Cook Islands will find ready partners in newly elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their fellow ministers, says the Australian High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Dr Christopher Watkins.

Albanese was yesterday sworn in as Australia’s 31st prime minister, as his incoming Labor government takes power after almost a decade of Coalition rule.

The Australian federal election results over the weekend have shown that Labor was the only major party that would be able to govern — either in majority or minority, according to ABC.

Watkins told Cook Islands News: “Australia has once again seen a peaceful transition of power in Canberra – the tenth since federation in 1901. Every new government brings change, but Australia’s partnership with the Cook Islands will remain as deep as the Pacific Ocean we share.”

“Our friendship is bipartisan. It is founded on shared values and the many connections between our peoples. As we reconnect and rejuvenate the Pacific after Covid, the Government of the Cook Islands will find ready partners in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and their fellow ministers.”

During the campaign, Prime Minister Albanese said: “(My government) understands the security and development challenges our Pacific family faces and we will commit the leadership and resources to address them together, and with likeminded partners, to build a stronger Pacific family.”

Albanese promised his Labor government would strengthen Australia’s Pacific partnerships by delivering a comprehensive package of new programmes to secure our region and build a stronger Pacific family.

He has committed to double the funding for the Pacific Maritime Security Program which supports Te Kukupa II and its fellow patrol boats across the Pacific.

Labor is also committed to increase Australian Official Development Assistance to Pacific countries by A$525 million (NZ$576m) over the four years from 2022-23 to 2025-26. The incoming leader said Labor would create a Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership to support climate-related infrastructure and energy projects in Pacific countries and Timor-Leste.

As of yesterday morning, Labor was yet to reach the 76 seats needed to form government, ABC reported. If it falls short, it will need the support of the crossbench to pass legislation in the House of Representatives. To be sworn in as Prime Minister, Governor-General David Hurley needed to be convinced that Mr Albanese would be able to govern in some form.

• Additional reporting by ABC