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Booking change costs Forum: WHISPERS has heard that the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s Economic Governance Programme stands to lose close to F$30,000 following a decision not to hold trade meetings in Fiji. Last year, they blocked booked Tanoa International Hotel to host the trade meetings in Nadi. By deciding to move the meetings somewhere else, they have lost that deposit as a result of the rearrangement to accommodate the needs of the Economic Governance Director who doesn’t have a work visa yet. Easy money for Tanoa International!
SG to handle PACER Plus: WHISPERS has also heard that PACER Plus has now been taken off the Economic Governance Director’s plate. It will now be handled by the Forum Secretariat’s boss. Wonder what happened?
Govt car hire: In one particular Pacific Islands, a government ministry is responsible for the hiring of private vehicles for those entitled to one. Upon receiving a request, the ministry officials would go to the car dealers, usually Chinese, to negotiate a deal. Vehicle hire rates vary from US$43 a day to US$91 day as rates depend largely on the vehicle size. Others cost more. Late last year, one official, not from the hiring government ministry, was sent to one of the dealerships to get a quote. To his surprise, it was the minister for the ministry responsible for approving vehicle hire who was in deep conversation with the Chinese car dealer. That minister now has to his name five vehicles. The same minister also has three houses to his name, all in a space of four years. Given that the election is just around the corner, some are wondering whether last year’s discussion was about campaign costs in return for more hiring from the same dealership.
RIF restructure: What is the latest on the RIF restructure? Leaders had agreed that the RIF restructure should be implemented by January 1, 2010. We’ve now gone past that date—and it appears nothing has happened. Imagine the amount of money and time spent on overhauling the regional organisations. The consultants did not come cheap either!
Fa’a what? The “cultural defence” of fa’asamoa so often turned to by some Samoans appeared to get little sympathy from an American federal judge. It came when the corruption trial of American Samoa Lieutenant-Governor Faoa Aitofele Sunia began in Washington, the USA capital. The judge (who is African-American) responded to submissions on fa’asamoa by saying: “Just because someone comes from a different culture does not mean they are held to a different standard.” The judge said Washington has many different cultures but all are held to the same rule of law.
Tahitian touch: Now if you just happen to be visiting that outpost of the British empire in the south Atlantic, the Falkland Islands, you could see a South Pacific touch. Air Tahiti Nui, the airline of French Polynesia, won a lucrative contract to transport British troops to and from the Falklands. Britain, of course, maintains a healthy garrison in the islands because of continuing Argentine claims on them. Air Tahiti Nui operates a fleet of modern Airbus A340-300 jets, including to Paris, just a short hop across the channel from Great Britain. Its British military contract is reported to be worth many millions and make use of an under-utilised jet.
Sogavare reborn? Canberra is keeping a close watch on the possible return to power of Manasseh Sogavare in the coming Solomon Islands general elections. Sogavare—who questions the Australian role in his country—leads his new Our Party into the election campaign with a popularly strong anti-corruption focus. But the Aussies know Sogavare will also again quickly question the agreement under which the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) operates in the Solomons. Sogavare was ousted from the prime ministership in a no-confidence vote led by current PM Derek Sikua. Given embarrassing revelations in the recent Julian Moti court saga, some now wonder how big a behind-the-scenes role Australia had in the Sogavare ousting too. Were some of those stories about this floating around Honiara at the time true?
Samoa pressures: Much is made of the cultural and family ties between the islands of independent (western) Samoa and American (eastern) Samoa. But tensions between the two simmer, and more sparks are likely soon. American Samoa is reported to be moving to impose further restrictions on the number of their Samoan “cousins” who can live in the USA territory. PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and the independent Samoan lot across the sea have previously robustly reacted to such American Samoan moves. They imposed reciprocal restrictions on the American lot. Watch for more of the same.
Kerr’s replacement? WHISPERS is wondering when Oz PM Kevin Rudd will announce a replacement for Duncan Kerr, PM’s right-hand man on Pacific affairs. It has been several months since he stepped down and no word from Canberra about his replacement. Are we small fries for Canberra’s tastes?
Election fever…In the Solomons Islands, one MP is said to have ploughed more than half a million dollars into solar lighting for his constituency in the last five months. More have been promised for between now and June/July this year when the nation goes to the poll. The problem is that half the goods are defective and barely last a week. Those who can, have shipped the solar panel and accessories back to the MP’s house in Honiara. As with any goods purchased from any local Chinese shops, there’s no warranty. So it’s half-a-million dollars down the drain.
Copenhagen mystery: The presence of a staff of a regional organisation during the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen last December was a mystery, it has been whispered. People who were there reported that they saw the staffer busy following Pacific journalists around, yet what was his role or job exactly no one had a clue. If he was there to convene a side event about climate change activities in the region, then read this; there was no such thing. Only the Secretariat of the Pacific Community hosted a side event in conjunction with the European Union.
