China's security pact with Solomon Islands did not come as a surprise to Stella Robinson.
The Papua New Guinean-born Australian, who lives in Brisbane, said the deal was a sign that Australia had taken the Pacific for granted.
"There are references made by various Australian politicians, always about the Pacific family, the Pacific neighbourhood, and all the rest of it," she said.
"But when it comes to issues of concern to us, our voice is not heard."
Ms Robinson said the government's handling of relationships with the Pacific would influence how she voted in the upcoming Australian federal election.
"For me, it's going to be about the platforms and agendas of individual candidates who will represent our Pacific voices," she told the ABC.
Climate change is her top priority.
"It is no longer about human rights and all the rest of it. It's about survival," she said.
It is a view shared by Melbourne resident, Salome Swan.
The Fijian-born Australian said she was disappointed that Australian politicians had not done more to stop the deal between China and the Solomon Islands from going ahead.
"Now they're all scrambling to do something and it's a bit late. They were asleep when things were happening right under their noses," Ms Swan said.
The wide-ranging national security deal was inked earlier this month, about six months after violent riots targeting Parliament and Chinese businesses broke out in November last year.
Beijing dismissed speculation it planned to build a military base in Solomon Islands, something the Australian government has described as "a red line" that should not be crossed.
Ms Swan believes Australia could repair its relationship with the Pacific by responding to the region's grave concerns about global warming.
"No-one is really making a strong commitment to it," she said.
Both the Coalition and Labor have committed to net zero by 2050, but Labor also wants to reduce emissions by 43 per cent by 2030. The Greens want to reduce emissions by 75 per cent by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2035.
Ms Swan wants to see more financial incentives for Australians to buy electric vehicles.
Visa wait times 'heartbreaking'
For other Pacific Islander Australians, visa access will be top of mind when they go to vote.
Donald Gordon is a Melbourne-based lawyer who helps Pacific people with immigration matters.
He has had clients wait months and even years for visas to be approved.
"It's just heartbreaking … seeing that all the laws have been complied with, but there is this silent element in the law that the government cannot be forced to process these visas," he said.
The cost of living is another issue on his mind.
"It's just impossible to live in this country anymore, especially in these big satellite cities where I think the median house price is costing a million dollars now," he said.
On the topic of the Solomon Islands security deal, Mr Gordon said he was happy with the Australian government's approach.
"I'm concerned about China's authoritarian values impacting the Pacific way of life, and whether our regional partners and stakeholders will counter that," he said.
"I think the Morrison government's on the right track … there is an effort to engage with our larger Pacific partners to ensure that the influence of China in the Indo-Pacific is properly mediated."
Tongan-born pastor Reverend Maile Molitika does not agree.
"I think the [government hasn't] done enough to stop this connection with China," he said.
He would also like to see improved migration pathways for Pacific Islanders to Australia.
Election promises a 'quick fix'
This week, the Labor party promised a suite of measures to strengthen Australia's relationship with the Pacific, including a boost of $525 million in foreign aid over four years.
It also announced a new visa scheme to welcome 3,000 Pacific Islanders as permanent residents to Australia each year and an extension of the Seasonal Worker Program visa from nine to 11 months.
The Coalition has scoffed at that plan, saying much of it was work already underway through the Pacific Step Up, and highlighted a record $1.85 billion had been promised to the Pacific in the latest budget.
Fijian-born Rae Burton, who works with the Pacific Island Council of Queensland, said it was a band-aid solution.
She said existing problems within the Seasonal Worker Program and the Pacific Labour Scheme — pathways for Pacific workers to take up farm jobs in regional and rural Australia — needed to be addressed first.
Some workers have reported exploitation, poor working conditions and inadequate living arrangements.
"It's a great election promise, but we can't add to an existing structure that's not supporting the existing people who are here."
For her, another key issue is the deportation of Pacific Island visa-holders who have received a prison sentence.
"It's a policy that has been there for quite some time and, obviously, has been detrimental to our Pacific communities," she said.
Aiga Aii, a Samoan permanent resident who lives in Ipswich, said Australian politicians needed to do more to engage with Pacific communities in their electorates.
As she is not a citizen, she cannot vote herself and she is concerned that some people in her community may not be very interested in the federal election if they did not know who they were voting for.
"One of the issues that I have experienced is the lack of communication between those who are coming up for the election … and the people who are voting," Ms Aii said.
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2022-04-30 19:02:19Z
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