Tuvalu

The leaders of Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea and Fiji have expressed hope that Mr Turnbull, who was this week sworn in as prime minister after ousting Tony Abbott as Liberal Party leader, could be a champion for Pacific countries battling rising sea levels and intensifying weather systems.

The change in Canberra came a week after the Pacific Islands Forum meeting highlighted a growing chasm between the Pacific countries and Australia and New Zealand on the issue of climate change.

Enele Sopoaga, who also chairs the Small Island States group, says he is disappointed by the failure of last week's Pacific Islands Forum meeting to make a stronger statement on climate change.

Australia and New Zealand did not commit to tougher emission targets called for by the SIS.

Sopoaga says Australia's approach at the Forum and joke by their Immigration Minister about climate change have shone a light on their indifference.

The leaders of the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and Tuvalu caught up on Monday before the wider 16 nation Pacific Island Forum leaders summit in Papua New Guinea later this week.

They issued a special declaration on climate change that demanded the world limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and that countries uphold the principle of polluter pays.

It marked the start of his tour of the Pacific region during which he will also visit Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea

The purpose of the visit was to reiterate and renew the Commonwealth’s commitment to work in partnership with Tuvalu, a valued member and one of our 31 small states, particularly in the context of the work of the Commonwealth across the entire spectrum of interests of small states.

MPs will have the opportunity to learn from the experiences from the Australian and New Zealand Parliaments. Sessions will also include the United Nations conventions that Tuvalu has ratified like the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), UN Convention against Corruption and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Tuvalu and Kiribati both say upcoming climate talks in Paris are vital as rising sea levels threaten their existence.

Fourteen Pacific Island nations have been meeting in Jaipur in India to discuss rising sea levels.

Enele Sopoaga says failure is not an option.

He says the nation may be able to purchase land in other places, such as New Zealand and Australia if necessary.

However he says that won't stop climate change and its impact on Tuvalu, whose nine coral atolls are home to about 11,000 people.

The Pacific island nations say they have been forced to consider such nuclear options as buying land abroad to grow food and preparing their people to migrate as the seas slowly claim their homelands.

But as representatives of Pacific island nations met in Jaipur in the western Indian desert state of Rajasthan this week, the message was clear -- world leaders meeting in Paris in December must deliver on expectations of a historic deal to combat global warming.

Martin, the only representative from New Zealand’s Parliament asked to participate in the conference that starts next week, says she is proud to be involved in an initiative to help strengthen democracy in the Pacific.

“Tuvalu is interested in learning more about how the New Zealand and Australian parliaments work.

“This is a unique opportunity to share my experience as an MP and I hope all delegates can offer Tuvalu MPs knowledge of our parliamentary systems that will help in the successful running of the Tuvalu parliament,” says Martin.

Tuvalu’s Reverend Tafue Lusama is currently on a tour of New Zealand’s main centres in an effort to highlight the urgency of tackling climate change effects in the Pacific.

He is calling for New Zealand – which he refers to as “Tuvalu’s big brother” – to take the lead in climate change action and help to save the sinking country.

“I’ve always regarded New Zealand as Tuvalu’s big brother,” Rev Lusama said in his address at the Love Your Neighbour event earlier this month, which was co-ordinated by Oxfam.

A three day workshop coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) led to the formation of the Tuvalu Invasive Species Committee which will be coordinated by the Environment Department.

"A key outcome in forming this Committee is that stakeholders and various agencies have agreed to collaborate which can bring about positive outcomes," said Dr Posa Skelton, Coordinator of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network at SPREP.