Publications

Labour mobility: an Australian seasonal work visa scheme for Pacific Islands labour

Jenny Hayward-Jones

Summary

On 12-13 June 2008, the Lowy Institute hosted a conference to examine the questions associated with the possible introduction of a seasonal work visa scheme for Pacific Islanders in the Australian horticulture sector. The conference focused on the horticultural industry’s requirements for a stable and reliable workforce, the strong interest and capacity of Pacific Island countries suffering from high unemployment to take up seasonal employment in Australia, the importance of appropriate design of pilot programs and the likelihood that the benefits of establishing a seasonal labour scheme for Pacific Islanders would outweigh the social and economic costs of administering a scheme. For more information on this conference, please read the outcomes report.

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The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll

The sixth annual Lowy Institute Poll surveys Australian public opinion on a range of foreign policy issues. New questions this year cover the Rudd Government’s handling of foreign policy issues during its first term in office, whether Australia should develop nuclear weapons, attitudes towards Indonesia and US power, sanctions against Fiji and the morality of Australia’s foreign policy.

The Poll also repeated questions asked in previous years, revealing trends in public opinion on topics such as climate change, Australia’s military involvement in Afghanistan, and attitudes towards the United States and China.

A panel discussion about the poll can be heard here:
The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll - MP3 (23MB)Download item (1.3MB)

Power and choice: Asian security futures

Recent events in the seas off South Korea and Japan emphasise the fragility of Asia’s security order and the strains the region’s changing power distribution are placing on it. A new major Lowy Institute Asia Security Project report, 'Power and Choice: Asian Security Futures', analyses the likely security futures for Asia and Australia and recommends steps countries should take to ensure growing regional competition does not lead to conflict. This report was made possible by the generous support for the Project by the MacArthur Foundation.

A copy of the report, launched by Dennis Richardson, AO, the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 1 June, can be downloaded here.Download item (6.5MB)