Vanuatu seasonal workers speak out on mistreatment
A group of Vanuatu seasonal workers in Australia who absconded from their farms have come out to shed light on their working conditions. While they say they regret that their actions have tarnished Vanuatu’s effort in
Cop that! Preparing for climate talks in Egypt – and the Pacific?
As leaders gather in Suva for the 51st Pacific Islands Forum, island nations are also gearing up for the next round of global climate negotiations, to be held in November in Egypt. This week’s Forum summit in Fiji
Politics blocking U.S influence on ocean laws, warns military
American and Australian national security is at risk because the U.S. Congress has blocked the Biden administration from signing up to a convention on the world’s oceans that covers seabed mining, say experts
Opinion: Australia’s international health funding: commitments and challenges
by Cameron Hill and Huiyuan Liu While commentators have remarked on how little attention Australia’s domestic COVID-19 situation received in the 2022 federal election campaign, discussion of the global pandemic was
Australia recommits to Nauru ‘regional processing centre’
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has recommitted to maintaining the regional processing centre on Nauru, which accounts for more than half of the island country’s budget. Revenue from the processing centre
Australia’s submits more ambitious climate targets
Australia has submitted more ambitious climate targets to the United Nations, with the government declaring the country had turned a corner on the issue. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an updated version of the
ACT elects David Pocock as first independent senator
Former Australian rugby union star David Pocock has made history, becoming the first independent senator for a territory. This morning, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) confirmed he had unseated former ACT
Opinion: Penny Wong dives deep into the audacity of the Oceanic Pacific
Nurturing relationships is paramount to break down unequal power dynamics – especially in working for women rights. By ‘Ofa-ki-Levuka (‘Ofa) Guttenbeil-Likiliki From the 1990s to the early 2000s, Oceanic writer
Qantas Airways renews license to fly to Samoa
Qantas Airways Limited has applied to Samoa’s Ministry for Works Transport and Infrastructure to fly two routes between two Australian east coast cities and Samoa. The interest shown by one of the
Don’t saddle Pacific Islands with disaster debt
Pacific Islands are facing a serious debt crisis that has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdown of the tourism industry. Research based on International Monetary Fund country reports shows
The next NRL team should come from Papua New Guinea
For all the focus in the Australian media on recent developments throughout the Pacific, it’s strange that the potential addition of a Papua New Guinea team to the Australian National Rugby League appears to have
Fiji AG says China proposed deal ‘simply a proposal’
Fiji’s Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has sought to play down concern over China’s proposed deal with 10 Pacific nations covering policing, security and communications. Former Kiribati president Anote Tong
‘Quad’ security group to track Indo-Pacific illegal fishing
The U.S, Japan, Australia and India will on Tuesday unveil a maritime initiative aimed at curbing illegal fishing in the Indo-Pacific, a U.S official said, in the latest effort by the “Quad” to counter Chinese
Solomon Islands congratulates Albanese on election win
The Solomon Islands has congratulated Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his election win as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Yet, “much however, remains to be done,” says Solomon Islands
Albanese victory welcomed by Fiji PM
Pacific Islands leaders will be hoping that the swearing in of Australia’s new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese tomorrow morning will herald a new era in climate action from Australia. Fiji Prime Minister, Frank
Australia, NZ and the PICs: a new era for PACER?
By Dr Wadan Narsey Australia has been jolted out of its self-declared “vuvale” (family) complacency in its relations to the Pacific. Following the recent political fall-out in Australia because of the
Australia and next steps in the Pacific
Dr Anthony Bergin and Jeffrey Wall The Solomon Islands security agreement with China is a significant setback for Australia and the region. In barely three years Solomon Islands has gone from supporting Taiwan
Opinion: Labor will rebuild Australia’s international development program
Labor’s international development policies will help re-establish Australia as a partner of choice for countries in our region in meeting economic, development, climate and security challenges. These policies will
Opinion: Global racial justice needs to be at the heart of Australian aid
The Greens’ vision for aid and development sees Australia not just contribute its fair share of Official Development Assistance (ODA), but also reimagines foreign aid, not simply as charity but as an issue of global
Commercial kava pilot off to a flying start
When the Australian government gave the green light for a two-year commercial kava pilot program in December last year, “the excitement was palpable,” Australia's Minister for International Development and Pacific,
Australia election: Climate the most important security issue, say military and political leaders
As voters in Australia head to the polls on 21 May, there is increasing debate over the link between climate change and security. Capitalising on the heated debate around the China-Solomon Islands security agreement, a
Felled by its own Failures – How Australia’s inaction to reform logging in the Solomon Islands has let China in
We have watched these past few weeks as the evolving situation surrounding the Solomon Islands/China security pact has unfolded. It appears that every journalist and political commentator is suddenly an expert in the
U.S-Solomon Islands bilateral talks a success
On the China-Solomon Islands Security Cooperation, “We have no say on the SI-China agreement. We respect Solomon Islands sovereign decision. There is no misunderstanding,” stated the White House Official.
