Let PNGns work in Australia: Downer

The Howard Government wouldn’t have a bar of it while he was Australia's foreign minister but now Alexander Downer is urging Kevin Rudd to give people from South Pacific nations special rights to work in Australia. And Mr Downer says would use this labour mobility as a trade off for Pacific nations’ showing commitment to minimum standards of governance.

“I think the idea of going to these countries and saying, look, we will give you a whole series of medium-term commitments including funding commitments, aid program commitments and some commitments in terms of labour mobility into Australia, personally I don't have a problem with that, although it wasn't the policy of the Howard government.”

But Mr Downer says there will need to be minimum standards of governance met by nations in the Pacific. “If they don't meet those minimum standards of governance then the deal is off. I do think that's a very good idea,” he said.

“I'm not sure how popular this will be with the public or with politicians in Australia,” Mr Downer said, “but it's something that needs to be examined. I've always thought that, and I argued that in years gone by.

“In the case of a country like Nauru, you've got around 11,000 people with no real long-term economic prospects. The prognosis for Nauru is pretty dire. I think in time we will have to allow Nauruans some access to the Australian labour market.”

Should Australia offer the same access to Papua New Guinea? “I think it’s something the new government will want to talk to them about,” Mr Downer said. “I think it would depend very much on what sort of terms you negotiate. You wouldn't want to give them carte blanche and say you’ll definitely do it. I think you'd want to see what they would offer. That is, it should be tied up with the continual development of the enhanced cooperation program with Papua New Guinea, not just granted to them.”

Original source: ABC Correspondents Report, 5 April 2008