Anthony Albanese has pledged Labor would engage in a deeper relationship with Pacific neighbours in the wake of China's deal with the Solomon Islands.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It comes as Scott Morrison revealed on Friday he had not yet spoken to his Solomon Islands counterpart Manasseh Sogavare since the security deal was signed.
The prime minister has come under fire for Australia's response to the security deal, sending Pacific Minister Zed Seselja to convey Australia's message rather than Foreign Minister Marise Payne.
Mr Albanese said the opposition would seek to reach out further to Pacific countries.
"The first step is that you need to have deeper relationships with your senior ministers, with the leadership of our region," he told ABC TV on Friday.
"We also need to engage with them on issues which are their concern."
Mr Morrison has defended the government's action on the security deal.
"These are not simple issues. I mean, if it was just as easy as picking up the phone or sending a foreign minister, then these issues wouldn't occur (but) it's not that easy," Mr Morrison told reporters in Brisbane on Friday.
Australia would not "throw its weight around" and tell other nations what to do.
"We're looking forward for the opportunity to come through to talk about what has recently occurred in the Solomon Islands, because that's the way we have approached and will continue to approach our relationship in the Pacific," he said.
"(Australia is) not some colonial power, running around, throwing our weight around, telling people what to do. That was the approach of previous administrations (and) that was not well received in the Pacific."
Mr Morrison also said there was no credible information suggesting a Chinese naval base would be built in the Solomons.
He noted Australia remained Honiara's security partner of choice with defence personnel and federal police on the ground.
Yet Labor campaign spokesman Jason Clare said the prime minister was being contradicted by members of his own government.
"Barnaby Joyce is saying this is the Cuban missile crisis, you have one position from Scott Morrison, a totally different position from the deputy prime minister of Australia," he said.
Defence Minister Peter Dutton said China had become more aggressive in its dealings with other nations since President Xi Jinping had come to power.
"If you look at what is happening and the acts of interference in our own region, the corrupt payments in parts of Africa, the situation in Sri Lanka with the port, it's not those countries who have changed, it's China under President Xi," he said.
Australian Associated Press
