Member for Rankin Jim Chalmers has this week become the first Australian treasurer to travel to the Pacific Islands in almost two decades.
While there, Dr Chalmers said he represented the diverse people of Logan at a forum that brought together the region’s economic ministers.
The Rankin electorate has the second-highest percentage of Pacific-born people (9.5 per cent) of any federal electorate in the country.
Forde, the Logan electorate south of Rankin, is the first highest.
“Our Pacific Island brothers and sisters are people with big hearts who make a big contribution in our community,” Dr Chalmers said.
“I’m proud to represent one of the largest communities of people with Pasifika heritage in Australia.
“We’re working closer than ever before with our counterparts in the Pacific because we recognise that we achieve much more for the people we represent when we work together.”
He said the Pacific forum was an opportunity to forge “even closer ties with some of our closest neighbours”.
“Australia is a Pacific nation – and Pacific nations must stick together,” he said.
“Through this forum, we want to build up our partnerships in the Pacific to build a better future for our nation and for our region because we recognise that what’s good for the Pacific, is also good for Australia.”
