Comments

Great insight indeed. My argument is, if you are intending to bring in families for those PLS workers that have families, at least lobby the respective industries to raise the wage rate instead of opting for the Award rates, or pay the worker EBA or create a total new instrument of remuneration. It’s just unfair to have two legal remuneration instruments Award vs EBA and pay the PLS workers who does the same work and contributes to the same output for the business Award rates. How is that viable for a worker that has a wife and one child? I plead those that are at the forefront of this to carefully consider the options and have at least a few existing PLS workers that have families interviewed or consulted to gather more information.

Excellent review, Stephen. I found this to be a very useful and fair summary of developments in Australian policy with regard to labour mobility from the Pacific under the Coalition and Labor Governments over the past two decades. While there has been nothing less that a revolution in Australian policy relating to temporary entry of workers from selected Pacific states, New Zealand's labour mobility policies relating to Pacific peoples have changed very little since the introduction of the RSE scheme in 2007. As New Zealand emerges from the disruption to labour mobility caused by border closures there is going to have to be a re-invention of the RSE scheme if it is to remain an attractive option given the way the PALM scheme is evolving. There has been a lot of excellent work by Devpol staff and research associates on labour mobility over the past few years. Hopefully this can be sustained going ahead.

In welcoming Labour's strategy to ward of PRC influence in the Pacific region, the Australian national food security crisis must not be overlooked. The Australian Farmers Federation has in its Roadmap to year 2030 earmarked a gross growth up to AUD 30 billion CAGR. To achieve this semi skilled farm workers from ASEAN countries is part of the National and Global food security scheme. ASEAN countries needs to be prompted to engage in sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate climate change and carbon credit savings. Australia has to grab both end of the stick for a holistic approach. By fine tuning the sc 403 .281 Asian Farm Workers Visa scheme, in which only proven farmers and farmworkers are made eligible for the Farm Workers Visa, on a willing worker-wiling employer basis, one that is removed from dubious ASEAN countries bureaucracy, the Labour government will achieve a wholesome goals. It is not either this or that, it is each scheme running concurrently complimenting each other to serve national interest ancd that of the ASEAN agriculture industry.

Wastes are inevitable and i as person believe if we start making awareness by telling everyone around the country to manage their waste individually by starting from their homes would reflect better living standard. Also looking for better ways to manage and dispose waste like recycling.

I don’t see our new government having a clear strategic purpose for Australia’s aid program. Nor do they have a plausible plan for rebuilding organisational capacity to design and deliver effective investments. In my experience the more flawed aid investments were usually driven by short sighted political considerations and ministerial directives. I think there would be considerable merit in creating a statuatory authority to deliver Australia’s aid program

A leader who affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. To the world you may just be a simple leader but to us especially Papua New Guineans you are the real HERO! You are like candle which consumes itself to light for others. You gave us the best gift of all by believing in us, a truly great mentor like you is hard to find, difficult to part with AND IMPOSSIBLE to forget. Through you encouragements and guidance we feel that we are ready to face tomorrow’s challenges. You are the morning star that conquers the darkness into the light, created a little heaven for the bees and flowers to live a happy lifestyle. Especially leaders like you, late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, thank you for caring so much for us, we may not remember everything you said, but we will remember how special you made us feel, we are so grateful that we had you. Thank you for challenging us to be the best and instilling in us a passion for learning. Technology will keep evolving but nothing will replace the power of the Father of the Nation and his inspirational leadership. Sad farewells are given to those who are extremely prized and special Late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, you are one such a LEADER The reason why life was so much fun In a twinkling of an eye we will miss you But your passion and kindness will be remembered forever in the history of The country.

I'd forgotten how well you write Sadhana. You just took some pretty complicated stuff in Fiji's political scene and made it simple to understand. "Votes for minor opposition parties might therefore end up protecting the government." Thank you and well done!!

As a junior AusAIDer at the time my strongest memory of One Clear Objective was a deep level of institutional cynicism, and not only from senior management. Unfortunately I can't recall my impressions of the actual detail of the report. It did however offer some excellent fodder for that year's end of year revue!

