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RNZ News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
What does the 2025 Australian election mean for the Pacific Islands?
Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro With just one day to go before the 2025 Australian federal election, the Labor Party is in pole position to govern again in the Pacific region's largest economy. Australia has a fast-growing Pasifika population , with approximately 337,000 people with Pacific Island heritage calling the country home. However, despite their increasing presence, Pacific Islanders continue to lag behind both economically and socially, and campaigners argue that public policy decisions fail to account for their needs. So what does the election mean for the Pacific population? Climate advocacy group Pacific campaigner Jacynta Fa'amau told RNZ Pacific that the survival of their ancestral homes is a growing concern among young Pacific Islanders. Fa'amau said that, on the whole, Pasifika people living in Australia, like most minority groups, are wrapped up in the cost of living crisis. "Pasifika people are still earning less than the general population despite working similar hours," she said. "There are also many barriers that Pacific people face when it comes to accessing education due to citizen status." Much like Aotearoa, Australia's Pasifika population is concentrated mostly in urban areas, with around 20 percent residing in Western Sydney alone. Australian media have stressed the importance of Western Sydney to each party's political calculus in their reporting. That urban presence overlaps conveniently with the Greens' target demographic, as they fight to keep their metro seats, such as Brisbane and Melbourne, while seeking to expand their foothold. With that in mind, the Greens have been inclined to campaign more on hot-button Pasifika issues, such as foreign aid and migration. New South Wales (NSW) senator David Shoebridge told RNZ Pacific that he believes his Pasifika constituents notice a lack of respect on Australia's part. "Too often, when Australia looks to the Pacific, they look at it through a narrow economic lens. [The Greens] see the future of the Pacific as a partnership." Overall, aid was increased by 2.7 percent in the 2024-2025 federal budget, with the Pacific aid program now making up over 42 percent of Australia's overall aid. Despite that, overseas development assistance has dropped from A$223 billion in 2023 to A$212b in 2024, or equivalent to 19 cents for every A$100 in national income, according to Oxfam. As a result, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranks Australia just 28th out of 32 developed nations. Meanwhile, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton boasted the previous Liberal-National Party (LNP) government's "Pacific Step-up", which aimed to position Australia as a go-to partner for Pacific nations. On Wednesday, the LNP released a policy costing that reduced aid by A$813m over four years, but this did not include the Pacific." Days before, Dutton pledged A$21 billion in new defence spending over five years. Fa'amau said that the "big brother" role that Australia plays in the region often comes at the region's expense. "With one hand, [the government] celebrate its contributions to climate finance and with the other it approves new coal mines," she said. "Climate migration pathways have also come at the cost of sovereignty and security for some islands." Shoebridge said that both governments consistently fail on their foreign aid obligations. "We have seen the Labor government refuse to come close to meeting their platform of increasing federal aid, and what we have seen in just the last few months is a catastrophic drop off of aid in our region, with huge cuts from the United States." He said the Greens would push for Australia to increase their foreign aid to 0.7 percent of GDP within the decade.
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
What Does The 2025 Australian Election Means For The Pacific Islands?
With just one day to go before the 2025 Australian federal election, the Labor Party is in pole position to govern again in the Pacific region's largest economy. Australia has a fast-growing Pasifika population, with approximately 337,000 people with Pacific Island heritage calling the country home. However, despite their increasing presence, Pacific Islanders continue to lag behind both economically and socially, and campaigners argue that public policy decisions fail to account for their needs. So what does the election mean for the Pacific population? Climate advocacy group Pacific campaigner Jacynta Fa'amau told RNZ Pacific that the survival of their ancestral homes is a growing concern among young Pacific Islanders. Fa'amau said that, on the whole, Pasifika people living in Australia, like most minority groups, are wrapped up in the cost of living crisis. "Pasifika people are still earning less than the general population despite working similar hours," she said. "There are also many barriers that Pacific people face when it comes to accessing education due to citizen status." Much like Aotearoa, Australia's Pasifika population is concentrated mostly in urban areas, with around 20 percent residing in Western Sydney alone. Australian media have stressed the importance of Western Sydney to each party's political calculus in their reporting. That urban presence overlaps conveniently with the Greens' target demographic, as they fight to keep their metro seats, such as Brisbane and Melbourne, while seeking to expand their foothold. With that in mind, the Greens have been inclined to campaign more on hot-button Pasifika issues, such as foreign aid and migration. New South Wales (NSW) senator David Shoebridge told RNZ Pacific that he believes his Pasifika constituents notice a lack of respect on Australia's part. "Too often, when Australia looks to the Pacific, they look at it through a narrow economic lens. [The Greens] see the future of the Pacific as a partnership." Pacific foreign aid Overall, aid was increased by 2.7 percent in the 2024-2025 federal budget, with the Pacific aid program now making up over 42 percent of Australia's overall aid. Despite that, overseas development assistance has dropped from A$223 billion in 2023 to A$212b in 2024, or equivalent to 19 cents for every A$100 in national income, according to Oxfam. As a result, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranks Australia just 28th out of 32 developed nations. Meanwhile, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton boasted the previous Liberal-National Party (LNP) government's "Pacific Step-up", which aimed to position Australia as a go-to partner for Pacific nations. Liberal Party backbenchers are urging their leader against any major cuts for foreign aid, according to an exclusive report by The Guardian. This comes after Dutton pledged A$21b in new defence spending over five years, prompting speculation that aid spending would suffer as a result. Fa'amau said that the "big brother" role that Australia plays in the region often comes at the region's expense. "With one hand, [the government] celebrate its contributions to climate finance and with the other it approves new coal mines," she said. "Climate migration pathways have also come at the cost of sovereignty and security for some islands." Shoebridge said that both governments consistently fail on their foreign aid obligations. "We have seen the Labor government refuse to come close to meeting their platform of increasing federal aid, and what we have seen in just the last few months is a catastrophic drop off of aid in our region, with huge cuts from the United States." He said the Greens would push for Australia to increase their foreign aid to 0.7 percent of GDP within the decade.
