As Guineans head to the polls, Australian stakeholders must act responsibly to avoid the risks of exacerbating local tensions, empowering authoritarian actors or fueling instability.
Australia is also well-positioned to benefit, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noting that "intelligence, imagination, and drive will be the forces behind a future made in Australia."
Supporters argue that with over 208,000 Hindus in New South Wales and more than 684,000 across Australia, the time has come to formally recognise Diwali as a public holiday.
The visit highlights 200 years of cultural and personal connections between Australia and Tonga and will celebrate defence ties, health innovation, and shared faith traditions.
“Our friendship commenced in terrible times of cruelty, murder, privation, and suffering, and yet in all this, your father shone out as one of the bright stars of heaven"
