Tongan Advisory Council Media Release

22/04/2007

RSE Scheme looks attractive but is it really fair to both parties?

Chair of the Tongan Advisory Council Melina Maka today expressed concern at a lack of detail about how the new Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme will ensure a fair deal for both New Zealand employers and Pacific workers. While the intention behind the scheme is good, there are concerns about the process and lack of real engagement with Pacific communities. “In the rush to develop this initiative, the lessons from similar policies and initiatives in the past may have been overlooked” said Mr Maka.

Specific concerns include:

- The Steering Group for the RSE comprises exclusively of senior New Zealand public servants with no Pacific community representation or representation from Pacific Governments.

- There was no prior dialogue with the Tongan or other Pacific communities in New Zealand despite an acknowledgement of the importance of these groups in the recent Foreign Affairs Select Committee report into the relationship between New Zealand and Tonga. Yet it is these communities who are expected to bear a large part of the pastoral care burden of the scheme.

- Most new staff resources within Immigration New Zealand are going into border control staff not other areas such as transition support.

- There had not been a proper evaluation of the existing Seasonal Work Permit Scheme nor any community consultation about this. This could have provided useful data for the design of the current policy.

- To date, the Government Agencies involved do not seem open to partnerships with not for profit and community organizations in providing a range of support to workers. This might include social services and legal advice in areas such as employment, tenancy and consumer law which are known pitfalls for many Pacific peoples.

- The project team do not seem to be aware of problems with a previous Work scheme in the 1970’s which was subject to detailed analysis in a paper by Joris De Bres (now Race Relations Commissioner) called “How Tonga Aids New Zealand. “There was unrest resulting from that scheme and the suggestion that there were hidden costs to and little long term benefits for Pacific countries. Mr De Bres commented that:

“Until now, migrant labour from Tonga has been an undiluted source of profit for New Zealand industry, and at best a sugared pill for the Tongans themselves. The most obvious source of profit for New Zealand of course is the supply of workers for New Zealand industry, for whose upbringing, families, social security, unemployment and retirement the New Zealand employer and the New Zealand taxpayer have to take no responsibility.”

- The minimum hours for the scheme appear to be 30 hour per week. Once tax, accommodation, part payment of airfares and living expenses are deducted this would appear to leave less than $100 savings per week to be offset by family living costs back in the Pacific without a family earner there. The net gains beyond the short term are likely to be modest at best.

- The publicity about the scheme suggests skill transfers to the Pacific but without associated training programmes these will be minimal.

Mr Maka and the Council reiterated their support for the scheme and the urgent need for community dialogue to ensure its success. Mr Maka was disappointed at the closed and defensive response of the RSE Project Leader to the genuine concerns that have been raised and with his ongoing refusal to meet the Council and others voicing these concerns.

“I hope that they will reconsider their position to ensure a partnership between Government, civil society and the market to ensure fair outcomes for all.” Said Mr Maka.

ENDS

© Scoop Media