Pacific Island Temporary Labour Schemes

June 23 2006 - The Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) has welcomed comments by Phil Goff, NZ Trade and Defence Minister, that New Zealand is now committed to looking at potential temporary labour schemes for Pacific Islanders.

Phil Goff's comments were reported by Pacnews from Suva after a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum Trade Ministers. Hef was reported as saying that, unlike Australia, New Zealand would not rule out offering temporary work visas to Pacific Islanders. However, he said that he had to be sure visa terms would be observed and that workers would not be exploited.

PCF Executive Director Vince McBride said that the issue is of such importance that the PCF will bring a wide range of specialists together from the Pacific region to speak at a two-day conference later this month.

Vince McBride said: "Increasingly, Pacific Island Governments are telling us that easier access to the large labour markets of Australia and New Zealand is vital to their future economic prosperity.

The "Pacific Labour Market Conference" will include speakers from the:

• World Bank
• Commonwealth Secretariat
• Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
• New Zealand authorities
• Canadian Government

The Canadian Government also runs a seasonal work scheme with the Caribbean.

"From a New Zealand perspective, a prosperous Pacific is a stable Pacific, and that is vital for us too. This is a subject that needs to be debated widely. With the Pacific Leaders' Forum only a few months away the time is right to consider how temporary labour schemes for Pacific Islanders can be made to work," said Vince McBride.