Comments

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.

There is possibility to apply for those chance to work in Australia?

We had a look north policy by a successive Government. I do not know what good it has done to PNG but one thing is very sure, "CORRUPTION". Look at somethings imported, only good to last just one week and then all the money spent is gone and too the purchase. Job have gone. Expateriates looking fixedly over the shoulder and the hands of the local cashier. No trust. All supposedly reserved businesses are taken up by foriegners to the extreme of operations in the villages, settlements and districts. The people should wakeup and see the reality and take action. There should be a review of such stupid policy and...........

Aid to Manus didn’t happen. If we want to point a finger at corruption in PNG - which is justified - we need to thoroughly investigate and prosecute everyone involved in the farce that was Lombrum, became the town camps and continues to this day in hotels in Brisbane and the centre in Bomana. Whatever your thoughts on the refugees I doubt that anyone would accept millions of Australian tax payers dollars going in the pockets that it did.

I agree to this, corruption is the main evidence. It's the best way to expose such things that have been kept secret by this selfish leaders. Totally agree.

My Father Ken Jarvis built the airstrip on the Fly in the early sixties - I drove a backhoe for him at Kiunga - I have stories and photos - anyone is intetested

Maybe PNG got its political independence from Australia too early when it wasn't ready to provide for its own citizens after independence. On the other hand has Australia done enough in the 45 years after PNG gained independence? It's not only on monetary terms but all other sectors. Australian tax payers should be rightly asking where all the millions of dollars given throughout the years have gone. It is no secret that corruption at all levels of governance in PNG is not only systematic but also endemic. Important funds meant for service delivery to the bottom level villages most often dry up along the way between financier (governments) and service providers, sometimes only set up overnight just to lay hands on these funds. Only when the public service machinery change the mindset of the people in the system can improvements be expected in how services are delivered to the people.