Results for Australia

A new six-year partnership deal has been signed between Australia and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). Australia will pay $21.6 million (AUD) for the first three years of the partnership.

A ten year partnership agreement has been signed between the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Australian Government.

The Sea Princess from Australia visited Nuku’alofa in the weekend with nearly 2,000 passengers. It berthed at the new Vuna Wharf and many of its passengers were out visiting shops and cafes in the Central Business District.

A new donor-funded programme aims to develop the skills of parliamentarians in order to improve law-making processes in Tonga and to strengthen the ability of the government to build democracy.

The new Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Mr Brett Aldam today presented his letter of credence to King Tupou VI at the Royal Palace.

Visiting Tonga, Senator Louise Pratt of Western Australia, presented new uniforms to Tonga Police officers at the Police Headquarter in Longlongo today. This is part of a Tonga Police Development Program funded by a Tri-Partite Development Agreement between Tonga, Australia and New Zealand. Photos by Linny Folau.

The World Bank and the Government of Tonga today signed a US$2.9 million grant agreement to implement the Tonga Energy Road Map, which will improve the access, efficiency and cost of energy for Tonga’s 104,000 people. The Government of Australia, through the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility, is contributing US$2.5 million of the total grant, according to a press statement by the World Bank today.

Two women have become heads of Tonga's overseas missions, with HRH Princess Latufuipeka appointed as Tonga's new High Commissioner to Australia, while Tania Tupou becomes Tonga's first Ambassador to Japan.

Australia is the largest single ultimate destination for Chinese direct investment, and though Australia is a relatively small economy, it is likely to remain one of China's largest foreign investment destinations for a while to come. At the same time, the scale and pace of growth in Chinese direct investment has led to populist reactions that have challenged the open investment regime in Australia and, in particular, raised policy questions about whether investments by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) need to be treated differently from private investment. By Peter Drysdale, Australia National University.