Morrison offers Suva soothers

Lower-skilled Fijians will be ­allowed to work in rural and ­regional Australia in a new soft-power overture.

Scott Morrison in Port Vila, Vanuatu, yesterday. Picture: AAP

Lower-skilled Fijians will be ­allowed to work in rural and ­regional Australia in a new soft-power overture to the Pacific ­nation, which is being courted by China as a potential ally.

Scott Morrison’s diplomatic gambit will also include $84 million to boost Australia’s ties to the University of the South Pacific, and allowing Fiji to send medi­cines to the Therapeutic Goods ­Administration for quality testing under the Pacific Medicines Testing Program. The Prime Minister, whose party in 2014 axed the ­regional broadcaster Australia Network, will also commit $17m to supply South Pacific media with 3000 hours of Australian news, sport, drama, children’s and lifestyle programming over three years.

Ahead of his arrival in Fiji today, Mr Morrison said he would open the newly uncapped Pacific Labour Scheme to Fijians, allowing low and semi-skilled workers to work in rural and regional areas of Australia for up to three years.

“I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister (Frank) Bainimarama on developing deeper security, economic and cultural links between our two countries, taking the relationship to a new level,” he said.

In September, Australia successfully blocked China from funding a major ­regional military base in Fiji, a move that revealed intensifying concern in Canberra over strategic competition in the South Pacific.

The visit to Fiji comes amid tensions between the prime ministers over Australia’s decision to strip Islamic State ­recruiter Neil Prakash of citizenship believing he was a Fijian citizen — a claim Mr Bainimarama has denied.

The spectre of China loomed large over Mr Morrison’s visit to Vanuatu this week — the first by an Australian leader since 1990 — where he opened an upgraded highway and police college.

Asked whether, “hand on his heart”, his interest in Vanuatu and the region was simply a reaction to China’s rising influence, Mr Morrison insisted it was “not about that”.

“We’re here because we are for the independent sovereignty and prosperity of Vanuatu, because they are our neighbours and ­family. That is why we’re here,” he said.

“In fact, we have been here for 40 years. Right here. And we will continue to be here because we ­believe in the peace and prosperity and stability and independence and sovereignty of our region.

“I have made it very clear in my ­engagements with, you know, the great powers in the region. There is more than one (power in the ­region). There are many.”

Australia’s increasing focus on the Pacific, from both Mr Morrison and Bill Shorten, has come as the US and Australia try to ­increase their power in the region to counter China, which has tried to gain influence with Pacific ­nat­ions mainly through its Belt and Road Initiative.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said Mr Morrison’s visit to Fiji highlighted the “bungling and mismanagement” of the Prakash affair.