The Australian Taxpayers' Alliance has condemned Canberra granting Solomon Islands $250 million for infrastructure development over 10 years.
The Australian prime minister Scott Morrison inspecting a guard of honor by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force upon his arrival in the capital Honiara. 2 June 2019 Photo: Solomons PMO media
It has labelled it a taxpayer-funded handout.
The Alliance said assisting development and building relationships in the Pacific was important but called the grant a highly questionable use of the funds generated by Australian workers and businesses.
Its director of policy, Satya Marar, said the package included $US2.7 million to help Solomon Islanders get work in Australia.
He called this incoherent and confusing given the great and expensive lengths being taken to stop people from some countries getting to Australia and then handing out money elsewhere to bring foreign workers in.