Comments

Thank you for this - these are fair points worth taking seriously. On the PRF's investment model, you are right to sharpen this. If the facility disburses from returns rather than capital, $172 million generates perhaps $8-12 million annually at standard endowment rates, barely enough for administration, let alone meaningful climate response. That actually strengthens rather than contradicts the piece's central concern. On oil prices, the picture is more volatile than a single benchmark suggests. Brent touched $69-70 last week but has since risen back to $78 today after fresh Hormuz incidents. The more relevant question for Pacific states is what they were actually paying for imported fuel at activation, which global benchmarks do not fully capture. On the broader symbolism-versus-operations point, I think we are in agreement. That was precisely the question the piece was trying to ask out loud.

Ron worked with me on a number of labour mobilityand Pacific regional projects including input into some of the research on PACER Plus. He was a lovely man as you know Satish and please pass on my condolences to his family. Jim

Thank you, Satish. I had the honour of knowing, working with and learning from Ron. My condolences to his family.

A very interesting and informative study. Insecurity is a common issue daily in our contemporary societies throughout the country. Safety and security is a priority concern living in the urban centers. When people are free and safety guaranteed, they participate effectively and fully to the wellbeing of their family and society. Women and girls are ofcourse the highly vulnerable. It would be worthwhile to do further comparative studies with rural areas. What mitigation measures do people apply to address the daily insecurity?

It's important to look past the rhetoric. As I understand it, the PRF is intended to live off its investment returns. The returns from the $172 million so far pledged will be barely enough to cover its administration costs, and certainly nowhere near enough to fund a meaningful response to any El Niño. As for the activation of an emergency response to the fuel crisis, that is just too little too late. With oil prices falling to $70 a barrel, what emergency is now being responded to? Pacific like Asian regionalism is strong on symbolism but weak on operations. The reality is that, for better or for worse, Pacific countries will have to continue to rely on their own governments and on donor support when it comes to coping with external shocks.

Thanks Peter -- I agree entirely.

Through my research on the PALM scheme, I've tangentially heard a mixture of success stories and challenges for people arriving on the PEV. The challenges (including employers withdrawing contracts on arrival, access to government services, and acquiring rentals) aren't necessarily new to migration streams, especially with new systems. However, it sounds as though communities where migrants may be moving to may not have adequate support and resources in place to do so. I'm curious as to whether others have heard similar issues, if these are teething issues that can be overcome, or if there may be more systemic concerns about whether the right supports are in place?

Thanks Terrence BUT - can I suggest the Government in general and the Minister for Foreign Affairs plus Pat Conroy the Minister for Pacific Affairs should be changing public "opinion" by - strongly - speaking in favour of our aid program. The information should be there. The PGPA Act requires every Secretary to report on the annual achievements of each program in that portfolio - not just how much was spent either. Our aid achieves results - but the public is not told in ways that alter their opinion(s).

Craig, Many thanks for providing more information on the need for more PNG skilled workers in construction. The Asian Development Bank's current project 'Improved Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Employment' (iTVET4E) has been designed to address the significant skills gap in the PNG labour market. The project to be successful needs to be closely linked to construction employers through the infrastructure procurement process.

Good question. We asked this in 2025, but I haven't had time to analyse it. Looking now quickly: 23% say too much; 33% about right; 33% too little; 11% don't know.

Thank you so much for sharing Quin's early childhood in Bercoly.

Looking forward to seeing what the data says next year about the Australian public’s attitudes towards foreign aid. Although you are not measuring this it would be interesting to see if the inverse is true about other forms of spending, like military aid.