Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill is proposing the creation of a special bilateral economic zone with his country and northern Australia.
On a brief visit to Brisbane, there was little talk of asylum seekers but a focus on deepening economic ties.
But Mr O'Neill said the PNG solution agreed under the Rudd government was being fully implemented by Tony Abbott.
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A small but determined group of protestors awaited PNG's prime minister, voicing their anger about Manus island detention centre and the so-called PNG solution.
Protest spokesman Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Collective, said the rights of asylum seekers had to be addressed.
"Well it's really about the deal, Peter O'Neill can't wash his hands of this deal, he's gone along with the Australian government in violating the rights of asylum seekers, he was will to take back the West Papuan asylum seekers and dump them in the Western Province, he's taking hundreds of millions of dollars to build a detention centre on Manus Island when his won people desperately need a lot of money for basic housing, education and health facilities," he said.
On a flying visit to Brisbane, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill's focus was on business of a different kind.
Mr O'Neill slipped past the protests to address the Australian Institute of Company Directors at a prestigious hotel in Brisbane.
He told the meeting that the PNG government was ready to embrace the Abbott government's election promise to develop northern Australia.
He also had a proposal for the formation of a joint economic zone.
"We will be discussing these project with the new Australian government, I've already flagged it with the Queensland government and we need to of course engage with your resource companies, agricultural sector, and the Northern Territory government to progress what I believe is an achievable project for northern Australia," he said.
Mr O'Neill highlighted a special role Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders could play.
"The economic zone might also look at the great and mutual beneficial co-operation of indigenous communities on both sides of our common border. The successful development of small businesses and tourism in north Queensland indigenous communities is something we can learn from."
Mr O'Neill's first visit to Australia since the federal election was not to meet the Abbott government, but to put forward his plans to business leaders.
PNG receives half a billion dollars in aid from Australia per year.
Mr O'Neill says the pre-election war of words with Tony Abbott over the previous Labor government's PNG solution is over.
"I'm very pleased to be able to assure you that, and assure you absolutely, that the relationship between our government and the new Australian government is already on a sound footing. Indeed it is as sound as it can be," he said.
As for Kevin Rudd's PNG Solution for asylum seekers, Mr O'Neill said it had been fully adopted by the Abbott government.
But he was coy about resettling refugees in his country from Manus Island.
"Listen, there is a great number of people now voluntarily leaving the asylum centre and going home, we're trying to encourage as many to take that option and this is an ongoing issue, and we don't expect a fast resolution to the challenges that are there, but we must do it in accordance with the internationally accepted practices, in a dignified way that respects the human rights of each individual and we're trying to do that under very difficult circumstances."
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