Australia's decision go public with its offer to fund Solomon Island's election has damaged public perceptions in the country, an expert warns.
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Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Blake Johnson says Foreign Minister Penny Wong gave Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare "ammunition" by revealing Australia had offered to financially subsidise the poll.
Mr Sogavare, who is attempting to defer next year's poll, launched a blistering attack on what he framed as an assault on Solomons democracy and a "direct interference by a foreign government".
Mr Johnson said the timing of Senator Wong's announcement, made just days before Solomons parliament was set to vote on the deferral, had played into Mr Sogavare's hands.
"When it comes at a time like this, that just gives Sogavare ammunition to get angry, and to distract the Solomon Islands public from the actual internal issues," he said.
"He's managed to shift what the public is talking about now to whether or not Australia should be funding elections, which is not the initial problem that Solomon Islands was facing."
Australia routinely subsidised elections held by countries in the region, and many within the Solomons government supported its offer.
"In this case, and in a lot of recent events, the anger that we're seeing from Solomon Islands is actually from Sogavare, more so from an individual than from a collective group," Mr Johnson said.
The analyst, who has tracked opinions in the country, said its public remained "overall pretty positive towards Australia", and it was too early to fully gauge the impact of Mr Sogavare's comments.
But he said early signs suggested public reaction was "more negative" towards Australian engagement than previously, including during the Honiara riots in November last year.
Chinese media and Beijing's ambassador to Solomon Islands attempted to frame Australia's police support during the riots as "foreign forces interfering and instigating the riots", he said.
"That didn't generate a lot of negative discussion from the Solomon Islands public. This has more of a negative reaction than previous events," he said.
Senator Wong on Tuesday insisted the offer demonstrated Australia's commitment to democracy in its region, but pointedly did reveal whether the move had been well received in Honiara.
She told the Senate on Wednesday the timing of the election was "entirely a matter" for Solomon Islands' government.
"Australia has always taken the view that democratic processes and democracy matter," she said.
"I will reiterate the standing offer the Australian government has to support Solomon Islands' next election, whether held in 2023 or 2024."
Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham described the offer of help as "appropriate", but accused the government of botching its communication.
"Solomon Islands is clearly aggrieved at the fact that this was made public, in the way it was made public, when it was made public," he said.
"That's why there are answers to be had from the Albanese government, about whether they informed the Solomon Islands in advance ... If not, why not?"
Mr Sogavare has had a tempestuous relationship with Australia, which he claimed posed an invasion threat in May.
It came after he causes alarm in Canberra by signing a security pact with Beijing, potentially paving the way for a Chinese naval presence on Australia's doorstep.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who will receive a visit from his Solomon Islands counterpart next month, on Wednesday attempted to hose down the latest controversy.
"We want good relations with our Pacific neighbours, and I'm very much looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Sogavare," he said.