The inclusion of PNG workers in the Pacific Labour Scheme overdue and welcome

I have long held the view that Australia's approach to visa applications from Papua New Guineans is discriminatory (but not necessarily racist).

One of the outcomes of last week's Australia-PNG ministerial forum was to confirm the inclusion of around 3,000 Papua New Guineans in a section of the Pacific seasonal workers scheme.

The decision also to relocate the regional visa office from Fiji to PNG is also very welcome.

I argue that the process has been discriminatory on the basis of numerous examples I have been given over the years.

Some years ago I was asked by my friends at YWAM in Townsville to see if I could assist a local church with visas to enable about 50 women from PNG to attend a week-long Christian conference in Townsville. Air fares and accommodation were to be provided for all women from PNG.

Only about 20 had obtained visas. The rest were denied by Australian officials at the high commission in Port Moresby.

What happened demonstrated a discriminatory policy that could not be defended.

It is clear that women who put on their visa applications "home duties" or "housewife" were denied.

Why?

Surely women who are raising a family are not going to breach visa rules in Australia? They would not overstay for obvious reasons.

The problem was largely fixed - but it was too late for some women to travel. This incident illustrated to me a worrying failure to understand the nature of PNG society today. It also failed to encourage Christian connections.

One hopes that the refreshing approach minister Wong has to people-to-people engagement with Papua New Guinea does not end with the inclusion of PNG citizens in the Pacific workers scheme but embraces a mature approach to visa applications generally.