Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Monday 24 January 2011

It's Only a (FRU) Game & Ugly Racism, Housing Authority Helps Poor, EU Extends Agreements

Reader's opinions on the new posting days and times would be most welcome.

N0065. A NEW BALL GAME. In a new development the FRU Board, on the advice of the International Rugby Board,  has  reversed its decision and will not resign over the lottery saga.

The IRB apparently think changes to management could be a contravention of the FRU constitution which "could result in the IRB having to take a determination on the continued membership of the IRB of the FRU." They have further advised that a decision on the lottery is a matter between the FRU and the Fiji Commerce Commission. 

The IRB made no mention of the inspection of the FRU accounts that suggested mismanagement and misspending (at least $150,000 is missing), and they had nothing to say on charging two different prices for the same ticket, which, surely, is at the crux of the issue. Fiji does not need anyone, at home or overseas, to condone the mismanagement of public money. Mismanagement and misuse of office are but short steps on the way to full-blown corruption.

'UGLY RACISM'

 And on this issue, the supposedly pro-democracy CoupFourPointFive blog published  this comment from one of their readers.  
"IRB vs Regime - & the winner is?
January 23, 2011 6:12 PM
Anonymous Remove the scumbags said...
Time to totally isolate the scumbags in this military regime. Ban Fiji rugby Union from the world cup and all other international rugby until the human rights abusing Fiji military return to their filthy barracks. As for their few cowardly coup supporters - read the latest in the Cros Walsh pro junta racist blog - he and his mongoose supporters (in their bitterness and desperation) are now attacking the hapless families of the NZ mine disaster and the floods in Australia. Vermin, all of them."
In my opinion, the comment is marginally relevant, contorted, racist and highly personal, and all responsible publishers should block such comments. They would not be allowed in a responsible newspaper, and I would expect similar high standards in a responsible blog.  The comment is also factually incorrect.  There has never been any such reference to the Queensland floods or the 
Pike River disaster in this blog. The person commenting has made this up.

The CoupFourPointFive comment was brought to my attention by a reader who wrote:

Ugly racism at 4.5 has left a new comment on your post "Why the Roadmap? The Politics under the Bridges Pa...":
"Croz, to follow is yet another disgraceful example of the way Coup 4.5 tolerates, and arguably encourages, racist comments about Indo-Fijians.
 Like you, the site's operators have the ability to screen such material and choose not to do so. Yet they routinely reject moderate opinion that in any way portrays the Bainimarama regime in a favourable light. I would strongly urge you to tackle this appalling racism head-on by giving such postings the highest prominence on your site. It's high time to go to war against 4.5, a site that poses as moderate and pro-democratic but is really a front for the racists of the indigenous hard right. More than anything, this shows why the coup of 2006 was vital to protect the rights of other citizens. And we need to keep our boots on their miserable throats."
 
N0066. HOUSING AUTHORITY HELPS POOR AND UNEMPLOYED.
The Housing Authority Board has approved a new housing loan rehabilitation policy that  will assist customers who are finding it difficult to meet their loan repayments due to retirement, sickness, unemployment and disability. The policy will also assist those defaulting customers who are covered under the Village Housing Scheme. The new policy will target customers who have paid more than twice the principle loan amount, and those who are unemployed or facing financial difficulties.

The PM said the policy is not a handout but a "social desire to assist the marginalized and those who are at risk of losing their homes." It will assist home owners by either writing off part or the whole of their remaining loan or by temporarily assisting the unemployed by freezing the interest and fees on the loan balance for up to 12 months. Hundreds of middle and low income families are expected to be assisted under the policy.

N0067. EU PARLIAMENT EXTENDS AGREEMENTS.The European Union has extended its Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EPA) trade agreements with Fiji and PNG, and stated that it has a strong interest in continuing to maintain close, high-level economic relations with the Pacific states. The EU parliament added that the agreement could also lead to negotiations on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement if so desired by the two countries.

The Interim EPA was initiated by Fiji and PNG in 2007 and signed by them in 2009 in order to ensure that preferential exports of sugar and fish into the EU market continue after the expiry of the trade preferences under the Cotonou Agreement on 1st January 2008.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ratu Inoke Ratu Kubuabola said that I-EPA was critical to the survival of the Fiji Sugar Industry because is provided a guaranteed market access into the European Union until 2015, at preferential price, which was equivalent to the price received by the European Union Sugar producers. He hoped that after 2015, the agricultural reforms undertaken by the European Union will ensure that the interest of Fiji and other ACP Sugar producers will be maintained in the European Union market. Ratu Inoke was hopeful the ban on fisheries exports will be lifted now that health and safety issues have been addressed.

A meeting of the Pacific ACP Trade Ministers will be meeting in Apia on 3-4 February to instill momentum in the Comprehensive EPA negotiations with the European Union. --- Based on 2011, No: 0154/MOI.

8 comments:

mismangement of public monies said...

Croz
In your latest comments you mention the 'mismanagement of public monies'. Is there any greater 'mismanagement of public monies', in any nation, than a coup? Although perhaps undertaking one, paying yourself 30 years so called 'holiday pay, is one blatant example?

And perhaps you should read your own blog more closely - and if you are wrong make an apology?

Posted on your blog, Jan 23, 2011 9:12:00 AM, was the following comment:

"Australia and NZ would probably have done the same but they are either too arrogant or (hopefully) too busy with their natural disasters earthquakes, Pike river blasts and ow (sic) the floodings."

