Calls for Pacific Islander army recruitment
Glitzy ad campaigns and education incentives are not enough, it seems, to encourage young Australians to join the Army. And with the Australian Defence Force still struggling to meet its targets, two defence analysts say that recruiting Pacific Islanders into the armed forces, in exchange for citizenship, could be the solution. The men behind the controversial proposal are Professor Hugh White, from the Australian National University, and Doctor Anthony Bergin, Director of Research Programs at the Australian Strategic and Policy Institute. The proposal, Dr Bergin says, would simply be an extension of Australia’s skilled-migration policy. But with a plan to include Islanders who would otherwise fail the Points test for migration to Australia, Anna Vidot asked Anthony Bergin what criteria potential recruits would have to satisfy in order to join the ADF.