Ling-Stuckey revs up speed to get Kavieng workers into Australian orchards

The National National

By MALUM NALU
Kavieng district development authority (KDDA) is moving ahead full steam in its bid to have people from there involved in the Australia government’s seasonal worker programme (SWP).
Shadow Treasurer and Kavieng MP Ian Ling-Stuckey, who has been travelling around Australia talking to government officials, farmers and PNG seasonal workers, said the KDDA remained committed to have its people involved in the SWP. The SWP, which involves fruit picking at Australian farms, has been included in the KDDA’s five-year development plan.
A World Bank report in 2017 reviewing the SWP noted that “over a six-month employment stint, the average Pacific seasonal worker was remitting about A$2200 (K5200) while in Australia and transferring A$6650 (K15800) in savings home at the end of their stay”. Ling-Stuckey said this was equivalent to A$8850 or about K22,000 for six months’ work.
“One-hundred New Irelanders working for six months in Australia would remit and inject over
K2 million into the New Ireland economy,” he said.
“They would be taking home invaluable foreign exchange.
“Imagine if we could implement labour mobility on a national scale?”
However, Ling-Stuckey cautioned that the labour mobility scheme was not about how many PNG citizens could be employed in Australia but how many vacancies existed in their horticultural sector.
“Of about 6166 Pacific Islands seasonal workers engaged in Australia in 2017, according to the World Bank, only about 129 PNG citizens were employed in the SWP scheme,” he said. “This was disappointing. Together with Namatanai MP Walter Schnaubelt, we look forward to working closely with the Minister for Labour and his department to identify issues restraining PNG citizens from participating in larger numbers in the SWP.
“Kavieng and Namatanai district development authorities will be working closely to coordinate and facilitate a working plan going forward. The seasonal worker programme seems to be a win-win policy for all four stakeholders: PNG worker, Australian employer and both the PNG and Australian governments.”