East Timor not in Australian guest worker scheme

ABC News Online
Updated August 25, 2008 19:06:01


East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao fails to convince Australia to include his country in guest worker program. [Reuters]

Australia will not be including East Timorese in its intitial guest workers program despite an approach by the country's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.

The decision follows a meeting on Monday in Canberra between the East Timorese leader and the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

On the agenda was inclusion in the guest worker pilot scheme announced earlier this month.

Four countries, Tonga, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu will be part of the trial program.

The program will grant seven month visas allowing employment in Australia's horticultural industry.

A number of other countries have also expressed interest including East Timor.

Following the talks Prime Minister Rudd says there is a way to go yet.

"Let's take it from the ground up there is still some work to be done on this."

Australia has agreed to funding a $US5 million defence training complex in East Timor; doubling of university scholarships for East Timorese in Australia; and other training initiatives.

In the lead up to the meeting and it became clear that one of the reasons for Mr Rudd's hestitation over East Timor's inclusion in the guest worker scheme was the revenue expected as part of Dili's share in energy sales.

But during his visit, Mr Gusmao was questioned over how his country intended to handle the posibillity that Woodside Petroleum may rule out processing gas from Greater Sunrise in East Timor.

The energy giant may pipe it to Darwin or have a floating liquefied gas plant in the Timor Sea.

"We'll look to the technical and commercial viabilities. After that we will accept any decision," he said.

Mr Gusmao also inspected the yet to be completed East Timor embassy in Canberra.