Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa visited Samoan seasonal workers based in Tasmania as part of her six-day official visit to the country.

She has expressed concern in recent weeks at the large number of Samoan seasonal workers departing the shores of the island nation for work in either Australia or New Zealand due to its impact on the local labour market.

During her official visit to Australia, Prime Minister Fiamē visited Samoan seasonal workers currently contracted to Hansen Orchard. The company is an Australian fourth-generation family-owned business that owns over 200 hectares of apples and cherries and is about 40 minutes drive from the Tasmanian capital Hobart.

A joint statement issued by the Australian and Samoan Governments on Saturday stated that the visit provided a valuable opportunity for the Samoan politician to connect with workers, hear their experiences, and gain insights into their valuable contributions to the Australian and Samoan economies.

She also met with Mark Shelton MP, the Speaker of the House of Assembly of Tasmania, and Craig Farrell, the President of the Legislative Council, in recognition of the twinning arrangement between the Samoan and Tasmanian Parliaments. A Samoa parliamentary delegation to Tasmania will arrive in the coming week as part of the twinning arrangements between Samoa and the Tasmanian parliament for capacity building.

Prime Minister Fiamē also paid her respects at the Australian War Memorial, laying a wreath in memory of soldiers who lost their lives in conflict. She had the opportunity to meet with the Director of the Australian War Memorial, and former Australian High Commissioner to Samoa, Matt Anderson.

Her visit concluded in Brisbane on Friday, where she met with the Pacific Islands Business Council to hear of connections between Australian businesses and Samoa’s private sector, and opportunities for future investment.

The visit by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa marks another milestone in the strong and enduring relationship between Samoa and Australia, according to the joint statement. 

"The Australian Government was honoured to host the Prime Minister and looks forward to continuing our strong partnership with Samoa, working together to achieve our shared goals and aspirations for our nations and the wider Blue Pacific."