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Pay back time; Deportation fllout; Driven to drink...
LNG for PNG? Well, that’s right. PNG has just signed a US$10 billion (K38billion) LNG Gas Project agreement in partnership with a consortium that includes one of the world’s largest companies Exxon Mobil. The signing places PNG now on the global commercial scene. “Papua New Guineans should be proud. We have now become the 16th nation in the world to have a substantial LNG project in place,” PM Somare said. Those in the know said such a big project will require at least 800 workers in the initial stages who mostly will be brought in from Asia, particularly the Philippines, because they would be a lot cheaper than Aussie workers. But the problem will be accommodation. Where and how will they be accommodated? Already Port Moresby has a shortage of accommodation. Could they be housed in makeshift tents?
Pay back time: WHISPERS hears a head of a regional organisation is now looking within his organisation for a vacant post so he can employ a mate who supported his candidancy for the top regional post. It is understood the mate, a diplomat, is about to complete his term.
Quitting early? Talking about regional organisations...Coconut Wireless has heard that one regional organisation head could be calling it a day, well ahead of his contract time. The word is that he is frustrated with the pace in which the Pacific operates.
Name change: Could we be seeing a name change for the Melanesian leaders bloc—Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)? Those in the know say, it was on the agenda of the recent Melanesian Spearhead Group summit held in Port Vila late last month.
Boycott or lose scholarship: Fijian Affairs Board-sponsored law students in Port Vila were planning to boycott a meeting with the Interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama when they were told that if they boycotted the meeting, they could lose their scholarships. The instruction apparently came from the powers that be in the Fiji capital. Bainimarama was in Port Vila late last month to attend the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting.
No part of that: And still the troubles continue for Rarotonga’s long delayed international hotel project at Titikaveka. Readers with long memories will remember it was once called the Sheraton project. It’s now called the Hilton project. Latest problem is a plan by the present developers to build apartments and a hotel. Paramount chief and landowner Pa Arik says that’s not on. She says she leased the land for a four or five star hotel, which is what the Cook Islands needs, not more apartments.
Deportation fallout: WHISPERS has been reliably told that John Sami of the NCBBF’s (National Council for Building a Better Fiji) fame threatened to resign when the interim government decided to boot the Fiji Times Australian publisher—the second Aussie publisher to have been deported from Fiji. Only a plea from the co-chair of NCBBF stopped him from doing so.
Solomons in the news: Which country got the most publicity from last month’s World Press Freedom Day activities around the region? Solomon Islands. How did they do it? By suggesting the regional media body PINA and its news service PACNEWS be moved to Honiara. It was claimed media intimidation in Fiji by the military and regime affected the ability of PINA and PACNEWS to do their jobs properly. What was the reaction? Opposition from Fiji media people and the PINA hierarchy. And headlines for the Solomons around the region. The PINA hierarchy better beware though. The Solomon Islanders apparently have some regional support for their views.
Scientology and the PM: Some shock in the Cook Islands. Visitors from the controversial Church of Scientology were able to easily stroll in for a meeting with Prime Minister Jim Marurai. But that should not be such a surprise. The Scientologists could have strolled into a bar like Rarotonga’s RSA and also had a chat with the PM. The amiable Mr Marurai is one of the most easy going and accessible leaders in the region. He doesn’t believe in having a chauffeur-driven car let alone a bodyguard.
Travel alert: Local hospitality industry people in Solomon Islands are reeling after showering expensive hospitality on a surfing magazine team flown in to promote the country. All their efforts and hospitality gained only half a page of coverage.
Driven to drink: A tale from the Drum column in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier that, unfortunately, could be told in other parts of the region too: “New manager came up fresh from Sydney and applied for a phone at home in Lae. Fell on deaf ears so he voiced his feelings to another manager who advised him to call a guy and offer two cartons of soft drink to get the job done. So the new man does that, arranging to meet the tech at his house. By the time he gets to the pad, the tech is already inside, twisting cables together. Within five minutes, the job was done and the tech went off with his drinks!”
Ready for takeoff: Is that the sound of more planes warming up for takeoff in the Solomon Islands? SkyAirWorld is said to have a couple of turbo-prop aircraft identified for the launching of domestic services in competition with Solomon Airlines. The Brisbane-based airline already competes with Solomon Airlines on the Brisbane-Honiara-Brisbane routes using new regional Embraer 170 and 190 jets.
Mirror, mirror on the wall... Around the dusty back streets of an island country, people are whispering ‘mirror, mirror on the wall, who aye the drunkard of ‘em all?’ Perhaps the dusty mirror will say, just look to the circular house up the hill for an answer. Word is that this particular senior lawmaker was recently helped by parliamentary ushers to his vehicle, stone drunk. It has also been whispered the same lawmaker can’t even keep the law in his own abode, whipping his own security personnel under the influence of alcohol. The latest whisper is that voters are talking of possible changes.
Khan’s back... So Solomons’ Fiji-imported police chief is no more, returning to his island nation by the start of the month. Jahir Khan is mum on his next posting although he wouldn’t mind being offered his old job back in the now military-led police force. If he does, the whisper is that he may very well join the small but growing new division of the Fiji Police—the old people’s home—so called privately by the Fijian officers because the new unit contains very senior officers who are simply watching the retirement clock. Or if Khan is lucky, he might become the new O/C funeral, so called by officers of a colleague who never turns down a police funeral because of the prestige (and Fijian artefacts) that go with it! Interesting to find out why Khan decided to leave Honiara, well before his contract expired.
Blaming the accusers: Unusual twist from the region’s sole surviving kingdom as it begins the harrowing task of rebuilding from the deadly ashes of the November 16, 2006 riots. Those charged with instigating the violence are now pointing the blame on their accusers; namely the police minister for approving the permit of pro-monarchy supporters to meet next to pro-democracy supporters on that November 16 day, the prime minister for allowing the state radio of which he is chair of the board to announce messages for pro-monarchy supporters to attend their rival gathering and a senior pastor for specially seeking police approval to disrupt the pro-democracy rally. Statements supporting this counter-claim have been compiled and forwarded to His Majesty’s police for action, it is hoped.
Investigation stalled: Riot investigations however may be stalled as the kingdom prepares for its biggest party of the century, the coronation of King Siaosi Tupou V. An elaborate extravaganza of black tie balls, military parades, fireworks display, a rugby match and island feasting are being organised with confirmed attendance from members of the royal family in Britain, Denmark, Monaco, Japan and Thailand. Superstars Sir Elton John and Mick Jagger are reportedly on the guest list. The king’s robes are being designed in London together with a new gold plated scepter. The spectacular is expected to cost the kingdom’s taxpayers a cool US$3 million.
Cruising in style? Tinted vehicles are now taking Honiara’s streets by storm. A local newspaper said this was the current ‘in-thing’ for vehicle owners in Honiara, particularly taxis. One taxi driver approached said “the country’s climate is very hot and having heavily tinted vehicles help to keep off the heat. There is nothing sinister about it”. However there’s been a lot of criticisms against it by members of the public saying “married people take advantage of the dark tints for cruising when they should be at home with their families”.
Finally... the long awaited announcement finally came. Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders (Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomons) named the first head of their secretariat to be based in Port Vila where the Chinese-funded secretariat is located. He is Rima Ravusiro of Papua New Guinea (pictured in white shirt). A former trade expert with the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Ravusiro was selected by MSG foreign ministers ahead of another equally qualified Papua New Guinean, Aivu Tauvasa, the current Pacific trade commissioner based in Sydney.
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