Robinvale, 22 February 2009

Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme: Official welcome to Tongan participants

Thank you, Greg[1], for that welcome, and I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders and to Elders from other communities who may be here today.

To Miss Odette Tupouohomohema, representing the Tongan High Commissioner to Australia;

And to our new Tongan arrivals, and members of the Tongan community in Robinvale, I say  Malo e lelei  on behalf of the Government of Australia.

All of you who have joined us here today are most welcome, and I thank you for coming.

This day is, as you know, tinged with sadness: it is the day on which we as a nation together reflect on the terrible tragedy that has so recently befallen so many families and communities in this State. 

The danger posed by fire has still not passed, and its human and economic after-effects will be with us for some time yet. 

But as we mark the appalling human cost, and the lifetimes of savings lost, we give thanks for the unceasing sacrifice of the firemen, the emergency workers, the helpers and volunteers from around the State and the country, and from overseas.

It was touching as we drove past, Greg, to see the Australian flag at the volunteer fire fighters’ station just outside on the road at half mast.  And we remember with gratitude the comfort and generosity of friends, such as the touching letter of condolence from Prime Minister, Dr The Hon Feleti Sevele of Tonga to Prime Minister Rudd, and in particular Tonga’s very generous donation to the reconstruction effort.  You are true neighbours in time of pain, or as you might say in Tongan, true ‘Kainga’.

We have seen in recent days how important the support of friends and neighbours can be to close-knit rural communities.  

It is in this spirit of mutual support and mutual benefit that we envisage this pilot program working.   

The Government is committed to rebuild in this State what the fires have so cruelly destroyed.  And the nation stands behind that effort.  As the Prime Minister has said, we’re all in this together.

Life must start afresh.

I think it’s symbolic that you, our friends from Tonga, have arrived at this juncture to join this community at this time.  In this way you become part of the economic life of this community.

And from now on this community of Robinvale is part of the economic lives of your communities on Tongatapu, Ha'apai, Vava'u and 'Eua.

A new beginning

I remember very well, in mid-August last year when the Government announced we would proceed with a pilot scheme for Pacific Seasonal Workers. I also remember the signing a few months later of a Memorandum of Understanding on Tonga’s participation in the scheme with Minister Akolo.

What we so keenly anticipated on those occasions has now arrived. 

I’ve said before, as have other members of the Government, that this Pilot Scheme is designed to do two things: it seeks to make a practical and tangible contribution to a better economic life for our Pacific island neighbours, and to respond to genuine demand from Australia’s horticultural industry.

Well, the almond industry of the Riverland has made it clear they could use the help, especially during the picking season, so that their produce can be exported.

And there’s an important point to be made.

What we’re starting today isn’t simply an ad hoc way of bringing workers from our Pacific neighbours to address temporary labour shortages. 

A lot of planning has gone into it.  We’ve had to examine in some detail the administrative and immigration arrangements, cross-cultural issues, and the rights and entitlements of those involved.

And this is a work in progress.  We need to put in place systems that ensure the Scheme does what it has set out to achieve, and looks after the interests of those most directly involved; and we’ll need to keep those systems under review and ongoing refinement.

We’ve had the good fortune to be able to study and learn from New Zealand’s experience. 

We’ve taken note of lessons learned—for example, with respect to pre-departure briefings, pastoral care, and employment conditions. 

We are looking to the future.  We hope that many of you, and those who follow you, will want to come back in future years, and use your skills again here in Australia. 

Support in the community

The idea of such a scheme has long enjoyed support in the wider Australian community, and, of course, in the Pacific island countries themselves.

I’d like to recognise today especially the strong support of the Horticulture Australia Council, the National Farmers’ Federation, and the Australian Workers’ Union, as well as local MP’s and rural communities – and Greg, if you would please pass on appreciation to your shire because the support of your shire is very important for the public acceptance of a scheme such as this. 

