In his first visit to Samoa after becoming the Australian Parliamentary Secretary of Pacific Islands Affairs, Duncan Kerr made it clear that although relations between Samoa and Australia are good, Australia will assert its power when its interests are challenged.
“We have made it very plain that we want to work as partners in a region where we have common interests, and there’s no doubt that economically Australia is the most powerful of those regional countries, so we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the tone that we use won’t sometimes be resented.”
Kerr, a charming figure of a man, went on to say that although Australia works in the best interests of Samoa, the bully image will be hard to fight.
“There is no doubt that sometimes we’re seen as condescending, sometimes heavy-handed, but we’re determined to remedy that.”
Kerr justified possible conflict saying: “Sometimes Australia won’t have perfectly legitimate reasons for pursuing its own national interest, which may come into conflict with one or more of the Pacific Islands nations.”
Between Samoa and Australia, the Parliamentary Secretary pointed out that there is no reason to fear disagreeable issues between the two nations.
“It’s not like it’s been picked up from the trash, we’re picking up from a reasonably high note, we’re starting from a much stronger note and it will continue from an ongoing stability to good regional relations.”
Since his visit, Samoa has continued to be in Australia’s “good friend” list, and further stamped by the signing of the Partnership for Development agreement between the two nations in August 2008 at the Pacific Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Niue.
Wearing matching floral shirts, Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Malielegaoi signed the agreement under the palm trees of Niue during the meeting.
“These partnerships commit Australia and our partners in the Pacific to work together to meet common challenges, in particular to make faster progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and our partners’ development goals,” Rudd said.
Tuilaepa accepted the agreement with a smile.
The partnership, according to Rudd, establishes a shared vision with Samoa to work together in close cooperation to meet common challenges and to raise the standards of living of the people of Samoa.
Ambitious in targets, the partnership aims to assist Samoa in areas such as health, climate change, education, private sector improvement and employment.
In the Samoan economic address, Minister of Finance Niko Lee Hang described Australia as a significant development partner and the largest grant donor, providing approximately 30 percent of direct bilateral aid.
Total Australian aid to Samoa in the financial year 2008-09 is estimated at A$28.3 million with A$19.6 million programmed bilaterally and A$8.7 million allocated from regional funds.
In support of Samoa’s development strategy, the Australian aid programme contributes to improvements in: effective and accountable public sector administration; opportunities for employment and investment; enhancing law and justice; education outcomes and opportunities; health outcomes with a focus on primary and preventative health; and management of natural resources.
But the close interest of Australia in Samoa has led people such as Barry Coates, Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand, to question the legitimacy of the partnership.
“Australia should be discouraged from focusing on country specific economic partnership agreements, as this undermines the value of the regional forum.”
Australia has also been accused of trying to fast-track new free trade negotiations with Pacific Islands countries at a recent regional trade ministers’ meeting.
Pacific Action Network on Globalisation (PANG) Coordinator Maureen Penjueli says the tactics used by Australia is splitting up the region by negotiating with individual countries.
In Samoa, President of the Samoa Umbrella for Non Government Organisations (SUNGO) Vaasiliifiti Moelagi Jackson says Australia has its own agenda in Samoa, and the Samoan Government should set the terms and conditions of the new partnership.
“Australia has helped Samoa in many ways, but they have their own intentions in our country, and it is us who will need to find that balance between development and what is right for our people,” Vaasiliifiti said.
Meanwhile, the Australian High Commissioner to Samoa says the partnership is different in that it makes an explicit reference to the importance of regional trade liberalisation to the respective economies.
Despite the sceptics, PM Tuilaepa remains loyal to Australian investment in Samoa, referring to them as a ‘good friend’ to Samoa.