NOT THE PACIFIC WAY, AUSTRALIA’S WAY

Laisa Taga - Editor-in-Chief



So what exactly happened at the trade ministers meeting in Apia, Samoa? Well, three weeks after they met behind closed doors in Apia, hushed up meeting details are now beginning to surface.
LETTER FROM SUVA has been told that one such detail was the naming of former Fiji’s foreign minister Kaliopate Tavola as the Chief Trade Advisor (CTA).
Sources close to the meeting said the trade ministers had decided that the CTA position be advertised as soon as possible.
But when the communiqué—drafted by a team which islands sources said included Australian officials—was presented for final approval by the ministers, the provision in relation to CTA had been altered.
Instead of the communiqué reflecting the ministers’ decision, a new inclusion which had been sneakily slipped through had been added. The new inclusion stated that Mr Tavola had been appointed as the CTA for a term of three years.

“Had it not been for Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia who were very alert, that decision could have been pushed through and endorsed by the ministers.
“The two countries vigorously opposed Tavola’s appointment saying that it was not the leaders decision, the decision was to advertise the position,” a Forum observer said.
“It is amazing how decisions are being manipulated to suit one’s agenda. And people are prepared to go to great lengths to do that. If we are not careful or alert enough, the rug could be pulled right out from beneath our feet.
“Hence, we need to ensure we know what we’re doing and we’re consulting regularly so countries with vested interests don’t pull a fast one on us.”
The observer expressed concern that Australia appears to be trying to dictate and interfere in every thing the Forum does.

“I think PIFS (Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat) takes instructions from Canberra and is unable to serve its members. Morale is low and it’s no longer the secretariat we are so proud of, it seems.
“Not only that, the word is that we are going to be seeing an all-Aussie team there who will be running the show on behalf of the Pacific Islands.
“Apart from those already there, two more are expected to join the Forum Secretariat—a legal adviser who is coming straight out of Australia’s DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), whose visa is still being looked at by the Fiji authorities, and also a trade advisor tipped to replace Dr Roman Grynberg as Director of Development, Economic Policy, Trade and Investment, who is coming out of AusAID.
If Australia’s Foreign and Trade Policy White Paper is anything to go by, then the Pacific Islanders should be very concerned.

The paper clearly articulates a number of key strategic issues pertinent to the advancement of Australian interests in the region.
The regional institution such as Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is being used as the vehicle to promote its national interest masquerading as the PIF Leaders decision especially when it comes to issues like trade, aid, security, good governance, etc.

Given the fact that PIF Leaders do not vote on issues and opt rather not to speak out for fear of victimisation, their silence is taken that they have acquiesced.
Perhaps, this form of consensus should be reviewed. This used to be the “Pacific Way” which has been misused by others for their political benefit, the source said.
“Pacific Islands Leaders have for a long time been used only to rubber stamp pre-formulated decisions that do not represent their interests.
“It is about time they look at other options including a review of the Forum to ensure more efficiency and equity.
“If that is unachievable, then perhaps the Pacific ACP should consider setting up secretariat of their own by detaching themselves from PIF so that they can be masters of their own destinies and not allow others to dictate to them.

“After all, the Pacific-EU EPA is the catch phrase nowadays which reflects the new international trade regime in place that will finally take precedence over PICTA and PACER in the near future.
“To secure this, Pacific ACP should first finalise their EPA with EU ahead of PACER. Who knows, this might change the politics of pacific regionalism and thus work in favour and not against the interests of its membership.”