Australia is considering expanding military recruitment from Pacific Island countries beyond Papua New Guinea but says its initial focus will be on ensuring the pilot programme does not weaken the region’s own defence forces.
Australian Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy said countries including Fiji had expressed interest in the initiative, which will initially recruit 100 Papua New Guinean citizens into the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the Pukpuk Mutual Defence Treaty.
In a radio interview with ABC, Conroy said Australia wanted to establish a workable recruitment model with PNG before considering expansion to other Pacific countries.
“We’ve flagged we’re interested in it. I think countries like Fiji have also expressed interest in it. But we want to start with PNG,” he said.
He said PNG was Australia’s first new alliance partner and had a large population and a government supportive of the initiative.
“If we get the model right for PNG that will make it a lot easier to recruit from other nations,” Conroy said.
He noted that recruiting military personnel from other countries was not unusual, pointing to the United Kingdom’s recruitment from Fiji and Solomon Islands, and the United States’ recruitment of personnel from some Micronesian states.
However, he said the proposed PNG programme would be a first for Australia because it would recruit directly from PNG rather than draw on people already living in Australia as permanent residents.
Conroy said the initial trial would target university graduates in Papua New Guinea who would join the ADF after completing a conversion course.
He acknowledged concerns that recruiting Pacific Islanders could reduce the personnel available to their home countries’ armed forces.
“We’re very focused on avoiding that.
“If we’re just robbing the Defence Force of PNG or the military force of Fiji, then that would actually not enhance Pacific security; it would probably diminish Pacific security,” he said.
Conroy said the programme was designed to provide employment opportunities for young people in countries where formal jobs could be limited, particularly in PNG, which has a population of more than 10 million.
The recruitment initiative forms part of broader efforts by Australia to strengthen its security partnerships across the Pacific.
Asked whether Australia’s defence arrangements were aimed at China, Conroy said the treaties were not directed at any single country but were intended to improve the security of participating nations.
He acknowledged that China, alongside other countries, was seeking to increase its influence in the Pacific.
“China, like many other nations, is seeking to increase its influence in the Pacific region,” he said.
Conroy said Australia’s agreements with PNG and Fiji, along with treaties involving Tuvalu, Nauru and Vanuatu, were intended to strengthen its partnerships and position Australia as a preferred partner for Pacific countries.
He said the priority was to establish a recruitment system that supported employment opportunities while protecting the defence capabilities of Pacific Island countries.
