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EXPLAINED: 2 - The Real Truth

Australian visa scheme a 'breeding ground' for slavery

Exploitation and working conditions likened to modern slavery have been alleged within a Pacific islander working visa scheme run by Australia.

AAP

Former Labor senator to be Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner

With an estimated 41,000 people living in modern slavery in Australia, Chris Evans’ role to address exploitative practices such as forced marriage and deceptive recruiting

The Guardian - AU

Promoted as a win-win, Australia’s Pacific island guest worker scheme is putting those workers at risk

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (PALM) has been lauded by both sides of politics as a “win win” for the islanders who come here and the Australians who use their services.

The Conversation

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Top 10 Steakhouses Serving The Best Bone-In Ribeye In The US

Explore top steakhouses in the US serving succulent bone-in ribeyes for a decadent dining experience.

Top News

NZ wants more seasonal workers – but Pacific nations no longer want to be the ‘outposts’ that ‘grow’ them

The three party leaders currently negotiating to form New Zealand’s next government might have their differences, but they seem to agree on one thing: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme needs to expand.

The Conversation

Pitchfork Music Festival 2023: Day 3 PHOTOS

Bon Iver, Killer Mike, Mdou Moctar, Koffee, Illuminati Hotties, JPEGMafia, Soul Glo, Jockstrap and Lucrecia Dalt were among the acts in the Sunday lineup.

Chicago Sun-Times

Pacific Islander workers making as little as $200 a week in Australia seek protection visas for better pay

Majority of workers applying don’t expect they will be allowed to stay in Australia but ‘see it as a way to get to stay a bit longer,’ union says

The Guardian - AU

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Suspected unlicensed dams multiplying across stressed river system reveal holes in Victoria's water compliance

Advocates say the Moorabool River in Victoria's west is facing a deepening crisis, with a report claiming about 200 new private dams have appeared in the catchment since 2012.

ABC News

Ni-Vanuatu workers are putting Pacific values into practice in regional Australia through community service

From helping the elderly with their gardening to moving furniture, Pacific Islander workers are creating a sense of connection and camaraderie far from home in the regional Victorian town of Stawell.

ABC News

50 years of the cell phone: the best mobile phones of all time

To commemorate 50 years since the first mobile phone call, we've compiled a list of TechRadar's favorite-ever phones.

TechRadar

Calls for more Pacific-led services for Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme seasonal workers

Asimel one of more than 25,000 seasonal workers helping to address critical labour shortages in Australia. But when workers arrive from the Indo-Pacific region, they're often forced to rely on their own community groups to help in an emergency.

ABC News

Voice working group says Dutton committed to ‘further talks’ – as it happened

This blog is now closed

The Guardian - AU

Young people's criminal convictions drop dramatically after residential drug treatment, study shows

A new study reveals residential drug treatment can dramatically reduce future criminal convictions for young people who are likely to get stuck in a cycle of crime.

ABC News

Pacific labour milestone reached six months early

The federal government has hailed the success of a plan to get more Pacific workers into Australia, reaching its target half a year ahead of schedule.

AAP

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The Conversation

Reaping what we sow: cultural ignorance undermines Australia's recruitment of Pacific Island workers

Alice and Scott* have been running their two-storey pub-turned-backpacker hostel in Queensland’s Wide Bay region, north of Brisbane, for more a decade. Over the years they’ve provided accommodation for thousands of backpackers and itinerant workers who come to the region for fruit-picking jobs.

ABC News

PALM workers set to be joined by families in 2023-24 as government commits to visa scheme

The federal government has committed to allowing the families of hundreds of foreign workers to live with their loved ones in Australia.

The Conversation

Underpaid at home, vulnerable abroad: how seasonal job schemes are draining Pacific nations of vital workers

The economic impact of COVID on Pacific Island states, combined with major labour shortages in Australia and New Zealand, has created a perfect storm. A mass exodus means Pacific nations are now losing crucial workers at such volume that their own development prospects are being undermined.

ABC News

Labour schemes drawing nurses from across Pacific to lower-qualified aged care jobs in Australia, New Zealand

An exodus of over-qualified Pacific Island nurses who are taking up aged care jobs in countries such as Australia has experts concerned the "brain drain" is leaving critical gaps in the region's healthcare systems.

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ABC News

Successful mango season predicted for NT growers, but lingering workforce shortages remain

Leo Skliros predicts a huge proportion of his healthy mango crop will go to waste this season. And he's not the only one.

ABC News

Pacific Islands tourism sector struggling as staff leave under mobility scheme to meet Australia's worker shortage

A mobility scheme to bring in hospitality workers from the Pacific Islands to fill labour shortages may be "good for Australia", but local businesses say there has been an exodus and now they are struggling to find skilled workers when the tourism industry needs them the most.

The Conversation

Overseas recruitment won't solve Australia's aged care worker crisis

Next week’s job summit will need to address the massive staff shortages in aged care. Estimates suggest 35,000 additional aged care workers per year are needed to fill growing aged care skill shortages. These problems will only increase as demand continues to grow.

ABC News

Aged care sector welcomes Pacific workers but needs 35,000 more each year to address shortages

Australia is pinning its hopes on Pacific workers to help fill shortages across the economy — particularly in aged care — but industry says a history of poor conditions and sheer numbers mean that's unlikely to make a significant dent in demand.

ABC News

Labour hire company rejects claims Pacific workers who 'absconded' were enticed to breach their visas

The director of a company that employed Pacific islanders who "absconded" from their work program says he feels "sick" over claims they were induced to break the rules.

ABC News

Pacific farm workers who breached visas by working for wrong employers fight to get them back

The 24 workers in regional Queensland breached visa rules by taking on work from unapproved employers. But advocates say they were "vulnerable" due to issues with pay and conditions.

The Guardian - AU

Man hospitalised without Medicare after being set ablaze shows precarity of Pacific Island fruit pickers

Sione Lavalu lost his health insurance after Covid stranded him in Australia and now owes $79,000 after suffering major burns

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