(o) McCully and Kubuabola Agree to "Climb Everest"

NZ and Fiji's Foreign Ministers, Murray McCully and Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, meeting in Nadi on Friday and Saturday discussed "a number of issues of bilateral interest to both countries ... in a positive and constructive atmosphere, and have agreed to keep working at improving relations between the two countries."

One immediate outcome will be the appointment of new counsellors in Suva and Wellington (and later deputy heads of mission, and perhaps later still Heads of Mission.) Currently Fiji has only one official in Wellington while NZ has a policy adviser, two administration officials and immigration staff in Suva.

McCully said, "I think it got to the point in both cases where the viability of our operations were under threat. . .this is going to get us into a better space. It's only by maintaining the ability to communicate that you are able to move forward. Even if we strongly disagree, some good will come from ongoing communications."  The face-to-face (Maori: kanohi ki kanohi) meeting followed  ongoing communications between the two Ministers over recent months.

This good news prompted one reader to ask "do you reckon we are almost on the top of Everest?" to which I replied, "No, but they have agreed to establish a base camp." She followed this up with, "What’s the saying – “slowly slowly catch a monkey”- we will get up Everest yet, or is it the Sleeping Giant** and we are in the valley?

I'm afraid we are still in the valley. McCully went on to say "None of this signals a change to New Zealand's substantive policy with regard to the regime in Fiji, nor does it signal any change in the sanctions regime currently in place. But it does signal a determination to improve the relationship, and in particular to be able to agree to disagree about some things." McCully, not "wanting to get ahead of Australia [Why not!] said "the Australian government was fully aware of the decisions announced today, and supported them."

Labour Party Response Pathetic
I can see why Australia had to be informed if NZ-Australia relationship is truly one of equals, but I found Labour Foreign Affairs spokesman Chris Carter's reaction rather pathetic. He welcomed the move,reminded us how Labour had "tried to commit Commodore Bainimarama to an election date" and said "the Labour Party will do all it can to assist the Government, including using its extensive contacts amongst the Indo-Fijian community in New Zealand."  He's still in a time-warp. Our insistence on elections (and no dialogue) and the assumption that this is all about race is what caused us to make the situation worse in the first place.

I'm sure there are many Indo-Fijians in NZ who are unhappy or undecided about the Fiji situation, and not a few ethnic Fijians who were unhappy about the Qarase administration and are prepared to give Bainimarama the benefit of the doubt. And all other former Fiji citizens (Part-Europeans, Europeans, Chinese, Rotumans, Kai Solomoni, and so on) will be similarly divided. Chris, this is about taking steps towards a Fiji with less corruption and better and fairer governance for all, not race and early elections. Would someone knowing Chris please suggest he  -- and other parliamentarians -- visit this blogsite?

The meeting was reported in the Fiji media but Ratu Kuboubola had not yet commented when this post was published.

** Sleeping Giant, a mountain ten kilometres north of Nadi.
Sources: NZHerald, Scoop.

Email from White Frangipani: "It was pretty good that Murray actually went to Fiji- that is a gesture of good will. That is progress. Definition of progress – two steps forward – one step back (or more!).I had a laugh though – Murray wasn’t banned from Fiji like others are [hoping to come] from Fiji to NZ!"