Meeting employers and hearing latest developments a highlight of the RSE conference

Sefita Hao'uli, Tonga’s longstanding Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) liaison in New Zealand, is looking forward to meeting employers and hearing about the latest developments in the scheme at the upcoming RSE conference.

Journalist and broadcaster Mr Hao’uli, who is also a member of the Executive of the New Zealand Tonga Business Council, has undertaken the RSE role for Tonga since the scheme was set up 17 years ago.

He has attended and spoken at many previous RSE conferences and says this year’s event in Tauranga on 28-29 August will again be a good opportunity to catch up with employers and academics undertaking research into the programme as well as to hear from Immigration Minister Hon. Erica Stanford.

“We appreciate Horticulture New Zealand’s inclusive attitude,” says Mr Hao'uli. “It is an opportunity for us to observe and hear about the thinking of employers and speak with them each year. It gives us a more comprehensive picture.

“It is also a chance to get insights into where policy decision-making and thinking is going or being announced.

“I also particularly enjoy hearing from people who are doing research or looking over the horizon at what is the new and good thinking coming out of New Zealand and Australia. Both countries are making it possible for us to be guided by good emerging information and up-to-date data that Pacific countries could not afford to do.

“For instance, the work of Professor Richard Bedford, who is New Zealand’s most experienced researcher in the field, and Dr Charlotte Bedford. It is very good to hear from people who understand the industry so well.

“Tonga is a bit of an outlier in terms of our population – the Solomons and Papua New Guinea have many more people. I always look forward to hearing about research for countries such as ours with high numbers being deployed overseas and how we can learn from that.”

Mr Hao’uli says that with the scheme having undergone many changes over the past 17 years and the Pacific Islands facing new challenges, he is keen to hear the views of others at the conference, particularly around providing sufficient labour to meet demand.

He says a challenge for Tonga is sourcing enough workers to meet the needs of New Zealand employers and, in particular, he is looking forward to discussions about that.

“There have been a lot of changes in recent years. New Zealand border changes during COVID-19 saw Australia take up many experienced people in the workpool and it isn’t easy to wean them back.

“We used to send about 2,000 workers to New Zealand, but it will be more like 1,200 or so this year. Tonga has a small population. We don’t have any primary resources apart from fish which we cannot afford to exploit, and half the people who identify as Tongan are living overseas.

“We haven’t learnt from the lessons of some of our Pacific neighbours which have had depletion of population to the point they are now importing people to do their work.

“Compared to other labour supply countries in the scheme, we do have a higher proportion of our productive population in employment programmes in New Zealand and Australia and it has local supply implications. What was previously demand-driven is now supply-driven.”

Mr Hao’uli says that has led to younger less experienced workers taking part in the scheme and it will be important to ensure standards are maintained.

“I think, in the long-term, Pacific countries need to have population plans of their own in order to meet the future needs of the programme as well as their own.

“We have been proud over the past 17 years to hold the RSE up as one of the world’s best labour schemes. Now we need to encourage one another to have a more mindful long-term look at supply and demand so we can continue to provide a win-win situation.”