RNZ News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
What does the 2025 Australian election means for the Pacific Islands?
Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro With just one day to go before the 2025 Australian federal election, the Labor Party is in pole position to govern again in the Pacific region's largest economy. Australia has a fast-growing Pasifika population , with approximately 337,000 people with Pacific Island heritage calling the country home. However, despite their increasing presence, Pacific Islanders continue to lag behind both economically and socially, and campaigners argue that public policy decisions fail to account for their needs. So what does the election mean for the Pacific population? Climate advocacy group Pacific campaigner Jacynta Fa'amau told RNZ Pacific that the survival of their ancestral homes is a growing concern among young Pacific Islanders. Fa'amau said that, on the whole, Pasifika people living in Australia, like most minority groups, are wrapped up in the cost of living crisis. "Pasifika people are still earning less than the general population despite working similar hours," she said. "There are also many barriers that Pacific people face when it comes to accessing education due to citizen status." Much like Aotearoa, Australia's Pasifika population is concentrated mostly in urban areas, with around 20 percent residing in Western Sydney alone. Australian media have stressed the importance of Western Sydney to each party's political calculus in their reporting. That urban presence overlaps conveniently with the Greens' target demographic, as they fight to keep their metro seats, such as Brisbane and Melbourne, while seeking to expand their foothold. With that in mind, the Greens have been inclined to campaign more on hot-button Pasifika issues, such as foreign aid and migration. New South Wales (NSW) senator David Shoebridge told RNZ Pacific that he believes his Pasifika constituents notice a lack of respect on Australia's part. "Too often, when Australia looks to the Pacific, they look at it through a narrow economic lens. [The Greens] see the future of the Pacific as a partnership." Overall, aid was increased by 2.7 percent in the 2024-2025 federal budget, with the Pacific aid program now making up over 42 percent of Australia's overall aid. Despite that, overseas development assistance has dropped from A$223 billion in 2023 to A$212b in 2024, or equivalent to 19 cents for every A$100 in national income, according to Oxfam. As a result, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranks Australia just 28th out of 32 developed nations. Meanwhile, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton boasted the previous Liberal-National Party (LNP) government's "Pacific Step-up", which aimed to position Australia as a go-to partner for Pacific nations. Liberal Party backbenchers are urging their leader against any major cuts for foreign aid, according to an exclusive report by The Guardian. This comes after Dutton pledged A$21b in new defence spending over five years, prompting speculation that aid spending would suffer as a result. Fa'amau said that the "big brother" role that Australia plays in the region often comes at the region's expense. "With one hand, [the government] celebrate its contributions to climate finance and with the other it approves new coal mines," she said. "Climate migration pathways have also come at the cost of sovereignty and security for some islands." Shoebridge said that both governments consistently fail on their foreign aid obligations. "We have seen the Labor government refuse to come close to meeting their platform of increasing federal aid, and what we have seen in just the last few months is a catastrophic drop off of aid in our region, with huge cuts from the United States." He said the Greens would push for Australia to increase their foreign aid to 0.7 percent of GDP within the decade.
SBS Australia
30-04-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
Why the Coalition is promising to spend billions in this 'battleground for influence'
The Coalition has pledged $2 billion towards infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, hoping to sway voters concerned about national security, as regional development becomes a "battleground for influence". In its latest election bid, the Coalition announced on Wednesday it would boost the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) to increase defence and security in the region. If elected, the Coalition would increase its funding for the AIFFP from $4 billion to $6 billion to support finance infrastructure projects like port upgrades in Papua New Guinea. The body partners with governments and private businesses in the region through grants and loans and has been running since 2019. Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson David Coleman said a prosperous Indo-Pacific is "fundamental". "Infrastructure financing has become yet another battleground for influence in our region," he said, referencing longstanding cross-party efforts to ensure China — or any other potentially hostile power — does not exert influence or gain a security foothold in Australia's backyard. "A larger AIFFP under a future Coalition government will work to further strengthen Australia's partnerships with nations across the Pacific and Timor-Leste," Coleman said. "It will complement the defence, security, and other economic ties which were at the core of the Coalition's Pacific Step-up when last in government." The announcement follows criticism from Labor frontbenchers, who have accused Opposition leader Peter Dutton and former prime minister Scott Morrison of leaving a "vacuum" in the Pacific during their last term in government. Since taking office in 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made several policies and announcements in an attempt to bolster ties with the Pacific. The government has made a defence pact with PNG, created regional policing and national security initiatives, and established a new visa for Pacific Islanders. While the Indo-Pacific may not be top of mind for voters this election campaign, both major parties have continued to reference growing geopolitical uncertainty, including stock market crashes and potential threats to Australia's national security, as major concerns. China spends billions on projects in the Indo-Pacific and while the Albanese government has worked to restore ties with China, their relationship remains under scrutiny, particularly after a Chinese "spy ship" circumnavigated Australia in March. Albanese said at the time he would "prefer if it wasn't there". "What our task is to do is to make sure that we represent Australia's national interests. We do that each and every day. And I have every confidence in our defence force and our security agencies to do just that," he said. Improving economic ties with the Indo-Pacific could also be viewed as a way to shore up Australia's trade interests, in the wake of Trump's tariff announcements and an expected global economic downturn . Both Dutton and Albanese's relationships with Trump have been in the spotlight this election, as Trump's decisions continue to impact markets around the world and in Australia. Visit the to access articles, podcasts and videos from SBS News, NITV and our teams covering more than 60 languages.-
