The Australian government will expand its labour program to bring more Pacific Islander workers to the country in a bid to shore up relations with the region.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility program, which already assists around 25,000 workers, will be expanded to include the services sector, notably aged care, tourism, and hospitality.
“Traditionally, it has been in areas such as agriculture, and in meatworks, and other blue-collar industries that have tended to mean that men from the Pacific have participated in the scheme,” he told reporters on July 15.
“This is good for our Pacific Island neighbours, because what it enables is more women to participate in the scheme. But it’s also good for Australia, because these are areas in which there are massive skill shortages.”…