9 October 2008
Interview with Apples Jalandoni, ABS-CBN2
REPORTER: Earlier your point being, sir, the skilled workers that are needed in Australia?
CREAN: Well obviously Australia does need skilled workers. It’s been a demand and a deficiency in our economy for a considerable time because the previous government did not invest efficiently in skilled development. As part of the ASEAN free trade agreement the areas of labour mobility that were opened that would be of opportunity to Philippine workers are nursing, trades people, farmers and engineers. But that being said, it’s also important that the Philippines needs skilled people in its country and as part of the mining development we think what’s important amongst other sectors is to not just look at the questions as to what encourages people movements but the development of skills associated with those movements so that they could bring the skills back to their own country.
REPORTER: So you are talking about training in Australia? So Filipinos can train in Australia?
CREAN: What I’m talking about is the need to look in the services export sector as to how we can open up opportunities in the export of education services in universities and vocational training.
REPORTER: But you have a number for the nurses and tradesmen, the farmers?
CREAN: Of course I don’t have the number. I’m not here to engineer the market. We are here to create the framework in which the movement can occur more freely and also to make the investments domestically in skills formation.
But I think that the big opportunity, the big challenge for our relationship with the Philippines is to understand the areas of complementarity associated with economic opportunities and understand that it is important to build the skills of our respective peoples to facilitate that development.
REPORTER: One more sir. The melamine scare in China would probably result in the Philippines importing more milk from Australia. Would there be a possibility that the milk products from Australia, the prices will be lowered because we will be getting more?
CREAN: Well, the market will determine the prices. Governments don’t set the prices. Again, the free trade agreement with ASEAN does lower the tariff barriers over time to the movement over time of dairy products. And I would think that one of the key areas for development between our two countries is in the agri-business sector, processed food, generally, beef, the live cattle trade, and of course, the dairy sector.
ENDS
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