Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the peaceful transition of power in the coup-marred Fiji.
Mr Albanese congratulated new prime minister Sitiveni Rabuka after he was sworn in on Christmas Eve, ending Frank Bainimarama's 16 years in power.
Fijians have lived through four coups during the country's 50 years of independence, including by both Mr Rabuka in 1987 and Mr Bainimarama in 2006.
"There's been a peaceful transition of power in Fiji that is a very good thing," Mr Albanese told the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland.
The prime minister then seized on hecklers in the crowd to outline his point.
"In a whole lot of countries, people coming along and heckling the prime minister - which is part of the democratic process - would be hauled out the back," he said.
Mr Albanese said it was a positive thing that democracy succeeded in the region.
"There is a contest between democratic forms of government and more authoritarian forms," he said.
Asked about Chinese influence in the Pacific, Mr Albanese said restarting dialogue with Beijing was a positive step forward with deteriorated relationships threatening security in the region.
"If you don't have dialogue, you can't have understanding," he said.
Mr Rabuka says while Fiji is bound to Australia and New Zealand through collective agreements, they don't take away Fiji's sovereignty.
He said he maintains good relationships with Chinese, Indian and Pacific island leaders and working with regional partners would not "take away our sovereign rights to conduct our bilateral relationships".
Viliame Gavoka - one of Fiji's three deputy prime ministers and leader of one of the three coalition parties - said any government he leads will not sign a bilateral security arrangement with China.
"I know the Solomon Islands have gone out a bit and done the security thing with the Chinese. We won't do that," he said.
"We will go with our traditional partners of Australia and New Zealand."
