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.

Some years ago I asked the then PNG Consul General in Brisbane, Paul Nerau, to check on how many PNG visa holders broke visa conditions in Australia.

The answer was a surprise - almost none! And most certainly less than visa holders from just about every country, including Pacific nations!

Papua New Guineans value the relationship with Australia. They generally respect our laws and rules.

Thousands have attended schools here over the years. They mix well with Australian students and their families. Some years ago I was introduced to the captains of a Charters Towers boarding school with a long history of taking PNG students.

The male captain was the grandson of a distinguished former Speaker of the PNG Parliament, Sevese Morea. I was told by the principal he was chosen as captain purely on merit.

Now to the seasonal workers scheme.

The recruitment of PNG participants will be a unique opportunity for both countries to benefit.

Workers from island nations like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are well-suited to basic areas of need in Australia such as fruit picking and manual work in hotels etc.

But PNG really needs more workers in the agricultural sector. The future of PNG depends on a vibrant agricultural sector, which today is tragically run down.

We need to make the inclusion of PNG in the scheme a "win-win" opportunity.

That means recruiting workers to not just do manual work in the farm sector but also learn modern farming, and fisheries practices they can apply in their own communities when they return to PNG.

Those wanting to learn about modern farming should get priority when it comes to being included in the scheme. It must not be seen as just cheap labour, filling shortages in rural Australia.

One of Australia's priorities in its maturing relationship with PNG must be how we help address the great social scourge threatening the stability of our neighbour - massive unemployment.

Rebuilding the once strong agricultural sector holds the key to start making an impact.

We can readily contribute positively to that while helping fill our own labour shortages.

Given the modest number of initial participants, that should not be hard. The majority of school leavers and young men and women generally are from rural communities, or their parents have a rural background.

If we get this right our bi-lateral relationship will benefit significantly.

This week minister Wong visited Kiribati, and then Fiji, for the Pacific leaders meeting.

This is her ninth visit to the region since she became Foreign Minister just nine months ago!

I wonder how many her predecessor made in nine years yet alone nine months?

PNG faces many challenges. We can't solve all of them...but we can help.

Inclusion of PNG in the Pacific workers scheme is an important contribution.

If it is managed sensibly it can build on a relationship that is in very good shape!