We heard that support clearly expressed at the 2020 Summit in Canberra, in April last year, when participants called on the Government to pursue a policy of comprehensive engagement in the Pacific, including through trade liberalisation and labour mobility.

As you know, the Rudd Government took all these views on board before announcing the Scheme in August last year. 

I’m pleased to say that the idea was well-received at the most senior levels in Pacific governments—as we saw at the last Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Niue—and across Australia. 

And especially in the Riverland, where we have long been told of the substantial unmet demand for workers in the horticultural industry.

The wider picture: Australia and the Pacific

From a Government perspective, this Pilot Scheme is part of a comprehensive new approach to our Pacific neighbourhood. 

It’s part of what Prime Minister Rudd described in Port Moresby last March as a ‘new era of cooperation with the island nations of the Pacific’.

We took office with the intention of starting afresh, of tackling regional developmental challenges in a collaborative way— and in a way that took into account the individual views, needs and priorities of our partners.

That spirit of practicality imbued with respect permeated the Prime Minister’s remarks in Port Moresby, during which he outlined Australia’s commitment to work towards ‘shared goals’ in our region.

That is the philosophy behind the Pacific Partnerships for Development. 

Australia is working hand in hand with Pacific island nations on new initiatives in employment, education, trade, health and governance. 

I’m pleased to say that we will commence negotiations with Tonga in early March, rounding out Partnerships concluded with PNG, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Kiribati. 

We do so with the fundamental purpose of boosting long-term prosperity in our neighbourhood.

The challenge of achieving sustainable growth across the Pacific region requires a strategic, multilayered approach.

One essential component is our development assistance, which across the region comes to just under $1 billion for 2008-09, and whose delivery we are coordinating closely with key partners like New Zealand, Japan, the European Union, and leading international institutions such as the World Bank.

But development assistance is and can be only one part of our approach. 

We hope over the long term to bring about genuine regional economic integration in the Pacific of the kind that already exists between Australia and New Zealand.  

That’s because the more that Pacific nations—and the individual village communities from which you have traveled—are integrated with the wider global community, and the freer the flow of goods, services and investments within the Pacific, the better the prospect of genuine, stable and long-term economic growth in Pacific communities.  

And the more prosperous and secure your own communities will become. 

We also plan in partnership with governments in our region to build capacity in the different island nations, through the provision of training and educational opportunities. 

This Pilot Scheme is a key part of this overall strategy. 

Our approach to seasonal labour—like that adopted in New Zealand—is intended to complement the Pacific island nations’ own development planning and to open new paths to prosperity.

Conclusion

Since we took office, just over a year ago, we have worked hard to turn our commitment to our Pacific relationships into concrete initiatives that will provide practical benefits to all involved.

We’ve consulted closely within Australia and with our colleagues and friends across the Pacific.  Stakeholders and government agencies have worked hard over recent months to make a reality of this idea. 

Our goal, plainly stated, is this.  We hope that you, as visitors from Tonga—and this applies to all those who will follow you—can through your experience and earnings here make a strong contribution to the wellbeing of your community, your society, your homeland, and our region.

At the same time, we hope that the growers of Robinvale and its surrounding region will find the Scheme of advantage to their businesses and their community.  Many will be watching the first days of the Scheme carefully. 

At the end of the day, it’s about creating something that works, works for Australia, works for the Pacific and has public support.

It’s about deepening the relationships between our respective societies. 

It’s about putting in place a vision of our collective futures.

You’re among friends here.  We all know how much Australia’s Tongan community has contributed to Australia and in particular this area.  It’s in the nature of Australian rural communities—as in your home villages—to pull together, to look after mates, and to put in an honest day’s work. 

And that’s a shared heritage that underpins your contribution to and acceptance in this community of Robinvale. 

What we see beginning here today is, I think, profoundly encouraging.

We look to you, and to your hosts, to help make it work.  We will do all we can to assist, and encourage you to share your experiences with us. 

But above all, I wish you well.

Malo ‘aupito [thank you very much]

Media inquiries: Mr Kerr's office - 02 6277 4991

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