Well, Independence Day celebrations have taken place in Papua New Guinea this morning. Our chief anchor, Kieran Gilbert is there right now alongside a special guest, the Prime Minister.
KIERAN GILBERT, HOST: Pete, thank you very much. Joining us is the Prime Minister, who's been a special guest here for the 50th anniversary of independence. And your counterpart, your friend, James Marape spoke in the speech today a lot about this being the most diverse nation on earth. Getting to 50 years is an achievement in itself, isn't it?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: It sure is, as a strong democracy. There's a thousand tribes here, 800 languages - think about that. Not dialects, 800 languages. There's very different cultures, and, you know, the Highlands is very different from down on the plains or around the coastlines. And for many of those tribes, they were very isolated. They didn't have that contact with each other. Whereas our culture, First Nations people going back, there was a lot more exchange and people moving around. That's what welcome to country is about, people moving around the continent. Here you had development that was very different. And the strength of the democracy here is a great credit to the people of PNG. It's a credit to the founders of independence, people like Somare and others who got the great praise today, justifiably. And importantly, I thought it was a very significant moment today when the Prime Minister spoke about the flag being lowered, not torn down, of Australia. And that happened 50 years ago. It was a peaceful transition. The Whitlam government supported it, part of Gough Whitlam's legacy that is so important. But it was something that showed great courage for people to go, no, we're going to be our own independent nation. And that's what we're celebrating today.
GILBERT: And Gough Whitlam at the time said, we won't be fully free until PNG is free - and that's what it is now. And you see this beautiful Parliament behind us, which an Australian architect helped design. And you've announced today we're going to contribute to another wing of the Parliament. And I guess it's sort of the symbolism alongside the very real message that democracies can't be taken for granted in this day and age.
PRIME MINISTER: Absolutely. And this is a magnificent building. I had the great honour of being the first foreign leader to address the parliament here after I was elected in January of just a couple of years ago.
GILBERT: They are outgrowing it? They needed this extension?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well what they want is a ministerial wing as well, so that you can have government services right here where Parliament is. They've continued to grow. It's a country now of, they're not sure exactly what the population is, they know it's at least 10 million. And it's a country that's continuing to develop. It's a country that has seen that economic growth happen. There are challenges in a country like this. Australia will continue to provide support. And one really tangible way of celebrating the 50th anniversary is for Australia to assist with building the democracy, literally the building that will help to house the democracy.
GILBERT: Another tangible way is the defence treaty that Ben Packham in The Australian reports just in the last few hours that the Cabinet hasn't authorised it yet, Marape's Cabinet. Should we be concerned by that or are they - ?
PRIME MINISTER: They're all off celebrating. That's the thing. They all went to their respective homelands and so they didn't have quorum at the cabinet meeting, and that's understandable. This is about celebrating 50 years.
GILBERT: You're not worried about it? The treaty will crack on?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. Yeah, Prime Minister Marape is very supportive. A lot of work has gone on to it. Billy, of course, the Defence Minister made announcements over the weekend as well. And this is about our mutual security. This is about our mutual sovereignty as well - showing respect for each other. And it's a natural progression of how closely we work together. On my first visit here, I went up to Wewak and there you had Australian military helping to train PNG. And it's a relationship that goes back, of course to the Second World War with Kokoda and that incredible story of the defence of Australia and the defence of PNG.
GILBERT: One of the issues, big in the Pacific of course, it's been a focus for you in the last few days as well. You called it a wakeup call, members of the Coalition today say that we shouldn't be scaring people, that we need to provide solutions without making households pay through the teeth. What do you say to them about your willingness to listen to household, every day, you know, kitchen table concerns?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we need to listen to the science and we need to listen to households. My government has supported cost of living relief, all the measures of which have been opposed by the opposition. Whether it's cheaper medicines, the energy rebates, whether it be the 20 per cent off student debt.
GILBERT: Can you do the transition without losing the middle? I know as Prime Minister, that's been your focus.
PRIME MINISTER: Of course you can. Of course you can, because you need to do both. And I tell you what, Kieran, the cost of the floods, the algal bloom we're seeing in South Australia at the moment, the impact that's having on the seafood industry. The floods on the Mid North Coast, the bushfires, the cyclones off the coast of the Gold Coast and NSW North Coast, that's not a tropical area. So we know that climate change is having an impact. We know there's an economic cost to that as well as a human cost.
GILBERT: Just to wrap up, we're here for the 50th, the Golden Jubilee, and tonight it's going to be quite something, isn't it? This spectacular they're planning.
PRIME MINISTER: It will be a cracker. It will be a celebration of the diversity that is this great nation, and it's a great honour to be here representing Australia. And the fact that so many people have come from leaders from all over the Pacific, but also all around the world. You have the Assistant Secretary of State from the United States, you have His Royal Highness Prince Edward representing the Royal Family. You have people gathered from everywhere here, all celebrating what is a great democracy in its first 50 years, but also looking forward as well to the next 50 and beyond.
GILBERT: Prime Minister, thank you for joining us. Appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Fantastic that you were able to come along.
GILBERT: Yeah, wouldn't have missed it. Pete, it is a special day here, I've got to say. September 16th, 50 years on from the independence granted to this beautiful, beautiful nation on our doorstep.
STEFANOVIC: Lovely stuff. Kieran Gilbert there with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese in Port Moresby. Thank you both.
