Australian defence: Admiral Samuel Paparo invites NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to Hawaii

As defence industry leaders aim to accelerate development in the Territory, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has been invited to Honolulu by a high-ranking US Navy officer.

Commander, Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel Paparo in Honolulu, Hawaii.

As defence industry leaders aim to accelerate development in the Territory, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has been invited to Honolulu by a high-ranking US Navy officer.

The invitation comes after a delegation led by Defence NT wrapped up a week-long workshop on the Pacific island in early March.

The delegation, consisting of a DefenceNT staff member, two advisors and a small team of local industry leaders, presented a ‘Partnering of Strength’ workshop to more than 30 attendees from 20 different organisations.

DefenceNT said the Honolulu workshop was “well-received” by its US audience.

DefenceNT senior director James Bear told this publication the presentation was “well received” by its US audience.

“The NT government and industry effectively showcased their strong commitment to the US military presence in the Territory through meaningful engagement with senior leaders in the US department of defence and key military contractors,” he said.

“Our industrial base and skilled workforce were effectively demonstrated as capable of supporting large-scale projects, reinforcing confidence in the Territory’s ability to meet future infrastructure and development needs.”

The US contractors have since been invited to attend NT Defence Week in late April, which will give US investors a glimpse of the local workforce, landscape and facilities.

“This will provide a significant opportunity for a broad range of local businesses supporting the defence sector to engage with international contractors,” he said.

“Comprehensive insights were gathered on future US force posture developments and (military contractor) requirements in the Territory, leading to an expanded and more diverse network of contacts across relevant sectors.”

Mrs Finocchiaro has the opportunity to meet Admiral Samuel Paparo in Honolulu. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

It was also revealed Mrs Finocchiaro had been invited to Honolulu to meet Commander, Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the US’ largest and oldest military formation, comprising of almost 400,000 servicemen stationed across the region.

Mrs Finocchiaro’s office has been contacted on whether the Chief Minister will accept the invitation.

In 2023, Mrs Finocchiaro criticised former Chief Minister Natasha Fyles following her nine-day trip to Washington D.C., which cost the taxpayer $92,831.

For the DefenceNT staff member and two advisors who flew to Honolulu, the flight and accommodation expenses came to a total cost $40,000.

The industry delegates travelled at their own expense.

Originally published as Australian defence: Admiral Samuel Paparo invites NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro to Hawaii