It's more important than his recent gadding about. Who is calling on him to cancel the trip? I've Googled the question and found nobody. There is plenty of opposition to the travel he has already done in his short 'reign', but nothing on Fiji. It would be a good idea if people like Jeffrey Wall named names, instead of just referring to "so called experienced and informed commentators".

And, what does the crack about "how poorly informed Australians are on our regional neighbourhood" have to do with anything? Wall wouldn't know what we know or don't know, and we have no say at all in government foreign policy, or who travels where. Neither does Wall, who is merely expressing his own opinions.

Clearly this issue is front and centre for most Australians and far more important than the inflation rate, our current record debt burdens both domestic and foreign and housing unaffordability coupled to rising interest rates.

Yes the PM needs to visit and during that visit emphasize at every opportunity how much CO2 China pumps into the atmosphere every year as they complete one new coal fired power station every week. And what we can do to help the Pacific to help themselves. As the cost of energy all but cripples economies!

For mine that is by supplying locally built, mass produced and fabricated small modular molten salt, thorium reactors.

To provide, gift the world's cheapest, cleanest and safest energy and carbon-free as well. To show that we are serious about addressing both climate change and the current inflation/cost of living pressures.

These comparatively low cost gifts will keep on giving for decades and drive economic self help development. As for providing lump sum cash with money we first need to borrow! It's not how I would choose to assist!

We need also to look for other markets for our coal, gas and iron ore. We cannot emulate pig iron bob and see all our metals etc., coming back at us as warships and munitions TBC.
Alan B.

"Australians need an education and information campaign on the Pacific"
"Australia and New Zealand have a unique opportunity to achieve a united front against China's interference in our region."

I'm confused by this, I understand Australia - our continent / territories, our maritime borders etc.
I can see them on a map.
What is this... 'Our REGION'?
Can educate me on which parts outside of Australia, that aren't a part of Australia that you are including as part of 'Our region', that we are supposed to spend money on and defend please... even they they are not part of Australia please.

Just a simple map with a hand drawn dotted line will suffice thanks.

Climate Change is the number one cash cow of the Pacific, where island nations are expected to take half a billion taxpayer dollars from Albanese in the next few years as part of his ‘climate investment’ while at the same time turning around and taking millions more from China – the biggest environmental vandal in the world.

Also just wondering what your plan is if China takes over the moon?

China rejects NASA accusation it will take over the moon
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/china-rejects-nasa-accusation-will-take-moon-rcna36656

Maybe you'll advice on purchasing a squadron of x-wing fighters to blow up the moon after China turns it into the death star?

A death star AC. Not too far off the mark with Chinese mach ten nuclear tipped missiles parked on the dark side. And at mach ten no current defense able to respond in time. With only parked nuclear sub reprisal strikes making China pause this MAD insanity.

To be sure the US has its own mach ten missile capability. And a swarm of conventional IBMs that even if knocked down halfway there? A few would still make it through and destroy the aggressor!

For us it means we need nuclear power for the manufacturing edge it would confer and nuclear subs equipped with nuclear reprisal missiles.
Alan B.

It's too late to avoid China's debt trap as it's already sprung. All they can do is postmortem- claim bankrupcy and proceed from there- but they still want to kick the can down the road- China will continue to apply pressure in the UN and otherwise to advance it's self interest using these relationships. I don't think China really cares about the money- but what it can buy.

Forget Mach 10 Alan B, try Mach 27.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avangard_(hypersonic_glide_vehicle)
On 1 March 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his presidential address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow announced that testing of the weapon is now complete and that it has entered serial production. This was further confirmed by the commander of the Strategic Rocket Forces, Colonel General Sergei Karakayev [ru].
The latest flight test occurred on 26 December 2018. Avangard carried by a UR-100UTTKh ICBM launched from Dombarovsky Air Base successfully hit a target at the Kura Missile Test Range. The Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Yury Borisov stated a day later that the glider flew at 27 times the speed of sound, "invulnerable to interception".
According to Russian Defense Ministry's press service/TASS, the Avangard missile system with the hypersonic glide-vehicle was demonstrated to the US inspection group in accordance with the New START treaty procedures on November 24–26, 2019.
On 27 December 2019, the first missile regiment armed with the Avangard HGV officially entered combat duty.
http://tass.com/defense/1104297

The US seems to be a fair way behind.
They can't even get theirs to fly at Mach 5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-183_ARRW
http://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/07/01/us-hypersonic-trial/

Russia's already used hypersonic missiles several times in Ukraine already.

Maybe so AC. But I believe that was mach 7? Mach 27 would likely burn up from the friction created before reaching target unless used exclusively in the vacuum of space.

Mach five still to quick for the current anti missile defense to kick in and the US has successfully trialed a cruise missile, below the radar system, which knocks out those defenses, radar ,electronics etc., etc. That said that's them. And may not serve us until too late?

And means we need to crack on with what we can do here at home and for our pacific neighbours. And with what we can build here as mass produced energy systems, i.e., MSR thorium and armoured vehicles that are RPG proof. And faster and quicker that that we may have to respond to and able to be parachuted in wherever we want them ASAP. Be it here or for an embattled Pacific neighbour!
Alan B.

AC. A glider has no motive power of its own but needs to be towed or flung via an electronic gun or some such. That a system with no internal motive power could reach mach 27 gliding all the way to the target smacks of Si Fi! Or Russian BS writ large.

That said, I believe the war will drag on as a western supported stalemate that bankrupts Russia! Unless or until Putin is permanently removed.

Then the world that remains need a marshal plan to rebuild Ukraine bigger and better. While the aggressor can please themselves!

Perhaps they can sell large chunks of mineral rich Russian sovereign land to the Chinese And gift a few Siberian gulags as slave labour in return for a few roubles?
Alan B

RPG proof APC's- Not sure that this is possible- but there are some reactive systems that work reasonably well- if you create better armour they create better weapons.

27x speed of sound nuclear gliders- maybe they can be launched from railguns- though failures could be catastrophic- the speed of sound is different at different altitudes.

But yes they would burn up like a meteorite.

Hey Alan B.
Avangard's surface temperature reaches 2000 degrees Celsius.
There are different reported speeds at the moment, whilst a Russian military official claimed Mach 27, Putin himself has only said Mach 20; Also its currently only been tested with an SS-19 Stiletto ICBM as carrier vehicle and the plans are for it to soon be used with an RS-28 Sarmat.
- The Sarmat is reported to reach speeds of just over Mach 20 (25,560 km/h)
http://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/avangard/

I'm fairly certain Russia with Hypersonic missiles could sink US carriers if it chose to.
The US is working on Lasers and Railguns as well.

U.S. ICBM test ends in disaster, just days after Hypersonic missile test failed
http://youtu.be/yv2Y71YAkNE

Also the Belgorod has just been commissioned, which carries 6 Posiedon drones.
http://maritime-executive.com/article/russian-navy-takes-delivery-of-world-s-longest-submarine

Ukraine War Losses:
(According to Russia)

Planes 242
Helicopters 137
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 1,506
Tanks and other Armoured Combat Vehicles 3,995
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems 741
Air Defense Systems 353
Field Artillery Guns and Mortars 3127
Special Military Vehicles 4128