The Pacific Trade Justice speaking tour, sponsored by AID/WATCH, reached Sydney on November 19, after meetings in Melbourne and Canberra.
Maureen Penjueli from Fiji and John Salong from Vanuatu have been speaking out against the Australian government's push for free trade agreements with Pacific Island countries, involving the proposed regional economic agreement know as PACER Plus.
Penjueli is coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation, a network of regional community, church and women's organisations seeking to raise awareness about the social, cultural and economic impacts of free trade agreements.
Salong is director of non-government finance group Vanuatu Women's Development Scheme.
AID/WATCH spokesperson Gary Lee spoke alongside the two women. The forum was chaired by Greens MP Lee Rhiannon.
Rhiannon said the Australian government claimed that PACER-Plus, which would involve Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island Forum countries, was an "aid for trade" pact, which was "different from other free trade agreements".
But the government's "rhetoric on aid is not matched by action", she said. "It is still a [free trade agreement], which pushes for Pacific Island governments to reduce trade barriers, but gives little aid in return."
Penjueli said the Australian government's position on free trade was "very ideological", and that Pacific countries already had relatively open trade access to Australia, but were unable to use it because their industry was too underdeveloped.
She called for strengthening of current ties to promote genuine economic development in the Pacific countries, particularly the building of new infrastructure, such as roads and shipping, to allow further indigenous economic development.
Penjueli said Australian companies like Qantas were interested only in dominating Pacific Island tourist facilities, partly as a gateway to China.
[For more information, visit www.aidwatch.org.au.]