Home

Vanuatu politicians say Pacific Australia Labour Mobility initiative scheme is not working

Kimberley Caines In Port Vila, VanuatuThe West Australian
CommentsComments
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, her Opposition counterpart Simon Birmingham, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, and Nationals MP Michael McCormack touched down in Vanuatu on Monday.
Camera IconForeign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, her Opposition counterpart Simon Birmingham, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, and Nationals MP Michael McCormack touched down in Vanuatu on Monday. Credit: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Regional security is emerging as a major theme coming out of a four-day bipartisan trip to the Pacific region.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, her Opposition counterpart Simon Birmingham, Pacific Minister Pat Conroy, and Nationals MP Michael McCormack touched down in Vanuatu on Monday, and provided a united front to demonstrate Australia’s unwavering commitment to the region amid growing strategic competition from China.

It comes after Beijing entered a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April, and have since attempted to do the same with other islands in the Indo-Pacific.

But the Vanuatu Government on Monday confirmed its nation had “not established any security agreement”.

“We have not even discussed any matter in relation to security,” Vanuatu Foreign Minister Jotham Napat said.

He said Australia was a “core security partner” of Vanuatu.

Also dominating the first day of the Pacific trip, which also includes stops in the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau later this week, was allowing workers from Vanuatu to come to Australia for seasonal jobs with local leaders saying it has “its fair share of issues”.

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility initiative allows Australian businesses to hire workers from nine Pacific islands and Timor-Leste when there are not enough Australians to fill positions — mostly in agriculture and meatworks.

Currently, there are 33,713 temporary workers from these regions in Australia, with 9000 being from Vanuatu — making up the largest component.

In total, nearly 3500 are located in WA, as the State battles with a skills crisis.

The aim of the program is to fill labour shortages, allow overseas workers to develop skills, and send income back to their families that are living in poverty.

They can work in Australia for up to nine months, or between one and four years in unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled positions.

But Vanuatu politicians told the Australian delegation of cross-party ministers that the scheme was not working.

Influential figure Willie Plasua, who is the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs president, raised concerns about workers being separated from their families “for too long” as well as experiencing a “loss of culture”.

The Vanuatu Foreign Minister said in order for Australia and its nation to move forward, both countries had to work “hand-in-hand to identify our strengths and weaknesses”.

“While labour mobility is a win-win for both of our economies, it does not come without its own cause of challenges, especially in welfare and pastoral care,” Mr Napat said.

“As a partner, I strongly believe we can work together to define the best model of care that will benefit us all.”

Senator Wong agreed issues needed to be ironed out with the scheme and that is was “a very important economic opportunity for both countries”.

“We are really conscious of the benefit but also some of the ways in which we can improve the program,” she said in Vanuatu’s capital.

“It is our obligation to make it as supportive as possible and as decent as possible. We don’t want the exploitation.”

Mr Conroy said it was a scheme that Australia had “to get right” because it injected about $83 million a year into the Australian economy and sent back nearly $150 million to Vanuatu.

“We’re doing a trial where 200 workers can bring their families into the country to alleviate the separation issue,” he said.

“The message that we’ve been hearing from the government of Vanuatu is the scheme is very important to them economically.

“It’s very important for them in terms of upskilling and we’re expanding it into the care sector, aged care, hospitality and tourism, but we have to get it right for their workers.”

Tuesday will be focused on security with the Australian Government to handover a police boat at the newly-constructed Mala Base Wharf in Port Vila, and meet with Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau.

“We have an interest in a Pacific which is stronger economically, sovereign choices can be made, and health and prosperity can be improved,” Senator Wong said.

“Australia has an ethical interest in that and we have a regional interest to that.”

On Wednesday, the leaders will touch down in Micronesia to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Pacific nation, and will visit a school to see Australian support for the education sector in action.

The trip will wrap up with a visit to a solar project in Palau on Thursday, following the launch of a program that digitised clinical patient information and data.

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails