BY NED GAGAHE

Prime Minister Matthew Wale says education remains a top priority for his government as discussions continue with development partners to support Solomon Islands’ free education policy.

Speaking to local media following his recent official visits to Australia and New Zealand, Prime Minister Wale revealed that both countries responded positively to the government’s priorities, including support for education reforms.

Wale said discussions with both governments were encouraging, although details regarding financial commitments are still being worked through.

“When we went to both of these countries, we went to our friends. We were pushing on open doors,” Wale said.

“The reception we got was overwhelmingly positive and supportive.”

The Prime Minister explained that while discussions are progressing, government is still assessing the actual costs involved before determining the level of support required from development partners.

“There’s plenty of work yet to be done, so we know actual costs involved and therefore what level of support will come from our various partners,” he said.

He added that discussions are already underway as government works through data and planning processes that will guide future decisions.

While declining to discuss specific figures, Wale said development partners have shown strong interest in supporting key national priorities under the coalition government.

“We are discussing priorities where a great coalition is needed, and they share our enthusiasm and excitement that in Solomon Islands we can give hope to our people by doing the right things,” he stated.

The Prime Minister described education as a “generational policy” capable of transforming the country’s economy, society and family wellbeing.

“You talk about economy, start with education. You talk about society, start with education. You talk about family, start with education,” Wale said.

“So, I think we may put education as a number one priority.”

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BY NED GAGAHE

Prime Minister Matthew Wale has reaffirmed Solomon Islands’ “friends to all” foreign policy stance, stressing that the government’s recent engagements with Australia and New Zealand do not signal a shift away from China.

Speaking to local media yesterday, Prime Minister Wale said the trip’s aim was to reset and strengthen relationships with the two traditional partners.

“Our visit is to reset the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. It has nothing to do with China,” Wale said.

“China is our friend and it remains our friend. When we say we are friends to all, let’s mean it.”

The Prime Minister said Solomon Islands must maintain balanced diplomatic relations with all partners and avoid favouring only selected countries.

“We cannot repeat the same mistake last time — friends to all, but it seems they are friends to a few only,” he said.

His comments come amid ongoing public interest over the future of Solomon Islands’ security relationship with China and whether the government intends to review the controversial security agreement signed under the Sogavare administration.

Prime Minister Wale acknowledged concerns surrounding the agreement but explained that details remain confidential due to non-disclosure provisions attached to the deal.

“Unfortunately, because of one of the previous governments, this security agreement with China has a non-disclosure arrangement, so we can’t disclose it,” he said.

However, Wale reiterated his government’s commitment to transparency and parliamentary oversight on international agreements.

“All matters to do with treaties, in my view, must go to Parliament,” he said.

“When a government signs an agreement with another party, it must come to Parliament and be open to parliamentary scrutiny.”

The Prime Minister said executive decisions involving international agreements should not be done without proper oversight, warning that lack of scrutiny could undermine public trust.

Wale assured the public that his administration will pursue a more transparent approach in future international engagements.

“We’ll be doing everything openly for transparency,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Australia and New Zealand is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts by the coalition government to strengthen regional cooperation while maintaining broader international partnerships under its “friends to all” policy direction.

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BY NED GAGAHE

Prime Minister Matthew Wale says the government is looking at increasing labour mobility opportunities for Solomon Islanders while working towards creating more jobs locally in the future.

Speaking to local journalists following his return to the country yesterday, Prime Minister Wale acknowledged that participation under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme in New Zealand has remained around the 1,000-worker mark for many years.

However, he revealed that government is now taking steps to expand opportunities abroad, including exploring new areas and strengthening liaison efforts.

“We can expect increases, both local and new areas are being explored for increasing employment and also RSE in New Zealand,” he said.

The Prime Minister said a liaison officer will be appointed soon to support labour mobility arrangements, particularly in relation to New Zealand opportunities.

He said that labour mobility programmes such as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and New Zealand’s RSE programme are transitional measures that aim to support Solomon Islanders while the country works to strengthen its domestic economy.

“Because the economy has been neglected for so long, we have allowed this economy to just be what it is,” he said.

He said too many Solomon Islanders still lack access to employment and business opportunities despite the country’s resources and potential.

“That’s why you need to send them all out,” Wale said, referring to overseas labour opportunities.

Despite supporting labour mobility, the Prime Minister said his long-term vision is for Solomon Islanders to eventually find sustainable employment opportunities within the country instead of having to leave their families behind to work overseas.

“But I look forward to the day when we will not be sending anybody out because everybody will be engaged in their own customary land right here in Solomon Islands,” he said.

He added that the government’s broader vision under the coalition administration is to create economic opportunities locally where Solomon Islanders can earn incomes comparable to those offered in Australia and New Zealand.

“The aim is to create those opportunities right here in Solomon Islands, earning the same kind of money you would be earning in Queensland, earning right here in your own land,” Wale said.

He acknowledged that achieving such ambitions will take time and require strong partnerships and investment support, but said it remains the government’s long-term direction.

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PM Wale proposes to phase out PALM and RSE, and replace the schemes with local jobs that ‘earn the same kind of money’

BY IRWIN ANGIKI

with contribution by Duran Angiki, Brisbane

Prime Minister Matthew Wale has promised to end the country’s reliance on the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) and Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes.

Speaking at a dinner, hosted by the Solomon Islands diaspora in Canberra last week, Prime Minister Wale said his government was seriously looking at phasing out the PALM scheme in the next couple of years.

“It will take a little bit of time, but we have become that challenge. We’ve to make some tough decisions.

“We’ve got to be legislating also that we can create opportunities for our young (people), so that we significantly put a dent, big dent, in our youth unemployment and the lack of opportunity,” Wale said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAET) could not comment when sought on Monday this week by this paper.

The PM Press Secretariat has not responded to questions.

PM Wale, speaking to media after his arrival yesterday at the Honiara international airport reiterated this proposal.

“[PALM and RSE or any other labour mobility schemes are transitionary schemes. The economy has been neglected for so long, we have allowed this economy to just be what it is].

“[We have not been creating the opportunities for jobs and business opportunities for our people. That is why we have been sending them out].

“[But I look forward to the day when we will not be sending them out because everybody will be engaged in their own customary lands, right here in Solomon Islands].

“[So the vision GREAT coalition presented to our partners is to create those opportunities right here in Solomon Islands, earning the same kind of money you’d be earning in Queensland, earning right here, in your own land].

“[Of course it will take time, their partnership is important, that’s why we went and discussed. That’s the aim, that’s where we’re heading].”

It is not clear how GREAT will provide the proposed alternative of offering jobs and opportunities in Solomon Islands which equal those received in Australia and New Zealand.

Currently PALM and RSE are engaging more than 9,500 Solomon Islands workers, with Australia hosting 9,000. Since 2018 more than 12,000 Solomons workers have been engaged in the schemes.

PALM and RSE remittances to the Solomon Islands economy surpassed SBD 1.5 billion last year.

For now, government is aiming to increase the number of workers in PALM and RSE. Solomon Islands is aiming to deploy 16,000 workers by 2028.

Meanwhile, speaking to the Solomon Islands diaspora in Canberra on PALM, PM Wale said for now:

“It is good, plenty of our people came and helped Australia in the farms, meat works and other sectors. We want more to come.

“But it is a transitionary phase.

“We want to build our economy, so that the opportunities you’ll get in the Solomon Islands will be as good or better than the opportunities that you seek out here in Australia.

“That is what we want to see.”

With the right economic environment, there will be: “plenty opportunities in the Solomons, I hope – of course we only have a short window of 2 years left (in the life of the current term of parliament),” he said.

Beyond the transitionary phase, the Prime Minister said: “Unfortunately – we will not send many of our workers (under PALM scheme) to work in Australia.

“We will have so many opportunities; we would have unshackled the economy from the clutches of the people who want to keep us poor, and profit off the back of our poor people. That we must bring it to an end,” he said.

“So, many of you are getting essential skills by working here, by being educated here. Please come home when the time is right or sooner,” Wale said.

He urged members of the Australian-Solomon Islands diaspora to: “Come and create the right time. Be part of our discourse, be part of our journey to create the kind of Solomons we want to see”.

He said the government was conscious about the timeframe of two years left in the life of the current parliament before the next general elections in 2028.

But he affirmed his government’s commitment to addressing the issue in the next two years, saying it would be a “transitionary period” for the scheme.

The new policy change on PALM scheme was also backed by his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ricky Houenipwela, in a face-to-face round table discussion with one of the PALM scheme major employers, Regional Workers Management (RWM) Group, in Brisbane.

During a Solomon Islands government delegation tour of one of the host companies, Golden Cockerel, Mount Cotton, South East Brisbane, on Friday, June 5, Houenipwela said government was looking at a “temporary permanent” solution.

He said there were areas in the PALM scheme that the government viewed as needing proper scrutiny and considerations to make it economically viable to both Solomon Islands and the host country (Australia).

During a Q&A session, Managing Director of PeopleIN, Tom Reardon, and RWM Group’s CEO, Brad Seagrott presented an overview of the RWM Group business operation that involved the recruitment of Solomon Islanders for host companies through Australia.

According to a spokesperson for DFAT, PALM scheme workers remitted over AUD$50m back to the Solomon Islands during the 2024/2025 financial year.

In the 2025/2026 financial year, Solomon Islands workers are estimated to remit AUD$70m back to the country.

The round table discussion was attended by Tom Reardon, Managing Director of PeopleIN, the umbrella company of RWM Group, Brad Seargroth, Chief Executive Director, Tim MacBride, Operation Manager, and Site and Operations Managers.

Others included the senior management staff of the host company, Golden Cockerel and personnel of the Department of Employment Workplace Relations (DEWR) and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) with over 20 workers from the Solomon Islands.

The visiting dignitaries were also taken on a tour of the factory and later treated to a bbq by the employer, RWM Group and host company, Golden Cockerel. The visit ended with the presentation of gifts to the visiting members of the delegation before a group photo.

Photo credit: Supplied

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