Samoan MP’s bold move could split Labour

Duncan Wilson
New Zealand’s newly independent Samoan MP, Taito Philip Field, is forging a Pacific-based party. And his freedom from Labour could influence the country’s role in the Pacific.

Field resigned from Labour in February after allegations by Prime Minister Helen Clark that he accepted cheap labour from prospective migrants. He has not been charged with any offence.

Field already has support for a party that would blend Christian and old Labour values.

“I want to help create a political vehicle where Pacific Islanders and the diversity of New Zealand and Christian communities can feel confident their values are represented. It will have godly and family values as its foundation, along with some of those values that Labour stood for such as workers’ rights, social justice and prosperity for all peoples.”

Already, Field’s new political life has shaken the Labour Government, which can no longer rely on his support for its one-seat majority in Parliament.

He recently rejected two bills, stalling what he describes as a bill to ban parents from smacking their kids and collapsing a Labour bid to establish a Trans-Tasman alternative medicines regime.

But Field emphasises his actions were based on his conscience and Christian morality.

“I have to take into account how I was elected and the mandate I was given generally. But I will not compromise on legislation which I believe is not in the interest of New Zealanders.”

Field is focused on retaining the support of constituents that backed him as a Labour candidate. His seat of Mangere will be a crucial battleground in next year’s election, as Labour fights for a fourth term against a reinvigorated National Party.

In 2005, Mangere provided more than a third of the 45,000 votes Labour won over the National and a seat towards Labour’s two-seat majority.

Field, of Pacific Islands descent, says that since leaving Labour he now has a voice that was often denied him during 14 years with the party.

He intends to use that voice to influence the country’s relationship with the South Pacific, as a member of Parliament’s foreign affairs, defence and trade select committee. The committee is looking at the country’s economic, strategic and aid programmes in the South Pacific.

Taito says Pacific nations must have greater opportunities to export to New Zealand.

“At the moment, the terms of trade are hugely imbalanced in favour of Australia and New Zealand. If you look at the figures they’re mostly unfair, you really have to ask who is helping whom?”

New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministry’s figures show exports to Samoa for instance, are worth around NZ$80 million a year, while New Zealand imports just NZ$2 million worth of Samoan products.

The select committee should look at how it can help Pacific countries boost their exports, especially of perishable foodstuffs, Field says.

“One thing I tried to do as associate minister for Pacific Islands affairs was to look at health and bio-security requirements to allow Pacific exports like taro, avocados, pineapples and even bananas.

“We used to receive all our bananas from the Pacific, now they are from Ecuador because of issues of bio-security and problems with fruitfly. So it is important to allow the Pacific to have the facilities to deal effectively with bio-security, so the exports they have can be broadened.”

The committee could also look at increasing New Zealand’s fishery experts’ involvement in the Pacific, with a focus on adding value to the regional industry or boosting fishing licence fees.

“At the moment, they’re getting a pittance from distant fishing nations and it is so minute compared with the profits they are making from the resource,” Field says.

“We can’t continue with this sort of exploitation. Perhaps (the committee) can encourage New Zealand experts to get alongside and protect Pacific nations and help them develop domestic capacity and get more out of their resources.”

Several other committee MPs who spoke with ISLANDS BUSINESS supported these ideas, which they said could improve New Zealand’s role in the region. But perhaps the most radical is Field’s call for a change in attitude of New Zealand’s dealings with its Pacific neighbours.

“There are different ways of approaching issues of governance, of resolving challenges, but the principles of fairness and justice can be applied and identified in both systems.

“The heavy-handed approach of New Zealand towards Fiji includes an ignorance about what those ancient cultures represent, a misunderstanding and refusal to attempt to understand Pacific peoples’ knowledge of how they have operated for thousands of years.

“This is perhaps the origins of New Zealand and Australia’s arrogance, an attitude that puts Pacific people off. Instead, New Zealand should be saying, we’d like to have a sit down with you and see how we can both work together to help. Your contribution and knowledge and cultures are not only important, they are crucial,” Field says.