Guardian-Class Patrol Boat handover to Tuvalu of HMTSS Te Mataili III

I’d like to thank Matthew McGuire for his Welcome to Country,

And acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present. 

I also pay my respects to all those who have served our nation in the past and continue to do so today.

I extend a very warm, West Australian welcome to the Prime Minister of Tuvalu the Honourable Feleti Teo OBE and Mrs Tausaga Teo;

And to Mr Piliota Viliamu, Acting Police Commissioner, Tuvalu Police Service.

I also acknowledge my Federal Parliamentary Colleague, The Honourable Patrick Gorman MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister;

The Honourable Paul Papalia MP, Western Australia Minister for Police, Corrective Services, Racing and Gaming, Defence Industry and Veterans Issues;

Representatives from the Australian Defence Force, Australian Department of Defence and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;

Captain and crew of Te Mataili III;

Prime Minister Feleti, it is terrific to have you here today to celebrate this important moment in our Falepili Union.

The Falepili Union elevates our security partnership and builds on decades of cooperation and working together to meet Tuvalu’s priorities. 

We share an ocean, and we share a future.

Te Mataili III will support the people of Tuvalu to protect their sovereign maritime resources from illegal fishing and transnational crime. 

It is a signal of the strength of our union that we are cooperating to fight these challenges together. 

We have seen throughout the Pacific the great value of the Guardian-class Patrol Boats in responding to major climate events.

As we respond together to the challenge of climate change, these vessels play a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to island nations, particularly in the aftermath of major disasters when access to remote islands can be difficult. 

While we hope it will never be needed for this purpose, Australia is proud to play a part in supporting Tuvalu’s national resilience with the handover of this vessel.

The impact of the twin category four Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin in March 2023 was devastating for the people of Vanuatu, and cost Tuvalu the HMTSS Te Mataili II which was in Vanuatu at the time, and damaged beyond repair.  

I’m pleased that Australia was able to loan an interim vessel to Tuvalu, but equally glad that Te Mataili III can now take up its role serving the national priorities of Tuvalu, including participation in Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency-led operations.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the workers at Austal for their hard work, skill and diligence in the construction of this Guardian-class Patrol Boat. 

Over the past few weeks, in the waters around Perth, members of the Tuvalu Police Maritime Wing and the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Training Group have joined together, working as one team focused on all aspects of the vessel’s operation and maintenance.

Now it is time for Te Mataili III and its crew to take this Patrol Boat from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, on the long journey to its new home

I wish Te Mataili III and its crew ‘Fair Winds and Following Seas’.  

May this vessel serve Tuvalu well… Thank you.