Australia

This comes amid a stalemate in mediation talks that followed protests last month by truck drivers over the government's policy to not approve exports of low grade ore to China after a decline in exports to Australia.

The drivers were aligned with small miners and the territory's veteran miner SLN who opposed the stance on the issue by the government's leading party, Caledonia Together.

France TV in New Caledonia reports that six of the eleven members of the collegial government have voted in favor of a special session of Congress on the subject of exports to China.

Senator Colbeck said the 2015–2020 Strategic Plan represents an evolution in the way the FRDC invests in research, outlines a new focus based on three key national priorities, and empowers stakeholders.

“The Plan aims to drive change to benefit Australia’s fishing and aquaculture sectors more broadly. It will ensure these sectors continue to have excellent performance in environmental sustainability as well as business productivity and profitability,” Senator Colbeck said.

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.

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

There are about 1700 lawyers in the Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand, and about 100 of them are expected at the two-day conference being run by the South Pacific Lawyers Association.

Its chairman, Ross Ray QC, says the meeting will include sessions on issues such as document drafting, case analysis, commercial law and legal aid.

He says the conference is a good opportunity to promote ties between the different law societies across the region.

Mr Turnbull won a party room ballot 54 votes to 44 last night, less than six hours after announcing he would challenge Mr Abbott.

The ballot also saw Julie Bishop elected as deputy leader over Kevin Andrews 70 votes to 30 — keeping the position she has held since 2007.

Mr Turnbull, who will now become Australia's fourth prime minister in two years, spoke to reporters outside his apartment this morning.

"It was a long night, and it's going to be a big day today," he said.

“Australia and New Zealand have shown themselves to be the worst of neighbours with their self-serving approach to climate change. They will be remembered for their callousness in the face of the grave threats facing Pacific islands, as people are forced to leave their land and lose their livelihoods through climate change,” said Ritter.

“Australia and New Zealand have inadequate national targets are, they are frustrating global talks, they are beholden to big polluters - and now they are blocking a united Pacific voice.”

Mr Abbott called a ballot for the leadership of the Liberal Party for Monday evening and declared "I expect to win", after Mr Turnbull announced he would challenge him for the leadership of the Liberal Party. The role of deputy leader will also be voted on in the ballot.

To be successful, Mr Turnbull needs 52 votes to secure the leadership, of a possible 102.

Mr Abbott addressed reporters in Canberra shortly after 6pm on Monday to say he had been "dismayed by the destabilisation that's been taking place now for many, many months".

In a speech to the Australia-PNG Business Council,Abbott said a key focus of his meeting with  O’Neil was on how to use Australian expertise to make Port Moresby safer.

“I’m disappointed that our 73 police have not been more operational,” he said. “You won’t be surprised to learn that one of the principal subjects that Prime Minister O’Neill and I discussed earlier this morning was making them as operational as possible.”

“PNG has many opportunities but all of those opportunities will be better maximised if we can have as harmonious and tranquil a society as possible.”

Leaders of small island states maintained their position of temperature target of 1.5 degrees and loss and damage while Australia and New Zealand refused to budge from the 2 degrees target.

Tuvalu’s Prime Minister, Enele Sopoaga, one of the most vocal leader from the Smaller Island States told PACNEWS despite the Forum position, his country will push for the 1.5 degree target, loss and damage and an ambitious and legally binding target in Paris.

On Friday, Mr Dutton was making small talk with Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who had just returned from the Pacific Islands Forum in Papua New Guinea.

Noting that a meeting was running late, Mr Dutton remarked it was running to Cape York time, to which Mr Abbott replied: We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.

Mr Dutton then quipped: Time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door, a comment caught on a television microphone.