Media watch: The Australian-run Fiji Times, led by editor Netani Rika, staged a much publicised walk out when a Fiji Ministry of Information rep spoke at the Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) conference in Port Vila in July. But this Fiji Times protest against people from the ministry does not appear to be shared by the locally-owned Fiji news media. There is reported to be some strong local media opposition to moves to suspend the Ministry of Information from membership of the regional media body. The suspension was promoted in Port Vila because of the ministry’s role in ongoing media censorship under Fiji’s Public Emergency Regulations. It has now been pointed out that the PINA constitution does not actually allow PINA’s executive board to suspend a full member like this anyway.
Digicel stumbles: High flying international mobile phone operator Digicel has found the Fiji market harder to crack than anywhere else it has actually set up business in the region. The Irish-run outfit is being outwitted by the locals in charge at the Fiji market leader Vodafone, who totally dominate corporate business. In the latest effort to try to build its limping Fiji performance, Digicel brought in an Aussie Matt Davey as CEO in Fiji. He quickly shifted its local headquarters from Nadi to the capital Suva. Why have the HQ on the other side of the island from the capital in the first place? Whisper is that Digicel’s Irish expats fell in love with Nadi’s Denarau tourism resort—golf course and all—and upscale housing.
Tuilaepa’s voice: Vocal critic of Fiji on certain Internet discussion sites is one Tupuola Terry Tavita, said to be a Samoan editor. He is feted by fellow members of the anti-Fiji brigade as he criticises Fiji and pushes for regional agencies to be shifted from Suva to Apia. What is not proclaimed so loudly is that Tavita is actually the main paid publicist working for Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. PM Tuilaepa, it is well known, wants the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and all the benefits of hosting it moved to Apia. Tavita is doing what he is paid to do: push the views of his boss.
Maori the word: Suddenly, classes in Maori are popular in the Cook Islands. Could it be, perhaps, for one important reason? Those applying for permanent residence (the closest the not-quite-independent Cooks can come to granting citizenship) must now show they can speak conversational Maori.
Top catch...Did you know that a bluefin tuna was sold at a auction in Tokyo’s fish market for 16.28 million yen (US$175,000, £109,000), the highest price paid in Japan for nine years? The bluefin tuna weighed 232 kg—nearly four times as much as the average Japanese man. It was caught off the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu in waters famed for high quality fish. Tuna is prized in Japan, where people eat it raw in sushi, but there is concern that stocks are dwindling. Bluefin tuna is known as the king of sushi and the Japanese eat more of it than any other nation, according to a BBC report.
Niue politics: The vagaries of Niuean politics were highlighted during a half day sitting of the Legislative Assembly to discuss the controversial Trevor Hall report on tourism development. Most MPs shredded the report which had already been approved by the premier and tourism minister Toke Talagi. Under attack was the premier’s unilateral decision to appoint Aucklander Charles Cooper as its facilitator to work with New Zealand-appointed facilitator Mark Blumsky, a former National MP and Mayor of Wellington. Cooper had his employment as Niue’s tourism representative in New Zealand terminated by the Tourism Authority Board but was later reappointed as a special envoy by Talagi, much to the annoyance of the board and stakeholders in the industry. MPs criticised the big earner Cooper and wanted him dumped as the premier’s special envoy. While Talagi was in Auckland on his sick bed, he could be consoled by the fact that after all the hard talk, it was decided to refer the matter back to cabinet who will no doubt support the leader’s previous decisions. But it must be disconcerting that in political circles there is not a lot of backing for the Hall Report. At one stage during the meeting, one MP suggested that Niue should abandon its constitution and become an independent state.
Island link: What do New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands and Tonga have in common? Successful air services provided by the same company. Chathams Pacific, the Friendly Islands Airline, is a subsidiary of Air Chathams Ltd which operates within New Zealand to and from the Chatham Islands. Chathams Pacific Convair 580 services within Tonga now appear to be providing stability for the kingdom after a succession of difficulties with other domestic airlines. Chathams Pacific doing this should be no surprise. Air Chathams is a New Zealand aviation success story, with legendary founder Craig Emery beating off challenges to its Chatham Islands services from such heavyweights as Air New Zealand.
Uni rumblings: Rumblings are beginning to appear in the newly opened Fiji's third university. Allegations of cronyism, nepotism and dictatorship are already floating. Even the head-honcho's after-hour's activities are being closely monitored. WHISPERS has been told that staff members are leaving in hordes because they are unhappy. One particular unhappy issue is their contract. Staff are being put on three or six months contract at the whim of the boss.
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