This rather disgraceful comment was made by someone calling themselves "Proud Fijian". But those of us who know Fijians well, are very confident such a comment would not be made by a Fijian. People can come to their own conclusion about what sort of people would make a comment like this?
As for the likes of people who make such comments, including that they will "keep our boots on their miserable throats" referring to indigenous Fijians, we say bring it on - the sooner the better!!!

Crosbie Walsh said...

@ Mismanagement ... I'm afraid it is you who should read my blog more closely. The main reference to the Australian and NZ disasters is by Remove the Scrumbag in a comment made in CoupFourPointFive, not my blog, and had it been published in the mainstream media, it would have been libellous. To say that I or my readers are "attacking the hapless families of the NZ mine disaster and the floods in Australia" is a perversion of the truth. I note that you do not criticize this comment.

The comment by Proud Fijian on my blog was not unsympathic to the families of the disasters. He was making the point that the Australian and NZ government has not followed the US lead.

The "boot at their neck" comment by Ugly Racist may have been rather too graphic but it referred, metaphorically, to the "neck" of the CoupFourPointFive publishers who allow racist comments. He was saying don't let them get away with publishing racist comments. Do you think they should?

His comment certainly did not refer to indigenous Fijians and I do not understand why you thought so. One has to be especially careful not to read into comments with which one disagrees what one wants them to say.

Proud Fijian said...

@ Mismanagement of public monies

The lead by the US and now France (following China) is most likely causing concern in the Anti-Interim regime camp.

SDL supporters would certainly not like to see people going to the US for work. Because you would that Fjians not make progress through this or other economic benefits that Fiji would get from these.

You would rather the Fijian people struggle. Do you really care about the Fijian people? I don't think so.

FYI I am 100% i-Taukei. Au kila vinaka na noqu mataqali, yavusa, tikina kei na yasana. Au kila talega na kequ kakana.

Foremost I am proud to be a Fijian (born in Fiji).

Liu Muri said...

By now I thought it was a common knowledge that Coup 4.5 is the mouthpiece and replacement of the ethno-nationalist Taukei Movement which had raped Fiji's democracy more than once - in 1987 and many times in 2000. I have questioned before and doing so now: Have any of the administrators or sympathisers or the publisher of Coup 4.5 been to any reputable media school and learnt anything about media's responsibilities and ethics. None of these are available at Coup 4.5 and their stand would shame anybody who even remotely wishes to be called a journalist supporting democracy. Coup 4.5 is a shame to media freedom and it is so ironical that they are claiming to be fighting for democracy. If this is their brand of democracy, thank God Fiji no longer has SDL’s model of democracy.

Boots on throats said...

Croz, as the writer of the posting in question, I can confirm that you have my meaning totally correct. Yes, it was graphic and perhaps too much so. But this mongoose stuff has gone too far, the suggestion that Indo-Fijian people are the same unwelcome import as the animal we all see darting across our roads. For the record, I'm not an Indo-Fijian but that is beside the point. What I'm objecting to is the blatant and unapologetic racism that's a feature of 4.5 and some of these other sites. It therefore stands to reason that anyone seeking to link my "foot on the throat" comment to indigenous Fijians generally is simply being mischievous. But that's to be expected under the circumstances. We've seen repeatedly that these people will go to any lengths with their disinformation and defence of the indefensible. The 4.5 contributor wilfully misrepresented what had been said in your columns and accused you of being a racist. Utterly perverse.

Charlie Charters said...

I think you've got the IRB's statement on the lottery funding wrong. They pointed out that the Commerce Commission have made a series of allegations to which the FRU have said (certainly in the last statement I read) that they have taken legal advice and are confident of being able to defend their position. In other words until a determination is made between prosecution and defence and there is a finding of fact it is not a matter, surely, that justifies both the board and the CEO resigning.

'Fiji does not need anyone, at home or overseas, to condone the mismanagement of public money.'

Considering the high standards this blog rightly expects of others in the commentariat it seems more than a bit unfair for you to suggest that the IRB is even close to condoning the mismanagement of public money.

sara'ssista said...

so the IRB are using the same tactics as the regime and chosing what and when they will comment on issues, or not at all. Annoying isn't it? Do as i say....but not as i do . It is still 'alleged' missing money isn't it? or was that word abolished too in the new Fiji.

NAME CALLING said...

@ Boots on Throats....

Now the time has come to remind ourselves of the term "cockroaches" which was used to foment the Rwanda genocide. It was used in the main over local radio stations using vernacular languages in the months preceding the overt attacks. In Fiji, a similar process is at work. The process results in the treatment of human beings as objects: mostly destined for denigration. It is achieved by calling people names: unpleasant, disgusting names. This is symptomatic of a deep-seated psychological dysfunction. It may give rise to chaotic and unpredictable events if ignored or encouraged. A service is rendered by 'outing' it. Were many of us ever aware formerly of how endemic this is? Perhaps we should look to Rwanda and its emergence from a nightmare sixteen years ago to see what has had to be done? General Romeo Dallaire's memoir is in itself a reminder that the UN itself failed to act on the basis of intelligence and did not have a full grasp of the impending holocaust: and so, more than 800,000 people were savagely annihilated: Fiji's entire population in number. Is it any wonder that General Dallaire (whose continued appeals to the UN in NYC to broaden his mandate to save lives were dismissed) later suffered a complete nervous breakdown? No one should ever dismiss name-calling as a mere failure of good manners. It is the beginning of a breakdown of tolerance and requisite social restraint and it should be heeded as a symptom of future intent. objectify the target.