Former Fijian Prime Minister and veteran politician Mahendra Chaudhry says Pacific Island leaders must be cautious about accepting financial assistance from Australia as it could compromise the region’s strong opposition to the country’s continued investment in fossil fuel development projects.
While reacting to an offer from Australia to financially support the attendance of three Forum Prime Ministers and five other ministers to the COP 28 conference in Dubai at the end of this month, Chaudhry asked,“ Is there a quid pro quo involved here?”
He said it is a question of preserving our sovereignty against external influence.
“One must ask whether the three Pacific Island leaders who are beneficiaries of Australia’s largesse will be expected to tone down their criticisms of the continued expansion of its fossil fuel industry?
“It also calls to question the genuine commitment of our leaders to the very real Climate Change crisis facing the Pacific Island nations. Are we going to allow ourselves to be ‘bought’ into just putting up token opposition to the threat Australia and certain other high polluting countries are posing to the future of Pacific peoples?”
The Fiji Labour Party Leaders said we should ask Australia for tangible evidence of its so-called commitment to reduce its own carbon emission by scaling down the development of its fossil fuel sources of energy.
“For years now Australia has been making promises in this regard which it has not been able to keep,” he said.
“Australia is also seeking support from PIF Leaders in its bid to host the climate change conference, COP 31 in 2026. A number of its recent measures on climate resilience could easily be seen as overtures to ‘buy’ support.”
“For instance, its announcement to give residency to 280 Tuvaluans a year, may be commendable, but the timing of it raises certain questions.”
Chaudhry also believes that Australia needs to do a lot more to alleviate the root causes of the crisis facing our region rather than just treating ‘symptoms’.
“If small Pacific Island nations need financial assistance in getting to COP 28, this should come from the United Nations so that they do not compromise their position on issues that are vital to the future of our region,” he further stated.
