Comments

Dear Ambika, Thank you for your comment. I agree with you. People do not leave only because of opportunities abroad, but because conditions at home do not meet their needs. Australia/NZ benefit from Pacific workers, but the real responsibility lies with our national leaders to create fair wages, good working conditions, security, protection and trustworthy institutions. Unless governments make staying a real and dignified option, migration will continue.

Dear Semi. Thank you very much for this kind comment. Your work seems interesting. Tonga is a particularly revealing case, given the scale of remittances relative to GDP and the size of the diaspora. I’d be very interested to read your findings, especially on how remittances are actually used at household level and what that means for domestic capacity over time. Please do share the work when it’s ready, this is exactly the kind of evidence we need to deepen the discussion.

Thanks for sharing, Graham. Another well written piece (hardly seems like work to read them!) I am glad you have your voice back.

This is a pretty powerful & much needed intervention. I really like the way they've reframed remittances as the "oxygen of the economy" rather than just a tool for development. All across the Pacific, you see these huge inflows of remittances being celebrated – but nobody ever stops to think about how that hollows out domestic capacity, makes people feel like they're not good enough & erodes the sense that we're capable of doing things for ourselves. It's worth highlighting that no country has ever made it to high-income status solely thanks to remittances – that's just fact. What really spoke to me is the way they tie this all back to politics – people don't just take off to find better paychecks, they're also voting with their feet because other places look like they have better institutions, a more honest system & a better shot at a decent future. Building real opportunities, dignity & some genuine hope in what we can do for ourselves here is pretty much the only way we're going to get out of this hole in the long run.

When is the next date of registration for the PEV. I'm interested.

Excellent review. We are going through this experience in Tonga.

Excellent article. I am working on similar Tonga remittance trends and how remittances are spent in Tonga.

Very intriguing analysis of impact of remittances on receiver nations. Unfortunately political attributes seem to contributing handsomely to migration of skilled human resources and the richer or major political/ economic power players in the gain from freely trained skilled work force that fill skill shortages in these developed nations. However, the ultimate buck stops at the leaders of nations who train people but fail to create conducive environments to satisfy the needs of the very people needed to build the nation. Sad, but fact of life. Unless there is a mutual desire to cultivate a sense of commitment with appropriately attractive socio-economic environment that is also politically conducive, the trend will continue and smaller nations will still suffer degradation.

It offers a profound glimpse of humanity from a humanitarian perspective, especially toward the world's most neglected people. It's truly commendable to witness this genuine essence of compassion, particularly in the hearts of young people.

To ensure fairness and transparency in the RSE worker selection process, the recruitment and bridge of connection should be open to all citizens. Establishing registration centers in each province and district, free from political influence, could help achieve this goal. A decentralized, community-driven approach could reduce corruption and favoritism. Online registration and selection processes could also increase accessibility and fairness. The Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) system should be investigated for any malpractices and reformed to prioritize merit-based selection. Key recommendations: - Open recruitment to all citizens - Decentralize registration and selection processes - Implement online registration and selection - Investigate LMU system for corruption and favoritism - Prioritize merit-based selection - Promote direct recruitment agents with pre-established relationships with contractors - Increase transparency in worker selection criteria and processes - Establish clear grievance mechanisms for workers and applicants - Provide training and support for local recruitment agencies and agents - Regularly review and audit the LMU system to prevent corruption and ensure fairness

It would probably be fair to accept that this as a relations building exercise leveraging a common passion for RL and the hype associated with the NRL. However, comments BTL speak a grim truth. If any real good is to come from participation in the NRL it might just be increased exposure to the realities of life in a country of 12 million who share a border with Australia.

We have no running water, no medicine in the hospitals, no proper basic services. Who needs a footy team. I have the Canterbury Bulldogs