Trans-Pacific bubble ‘a lifeline to Pacific islands’, says Dave Sharma

Liberal MP Dave Sharma is urging the governme­nt to consider adding ­Pacific nations to a proposed ­Australia-New Zealand safe travel zone.

Liberal MP Dave Sharma at Bondi Beach. Picture: John Appleyard

Liberal MP and former diplomat Dave Sharma is urging the governme­nt to consider adding ­Pacific nations to a proposed ­Australia-New Zealand safe travel zone, extending the idea of a “trans-Tasman bubble” into a “trans-Pacific bubble”.

Writing in The Australian today, Mr Sharma says Pacific countries have done “remark­ably well” in keeping the corona­virus at bay, with only 255 confirmed cases, mostly in the US territory of Guam.

“Given the very low rates of infectio­n in the Pacific Islands, and the virus-free status of several, we should look to expand the trans-Tasman bubble to incorporate much of the Pacific,” he says.

“By allowing normal air links and tourism to resume, we would provide a lifeline for many of these small economies. The Pacific Islands could once more begin to access their biggest tourism markets, Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr Sharma, co-convener of the Parliamentary Friends of the Pacific­, said the region would also be ideally placed to help meet labour­ market shortages in Australia caused by the slump in inter­national arrivals.

Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have been talking for severa­l weeks about the “trans-­Tasman bubble” concept, which would involve the reopening of travel between Australia and New Zealand before the rest of the world, acknowledging the success of both countries in tackling the coronavirus.

“At some point both Australia and New Zealand will start connecting with the rest of the world again, and the most obvious place for that start is between Australia and New Zealand,” the Prime Minister said on Tuesday, after Ms Ardern joined a meeting of the ­national cabinet via video link.

Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga are all believed to be virus-free, while Fiji has seven active cases but no recorded new cases in more than two weeks.

Papua New Guinea had eight confirmed cases but all have recovere­d. However, there are concerns PNG may have unreported cases because of its porous land border with West Papua.

Mr Sharma said Australia needed to “ensure we come through this crisis together” with Pacific neighbours.

Lowy Institute Pacific program director Jonathan Pryke said restor­ing travel to Australia might be tempting for Pacific countries but “I think they might be more cautious than you would expect”.

“There would be some reticence because they feel that they have dodged a bullet, and they will be cautious to open up too early, despite the obvious economic ­benefits,” he said.

Mr Pryke said including some Pacific nations in the “bubble” but not others could cause diplomatic issues.

“In Papua New Guinea, we just don’t know the extent of the spread. So PNG could not be included in any sort of Pacific bubble,” he said. “That would lead to some ­pretty tough conversations for the Morrison government.”