across the moana.

Tatou te patipatia fo’I, le sao tāua, o tagata Samoa i Ausetalia. Fittingly, there will be one extraordinary Samoan to whom we will pay special tribute shortly.  

And we celebrate Australians who have made Samoa home. Most of all, we celebrate friendship.

To the people and Government of Samoa – thank you for your nation’s partnership, and for leading our work together as neighbours and friends.