FULL SPEECH: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomes PBBM in Australian Parliament

Manila Bulletin

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers his speech as they welcome President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos in the House of Representatives in Australia on Thursday, Feb. 29.

Transcript

00:00 Mr President, I welcome you to the House of Representatives Chamber.

00:06 Your address today is a significant occasion in the history of the House.

00:12 And I give the call to the Honourable the Prime Minister.

00:16 Your Excellency President Marcos, on behalf of the Australian Government and indeed the

00:23 Australian people, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you and the First Lady to our nation's

00:30 Parliament.

00:32 This is an historic occasion for both our democracies.

00:37 It is also the natural next step in our nation's growing partnership.

00:42 The bilateral relationship between Australia and the Philippines is now 78 years old.

00:48 Our ties of trade and culture, friendship and family are of course centuries older.

00:56 In East Arnhem Land, the art and stories of the Yolngu people tell of their ancestors

01:01 boarding, visiting trading ships and sailing to far off islands.

01:07 In every sense, Mr President, our peoples have been on a voyage together for a very

01:14 long time.

01:16 Australia and the Philippines are in the same boat and we share a vision for our destination

01:22 – a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

01:29 We know the course to follow – strengthening our economic partnership through trade and

01:35 investment, building on our connections in education and skills, and creating more opportunities

01:41 for our young people through the new work and holiday visa that we have agreed together.

01:48 Continuing our shared efforts in agricultural research and deepening our cooperation in

01:54 defence to support regional security.

01:58 This is the new level of engagement our government is seeking between our two nations and indeed

02:05 across ASEAN as a whole.

02:08 I know the Philippines is rightly proud of its place as one of the five founding members

02:14 of ASEAN.

02:15 And all of us in Australia are looking forward to next week's special summit in Melbourne,

02:21 which will mark 50 years since Australia became ASEAN's first dialogue partner.

02:27 For Australia, ASEAN is central and it is essential.

02:31 And we want to continue to work closely with the Philippines and all our friends and partners

02:36 in ASEAN to promote the shared opportunity that drives our regional prosperity and to

02:43 fulfil our collective responsibility to uphold regional security.

02:49 Mr President, our nations share a determination to navigate the challenges of our time – climate

02:56 change, food security, cyber security, counter-terrorism and regional security.

03:03 The new strategic partnership that you and I signed together in Manila last year speaks

03:10 to our mutual trust and our common resolve.

03:14 I'm pleased we're building on this momentum today – signing a Memorandum of Understanding

03:20 for enhanced maritime cooperation and agreeing to new initiatives in key areas of digital

03:26 technology and cyber security.

03:29 As our nations work together in this decisive decade for the Indo-Pacific, we can draw inspiration

03:36 from our shared history.

03:38 In June 1943, when eight Australian servicemen escaped from their prisoner of war camp in

03:45 Sandakan, they joined the Filipino resistance in their struggle against Japanese occupation.

03:54 In Palo, on late, a memorial stands in honour of the 92 Australians who lost their lives

04:02 in the liberation of the Philippines in 1944.

04:06 Our nations served and sacrificed together in Korea.

04:11 In 1999, the Philippines joined Australia in supporting independence for East Timor.

04:18 And in 2013, Australian Defence personnel and medical mission teams returned to the

04:24 Philippines to provide humanitarian assistance after Typhoon Yolanda.

04:29 That's the spirit of Filipino, Bayanihan and Australian mateship.

04:38 We work together and we care for each other.

04:42 Mr President, this connection and affection lives and thrives in the electorates of so

04:48 many members of the Parliament that you see here today, where members from all sides of

04:54 politics have the privilege of representing the large and growing Filipino-Australian

04:59 community, many of whom have joined us in the Parliament today.

05:07 People famous for their generosity, hospitality and love of family, renowned for their hard

05:15 work and aspiration, and always looking to give back to the community.

05:21 That's just as true in my electorate in Sydney's inner west as it is in the regions, like in

05:27 Port Wakefield in South Australia.

05:29 18 months ago, their local country fire service was staring down the barrel of closure.

05:36 When the small band of volunteers put out a call for new recruits, they received only

05:40 one response.

05:43 Samson Bukol, who migrated to Australia from the Philippines in 2014.

05:50 His dedication to duty won the respect and affection of his fellow volunteers, and he

05:57 soon passed the word on to others.

05:59 Today, a quarter of the members of that country fire service are of Filipino descent, and

06:06 half of the cadets, characteristic of the spirit of the Filipino diaspora that proudly

06:13 calls Australia home.

06:16 Mr President, you address us today as a leader in the region where, more than any other,

06:23 Australia's destiny lies.

06:25 And as we look to shape the future together, I'm reminded of something you said to me at

06:31 our last meeting.

06:33 Prosperity and progress depend on peace.

06:37 And this is what our strategic partnership recognises, and that is what is so significant

06:44 about the maritime cooperation activities our two navies completed together for the

06:49 first time in November last year.

06:53 We are both island nations, we are both trading nations, and for both of us, the United Nations

07:00 Convention on the Law of the Sea is not an abstract notion or a theoretical question.

07:08 Freedom of navigation is fundamental to our sovereignty, our prosperity, our security

07:14 and our territorial integrity.

07:16 Our cooperation is an assertion of our national interest and a recognition of our regional

07:22 responsibility.

07:24 It reflects our shared understanding that peace depends on more than the presence of

07:30 the great powers.

07:32 All of us in the international community, middle powers like our two nations, as well

07:38 as smaller nations, have our part to play in building a more stable, peaceful and prosperous

07:45 future.

07:48 President Marcos, to conclude on a personal note, I do want to say how touched Jodie and

07:54 I were by the kindness extended to us during our time in your wonderful country last year.

08:01 We were proud to host you at the Lodge last night.

08:04 That was a very pleasant dinner, not so much work, just enjoyable.

08:11 Four people together, engaging in a spirit of respect and friendship.

08:17 I think that was a great beginning to your important visit.

08:21 What I know very sincerely is that you will be warmly welcomed wherever you go in our

08:27 nation of Australia, because all of us in this place, and indeed all Australians, are

08:34 united in our respect for the contribution that your nation and your people make to our

08:39 region and to our communities.

08:43 You honour us today and we very much look forward to your address.

08:48 Indeed.

08:49 Indeed.

08:50 Indeed.

08:51 Indeed.

08:52 Indeed.

08:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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