Krissy Barrett was a young Australian federal police intelligence officer back in 2003, when years of ethnic tensions and thuggish anarchy pushed Solomon Islands to the brink.

After the country’s government collapsed and violent factions smashed the police, Australia stepped in to help.

The Howard government hastily stood up a regional assistance mission, with Barrett, the future AFP commissioner, deployed as part of the peacekeeping force. Originally expected to last for months, Australians were on the ground for nearly 15 years.

In a speech in the US this week, Barrett said the fraught period had shaped her leadership and outlook on the world.

“While the true north of the Pacific Island chiefs is the rhythm of the blue ocean, constant and comforting, we acknowledge the tides are changing,” she said, imploring decision-makers to adapt too.

“I cannot help defend and protect Australians and our sovereignty by only doing my job in Canberra, just like my fellow Pacific police chiefs cannot solely do it from Suva, Port Moresby, Apia or Majuro.”

The speech was timely, as Anthony Albanese and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, once again returned to Fiji and Solomon Islands, signing a new alliance and further reinforcing efforts to keep check on China’s moves to undercut Australia.

Back home on Wednesday, Albanese hosted the leaders of Tonga, Samoa and Papua New Guinea in Brisbane, celebrating the binding ties of rugby league as a tool of diplomatic soft power.

Underlying the diplomatic push was just what Barrett had described: an understanding that safety at home will only come from safety in........

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