Australia’s Pacific Engagement Visa: What’s Next?
On August 2, ballots for the Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) closed for eight participating countries, with the exception of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau who each received a two-week extension. Whether
Opinion: Bougainville in Transition
It is now 35 years since the Bougainville crisis erupted and 23 years after it officially ended through the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement in August 2001. Children in Primary school in 1989 are now in their
Opinion: Free(r) movement at the Forum
The annual Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) always has a wide-ranging agenda. This year the FEMM, which was held at the start of August in Suva, endorsed the now-finalised but yet-to-be-released
Opinion: Is the time ripe for constitutional change in Fiji?
The liquidation of the former governing party, FijiFirst, has opened up debate about an amendment to the 2013 constitution or its complete replacement. FijiFirst was the party led by former military commander and 2006
Economic diplomacy: Banking on the Pacific
Rebuilding regional banking is unlikely to pay dividends without an underlying business revival. Australia’s oldest bank changed its name from the Bank of New South Wales to Westpac in 1982, reflecting apparent
Opinion: Fiji’s emigration boom: will it last?
The spike in migration out of Fiji since the end of COVID has been widely commented on. It is certainly real. Prior to 2018 there were on average about 9,000 more departures than arrivals of Fijian residents every year.
Opinion: The fifth-child rule: Marshall Islands’ maternity leave policy affronts local customs and tradition
Now that we have the most women (four) in the history of the Marshall Islands in the Nitijela (parliament), including a woman president, Hilda C. Heine, I believe it is time to address and change the archaic Marshall
Opinion: Mixing oil and water
As protests erupt across New Caledonia, a leading Loyalist politician claims indigenous Kanak and the West are like ‘oil and water’ Sonia Backès, the leading conservative anti-independence politician of her
Fiji replaces Vanuatu as top PALM sending country
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme has been transformed over the last five years. In June 2019, there were 5,886 PALM visa holders in Australia. Five years later, in May 2024, there were 32,513, an
Opinion: Small-Scale Fishers facing Large-Scale Challenges at WTO
A decision whether to conclude negotiations that prohibit subsidies that contribute to overfishing and overcapacity is happening next week at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The WTO General Council meeting follows
Opinion: Bougainville’s home-grown independence constitution: Part 2
The draft of the Constitution of the Republic of Bougainville draws on numerous sources, including the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) Constitution, the PNG Constitution, the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA),