 this afternoon. This afternoon we will, as you may already know, be launching the Fiji rugby women's campaign for three, across three competitions, namely being the Rooster Chicken Fiji Anandrua campaign, also for the ANZ Marama competition and the Royal T-Ranandi competition. You will see to my left trophies that are going to be in 30 days time. Women don't fight. Oh, yes they do. In rugby we do. But without further ado, I will ask the Honourable Prime Minister to deliver his remarks for us this afternoon. Honourable Penny Wong, the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, members of the Australian Government delegation, and the media, the accentees, ladies and gentlemen. I'm pleased to deliberately, before, whether you mind people calling you Penny Wong, rather than Penelope Wong. Penny is fine. Okay, thank you. I appreciate you when my mother is telling me off. I'm happy to be sharing this space with the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and be with you all this evening. As you know, the theme of this week's special leaders meeting here in Den Rao is reflection, renewal, and self-trend to commit ourselves to renewing in our gathering this afternoon. Playing a vital role in promoting regional cooperation and integration, addressing common challenges, and improving the lives of the people of the Pacific region. On reflection and in keeping with the meeting theme, I see rugby's remarkable treasure of two Olympic gold medals, one bronze medal, one quarter cup final at the Rugby World Cup and the IRB seven series champions, and one super women's wing, and also one Prime Minister twice. I also acknowledge the accomplishment of the Women's Rugby League team in Fiji that gains all odds, made a series of exceptional accomplishments in the last few years. Well done, girls. That is, since it was launched in 2017 by winning the Super W in its maiden season, Olympic bronze medal in 2021, and the silver in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. I know, Excellency, that I carried the Fiji flag in the Commonwealth Games in 1974, but it didn't win any medal. I'm also, I'm only keeping the flag bearing furrow. The magnitude of our women's achievements has demonstrated to everyone in Fiji, and hopefully abroad, that Fiji is national force to everyone. It is incredibly important because all we want to do is make people aware that sports can contribute to the improvement of our health, the improvement of our education systems and participation, creation of employment, stimulating economic development, realizing human rights and gender equality. These are values we hold dear here in Fiji, and we also hold very dear in Australia and everybody's gender equality. Everyone present here today understands that and it's therefore very, very important. I'd like to acknowledge the incomparable support gathering and the scores, the importance of our, and I just clarified that concept with the Honorable Minister, that Wubale is not neighborly. Wubale is one home, family. That's our people together. This is evident in the immeasurable impacts that the Pacific Australian sports is making and ensuring that Pacific and Australian athletes are not only training and playing together at the highest levels, but also forging, dizzying higher. I'm reliably informed Fiji stepped in so that other international unions were incapable of accepting the invitation. What is evident and most remarkable is that the tour was a resounding success for both. It was so important for Fiji that we brought back a soldier serving in Malaya to play. And if you look at the Fiji Rugby Union wall now and you will see a striding Fiji and rugby player. That player was brought back from Malaya to represent Fiji in that tour. It was Joe Levula, a chief from 90, the land that we stand on tonight. The Governor of Fiji is committed to seeing this partnership grow, not only as an enabler for achieving sustainable development goals, but more importantly, and as Mandela said in 2000, sports has changed the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to our youth in a language they understand. Sports can create hope where there was only despair and hope. Therefore, we must all continue that momentum of the kind of support that has made today possible. I'd like to acknowledge the local businesses who have stood in the gap for our women. NZ, you recognize that? Australian New Zealand Bank. CJ Patel Group of Companies. Royal C, Fun Flavor and Widbix Brands. Fiji Airways, Fiji Gas, Rooster Chicken and Tropic Boat Industries Limited. As we look forward and prepare for the enormous decade of sports in rugby ahead of us, we know that there is a significant opportunity to progress together as one Pacific wubale. The UN is keen to partner with rugby, with rugby failure, and Pacific organizations in commemorating that journey. In commemorating that journey, let us continue to reflect on the lessons and achievements that we have experienced together as a wubale. Let us also take the time to renew our commitments to that Pacific wubale. Let us recognize that our unique cultures and traditions are what