Join the Australian Commonwealth?

Hello everyone,

The APROFED association is coming back to you this week to remind everyone, while all the elected officials are in Paris to discuss the terms of a new agreement, that there is another solution for the future of New Caledonia with our Pacific neighbors and our big brother Australia.

As mentioned in the report by the Guyanese MP Rimane (see Rapport d’information, n° 774 – 17e législature – Assemblée nationale ) on the institutional future of the overseas territories, it is stated that in New Caledonia, a political party called Oceanian Awakening campaigned for the creation of a “French-style Commonwealth” which would bring the various French territories of the Pacific closer together, as confirmed by one of its members in an interview on the ITVNC channel (see Vaimu’a Muliava “La troisième voie est la seule voie” – Évènements 2024 Témoignages ).

However, as the APROFED association points out on its website, there is another solution (see without France – APROFED ) namely to request integration into the Australian Commonwealth thanks to article 121 of the Australian Constitution which stipulates that: “The Parliament may admit as a State any colony or territory which is not yet a State, and may, for this purpose, fix the conditions of its admission and the arrangements for its representation in either House of Parliament.” This article therefore allows the Australian Parliament to integrate new States into the federation, by defining the specific conditions of their admission and their parliamentary representation . Article 6 of the Australian Constitution lists the States already integrating this Commonwealth. It is interesting to note that New Zealand is one of these States although it did not ultimately join the Australian federation and remained an independent country.

The association also recalls, according to the thesis of Léa Havard (see L’Etat associé : recherches sur une nouvelle forme de l’Etat dans le Pacifique Sud – TEL – Thèses en ligne (hal.science),

that although a territory when it decides to associate with another, it generally does so with its former metropolis or administering power, nothing prevents it from associating with the State of its choice . Thus, rather than preaching a State associated with France as some independentists demand, in vain, to the extent that France has little chance of choosing this option, why not turn to our Pacific neighbors?

It is also worth remembering that at the economic level, Australia and New Zealand have certain indicators that are superior to those of France . With a cumulative GDP of nearly $2,000 billion per year for less than 40 million inhabitants, Australia and NZ thus have a wealth indicator that is much higher than France , with a GDP per capita of around $52,000 for NZ and $67,000 for Australia compared to only $45,000 for France in 2023. The employment rate, i.e. the share of the population in employment, is also better with a rate close to 75% for Australia and NZ compared to only 68% for France. These figures are without taking into account those of another Pacific neighbor, the United States, an ally of Australia,  which has a GDP per capita of around USD 80,000, a productivity and an employment rate that are also higher . Not to mention that the United States dominates in key sectors such as technology, finance, and innovation, with companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon, which generate enormous revenues and contribute significantly to economic productivity.

It might therefore be time to change the paradigm (of approach) in order to bring New Caledonia into a new era, as was the case during the Second World War with the arrival of the Americans in New Caledonia, which was a revolution for many. It would therefore be more interesting to turn to these neighbors to discuss the reconstruction of the country rather than with France, which is slow to do so and when it decides, does so in the form of loans, asking to be repaid like a usurer.

The association also points out that, given the GDP of Australia and New Zealand, New Caledonia could turn to them rather than the BRICS+ to request their redemption from France, similar to what President Trump is proposing for Greenland. According to the AI, if we were to give a purely speculative estimate of the cost of “purchasable” independence, it could range from 10 to 50 billion euros , depending on the terms negotiated, or 1 to 5 times the current GDP of New Caledonia. This figure takes into account:

• • Compensation for the cessation of French aid (spread over several years).

• • The resumption of certain infrastructure and services currently provided by France.

• • The investment needed to make the country self-sufficient.

This estimate could be mitigated and reduced with the implementation of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Australia, similar to the one established between France and Haiti in the 19th ^century , which, although started in 2018, has not yet been concluded. Indeed, several obstacles, particularly concerning access to the agricultural market and the protection of geographical indications, have led to disagreements. In October 2023, discussions again failed, as the two parties failed to reach a compromise on these key issues. In the absence of a free trade agreement, relations between the EU and Australia are currently governed by a framework agreement that entered into force on October 21, 2022. This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including foreign and security policy, trade, research, innovation, education, and sustainable development. In summary, although a comprehensive free trade agreement between the EU and Australia is not yet in place, the two parties continue to collaborate under the existing framework agreement.

We wish you a good read and remind you that federalism is the only solution to reconcile unity in diversity.

The APROFED association