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Hi Jonathan, The link is broken again. You could replace it with the archived version at https://web.archive.org/web/20160603013156/http://aidontheedge.info/author/bramalingam/

Thank you for providing relevant information through this blog about the new report released from the Curtin University that is Not-for-profit Initiative which gives us some insight into the scale and profile of the Australian charity sector, including those organizations sending money or working overseas.

As was noted in the UN’s 2014 Report on the State of Human Development in the Pacific: A Report on Vulnerability and Exclusion in a Time of Rapid Change, emigration, particularly to New Zealand, had had a major impact on the population of Samoa. Many young Samoans leave for education and work, or to simply join their families. Others are selected under the Samoan Quota Scheme, which provides for up to 1,100 Samoans to be granted residence in New Zealand each year. The impact of Samoan migration on the population can be seen in an analysis of the 1976 and 2011 census data contained in that report (Box 3.1). This suggested that emigration had amounted to around 50 percent of each 1976 age cohort by the time members had reached their late 30s. For example, people born between 1972 and 1976 would have been aged between 35 and 39 at the 2011 census. In 1976, there were 24,646 children aged between 0 and 4 years living in Samoa. Taking account of the estimated number of natural deaths expected from birth to that age, it was estimated that there should have been a population of about 23,300 aged between 35 and 39 at the 2011 census. In fact, there were only 10,877 persons recorded in the 35-39 year cohort in that census, this suggests that around half of the people in the original 0-4 year age cohort in 1976 had migrated by the age of 35-39 years. Proportionate migration estimates can also be seen from subsequent cohorts in the 1981 and 1986 census suggesting that this is a stable pattern of migration. Sources: 1976 & 2011 Census of Population, Samoa Bureau of Statistics.

Excellent article Rochelle. Needs to be talked about. The role of LSU's and local diaspora's in understanding and discouraging this course of action could be strengthened as you suggest. If it is an issue that an SWP or PLS worker has with their AE, I'm not aware of any other worker in Australia that can pick up a phone and with one call, reach the head of the program or senior officers in Canberra or the FWO. So access to official assistance is not the issue. It also doesn't help that Border Force does not have the resources to play a stronger role in repatriating or apprehending people even when they are made aware of their whereabouts. Perhaps not viewed as a security threat, which is understandable, in this time of uncertainty, but it doesn't help any of us to deal with this or those who encourage absconders.

I'd just add to Richard's response that you could charge employers to fund government SWP services, but then employers would be more likely to hire from other countries, so fewer ni-Vanuatu would get to work on the SWP. Stephen

Mr Gande your analysis is very useful, however which Budget year did you use to make your analysis

Thank you. I think even more so the workers and prospective workers need to be heard and develop agency. In all of this to date they have had little of either. Hoping whatever changes are made work for their benefit.

Jean, thanks for your response. It is my view that the agent recruitment system does need governance reforms to make it more effective. I reached this conclusion after spending some time collecting feedback from agents by email, talking to them and to workers while preparing a report for the Government in 2018 on a framework for a new national labour mobility policy. The agents now need to work out themselves as a group what reforms they think are needed and to propose them to the government.

Loron diak Florencio. Situasaun la hun la dikin maibei cerita pendek agora programa servisu iha Australia nakonu ona. Ema nain 20,000 liu hein atu ba maibei batas Australia sei taka. Maibei ita hein katak aban bain rua oportunidade tan sei mosu. Ho Markomark buat hotu bele. Hi Florencio. The situation is a bit confused, but the short story is that right now both the programs are full. There are probably more than 20,000 waiting to go, and the borders are still closed. However we hope there will be more opportunities in the future.

The 1970s arrangements,which made all Torres Strait islands part of Australia, & The Torres Strait Island Treaty(1985) itself, are of course what China would call "an unequal treaty" I am sure China will assist PNG to remedy this colonial land grab. It is absurd that the PNG mainland is only 4 kms. from Australian territory (and vice-versa) -but since Australia has no borders -being an island (or islands) -the maritime boundary is presumably equidistant, which is fairly elastic - & fluid.(pun) I do agree that Australia is a problem for PNG -eg "Operation Sweep" showed the vast collusion of Australian banks in laundering money through Cairns, Townsville & Brisbane. But the Australian political system is so corrupt (eg. no ICAC -unlike PNG) it's hard to see a way ahead. (Maybe James Macauley was right -PNG should have become an Aust. state) Sex-tourism is a real problem,but a growing problem is trans-national drug trafficking. We know the Calabrian 'ngdrangheta are using PNG for transit, but if the major Highland clans get more involved,then....Illicit economies need far closer attention

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The proposal is a good one. From the people I know in the scheme, especially now with the unusual circumstances, some agents have made no contact at all with their participants, and there has been major confusion with little or no knowledge of where to go for advice and information. The current mob here could provide a huge amount of feedback on the challenges they've faced. But I wonder really how many would be happy to be taxed again on the amount they earn through truly hard labour. All of the people I know get less than half their gross weekly income in their bank accounts, after 15% goes direct to Australian Government, health insurance, $140 to $170 on accommodation regardless of the market rent and utilities that would apply to that accommodation in normal circumstances and exorbitant transport costs. This applies not just to weekly but to their annualised payments. In addition there's no guarantee that the Vanuatu Government would use any revenue for such a good initiative.... As you know they would have many competing priorities. It's a pity that despite some really good agents there are some that have spoilt the reputation of agents through inaction and other practices.