Ninasema kiswahili vizuri sana kwa sababu nimekaa Tanzania kwa mwaka nane. (I speak Kiswahili very well because I was living in Tanzania for eight years.) I was engaged on a project in Dar es Salaam by the Norwegian Aid Agency and before I was sent to Tanzania I was called to Oslo (together with my wife and our infant son) to take a two week intensive course in Kiswahili and the culture of East Africa. This enabled me to be much more effective in my work and to make close personal friendships with my Tanzanian counterparts and their families. Often when we went for meetings with Government officials that I had not met before my counterpart would jokingly warn the Tanzanians to be careful of what they said in kiswahili because I would be able to understand it! After a few months my son became friendly with the children and was speaking and understanding Kiswahili as well, if not better, than me. He went on to become a linguist at school back in the UK and now speaks German, French, Spanish and Italian. I believe that learning a second language at an early age is a powerful way to understand linguistics. There is a story told to me by one of my counterparts in Tanzania (I don't know if it is true or not) that when the British colonized East Africa, as an experiment, they decided that Government officials in Kenya should conduct business in English, but that Government officials in Tanzania must learn Kiswahili and conduct business in that language. When each nation gained independence, the Kenyans thought that the British were arrogant for not learning the local lingua franca, and the Tanzanians were upset that they were not taught to develop English which is a very useful language to have in the world! An aspect of colonialism that cannot be won!

Thanks Richard, great to get some history - for a view from the other side, of those who experienced Western-style international development, try Lea Ypi Free: Coming of Age at the End of History and her interview with the Irish Times politics podcast. Great account of living under change in post 1991 Albania.

Good point. Sam Basil was in a way was the forerunner of leaders like Brian Kramer, Garry Juffa, and Alan Bird. For 10 years he maintained a strong position against the likes of Somare & O’Neill who had their share of controversies. Basil’s decision to join O’Neill erased all the good work he did. Due to the constant votes of no confidence in PNG politics, once you join the government, you go silent on corruption issues. You need the support of the “corrupt” to remain in power. Something that Alan Bird, Brian Kramer, and Gary Juffa found out when they joined the Marape-led government in 2019. These three made their name - for politics that is - by criticising the O’Neill Government. But when the government changed, most of O’Neill’s friends remained in the government led by Marape, including MPs that Kramer, Bird and Juffa would regard as corrupt. The Marape-led coalition has everything: those accused of corruption, those who quote scriptures, and those referred to by the foreign media as “tsar of anti corruption”. All bound by the common desire to stay in power.

That's a good thought too when it comes to Government political point of view. I'm not against to anyone thoughts however, speaking from the low level profile is different. In my own opinion, the Economy of a Country doesn't start from the workforce more particularly with our Pacific Nation. Perhaps, I believed it all starts from economy within the family and as an individual. Creating and having opportunities like these allows commoners and a person from a low profile income to be elevated. I can guaranteed it boosts individual economies which provides the best option in life for kids and with an affordable life. In reality, This Pacific scheme initiation and strategy doubling or tripling the incomes of others who were public servants and had good jobs, while in Samoa while others who were unemployed is like winning a lottery. Nothing wrong too for Public Servants who decided to stay they are just fine. I'm just predicting and analysing life. Parents from low standard of living are have a chance investing more to their kids by schooling with those rich and high profiles, while others ensuring taking all kids in school. Every family tribes in Samoa I'm pretty sure got either Lawyers, Accountants, Teachers, Nurses, Doctors and others professions. Meanwhile, the economy of most of families are still in need of help. In example, if a government sacrifices a teacher I'm having faith based on my experience, that teacher will invest more to their kids, relatives to be a recognised given qualitative son or daughter which eventually added more value with massive contribution not only financially, economically to the Governments Economy. It is a "win win situation" to both governments Australia and Samoa but also both parties Samoa Government and the Scheme candidate. Last but not the least, please just a humble request to fix the problem of -underpayment of employees by few Australian Companies -avoid misleading our Pacific people who are working in Australia - put a stop on fraudulent employment contract done by some employers and Agent - avoid manipulating Human Resource systems eg. falsifying records - increase awareness and initiate an independent body to assess and investigate inappropriate behaviour of only the employers who are in compliance with international laws and regulations - avoid psychological abuse of Pacific, also any foreigners no matter what colour or nationality. - and more as speaking from evidence I have on hand Congrats to the new Australian Government.