Australia urged to speed up Pacific seasonal worker scheme

[Stacey King]

ABC Radio Australia: Pacific Beat Updated July 20, 2010 17:02:41

Pacific island leaders have been urged to raise the slow progress of Australia's Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme at the regional leaders summit in Vanuatu next month. Under the pilot scheme, 2,500 workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu would work in Australia's horticulture industry on temporary basis. The Australian government had announced the scheme in 2008 but so far, only 123 visas have been approved. This issue was discussed by representatives of the region's Labour and Trade departments during their meeting in Sydney last week.

Presenter: Caroline Tiriman
Speaker: Vanuatu's Commissioner of Labour, Lionel Kaluat

• Listen:
• Windows Media