binds us together today. We've come together this long, this far, and we come together again to mark and celebrate together what unites us and makes us strong. Thank you. Honorable Prime Minister, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, if I may very briefly, the Pacific Ours Sports Program, administered through the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has been instrumental in catapulting women's rugby in Fiji, particularly through the Oceania 7s in 2021, which played the platform for bronze medal-win for Fiji and the 7s at the Tokyo Olympics. The Rooster Chicken Fijianandrua 2022 successful campaign, resulting in their winning the Super W in their maiden season. Who can forget? Maybe the Waritas fans in the room. But none of us has forgotten the historic win over the Waritas 32-36. The first time the Fijianandrua were playing in the competition and they were unbeaten while the Waritas had won the previous four times and were unbeaten until they met the Fijianandrua. What was the Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia? Well, that's quite an introduction, isn't it? These are the queue deeply for generosity in receiving me and for your leadership, not only in your election, but also bringing together this special leaders summit for the Pacific Island Forum. And I'm here in Fiji again, representing Australia. We have an enduring relation to many aspects, from sport to education, to climate, to defence and security. And that's as it should be. That's as it should be. I thank you for your words of wisdom about the meaning of Vivaldi, one home family, one home, and your expression of hope for renewal and strengthening the relationship. We share that. I hope to building on our shared priorities. One of those, obviously, is climate. And I did want to take the opportunity to have the first announcement in relation to that strengthening and renewal, which is an additional $10 million from Australia to help rebuild schools in Fiji's northern division that were devastated by the tropical cyclones in 2020 and 2021. This is additional funding on top of an existing program, which will enable us to rebuild all nine destroyed or damaged, but most importantly, not just rebuild them, but rebuild them to a higher standard. So they are category five. And importantly for Fiji that we use local sources, local cloak with you. But of course, the big news today is the launch of the 2023 Fiji women's rugby season. And it's a happy event, isn't it? It's a happy event. It's a wonderful, it's a real privilege to be here and we're very pleased to support some of this through Pacific Gold Sports, although I did say to my staff as we're driving here, so let me get this clear. The Prime Minister spoke much more eloquently than I could about what sport means, the way it brings people together. From all walks of life, and you know that if you go to big sporting events, there are more people from different parts of the community than at any other event you go to accept possibly, you know, meetings of faith. And it's a wonderful thing. And if I may, on the participation of women, which is really the trajectory of popularity and engagement has been fantastic, so congratulations. Australia wants to support the full participation of women in society because we believe the community benefits from that. So yes, I believe in gender equality, we would talk about that, but it is actually about a stronger community. It's a stronger community if you get the benefit of all of the skills and talents of your society, and that means the full participation of women and girls. And one of the ways in which you do that is through sport. It's empowering and it demonstrates that participation. So I'm very, very grateful for the opportunity of being here, and I wish you luck, but not too much luck. Finally, if I may just mention a couple of things about the Pacific Island Forum Special Leaders Meeting, I want to again acknowledge that Prime Minister Rambook is leadership as chair, and I look forward to working of course with the Cook Islands as well when they assume the forum chair. I want to again place on public record our deep appreciation of Prime Minister Rambook, all leaders including President Maumau and the Micronesian President Summit in demonstrating leadership at a time which I think it was important, and to say again how a strong and united Pacific Islands Forum we believe is in all of our interests. And we thank you for your part in that. So thank you very much for the opportunity to be with you today. Thank you. Thank you very honorable Prime Minister and honorable Minister. We will have an opportunity to ask questions now. I can see members of the media already looking in my direction. We will limit, but if we could start with the questions now. Thank you. No questions? All right. You must. Hey. Really? Thank you. No, we'll move on to our next event. They're more interested in the rugby. That's the reality isn't it? That's good. We'll move to present the honorable Prime Minister with our gift before he presents it to the audience. If you come in front of your lecterns please.