Letting PM Vent His Spleen, Another 'Hit Job' on Fiji Tourism, Regenvanu Doubts Natapei's MSG Story

ALLEN LOCKINGTON SAYS "I just want to say that while the Australian and New Zealand governments play hard ball with our government, most of our people and their people at ground level have gotten on with life.   We can’t do much, yet.To mope and carry long faces only gives us indigestion."

PM'S WORDS DISAPPOINTING. I have nothing more to add to yesterday's posting "Bainimarama Ambivalent, What's Needed ..." but I urge readers to record their opinions by clicking on "Comments" below the post. Here's an extract from one of them. 'Keeping the Faith' wrote:

"Anyone who knows the PM, knows he's speaking in anger and humiliation. So we need to allow him to vent his spleen and then remind him that his whole credibility depends on keeping his word. I don't care what he says to Australia and NZ to goad them. I do care what he says to the "Fijian" people ..."

ANOTHER TVNZ 'HIT JOB' ON FIJI TOURISM. Will it ever stop, the constant negative publicity churned out almost daily by our supposedly balanced media? Never before has Fiji "enjoyed" such publicity. In an item headed Fiji deteriorating as holiday destination? a writer called Thinkstock makes the most ridiculous claims: tourists may go elsewhere because of a $25 (that's NZ$16.57!) increase in the departure tax, price gouging and deteriorating   infrastructure.


He cites Aviation commentator Peter Clark as saying "the lack of infrastructure was astounding" (where was he staying? I certainly did not notice it); being "grossly overcharged for accommodation and food (cut rate prices are available for anyone who looks, and for an experienced traveller he should know hotels and resorts have always been dearer than the restaurant down the road). If he paid, as he said, $6.50 for one small scoop of ice cream, more fool him. And of course hotel prices go up over the school holidays. They always have.  But he doesn't end there. Air Pacific's recent huge financial loss "is a sign of things to come" (Huh! If you're into signs, then travel on anotherairline.) 


He says tourist money not going back to the people. But he keeps his biggest punch for smarmy last. Fiji people are great, he says. We want to help them. But "Money is not going back to the people [they] "are not gaining anything as very little money is going back into their villages." What on earth does he mean by this? How can he possibly know? And, for his information, not all Fijians live in villages, and not all Fiji ciizens are ethnic Fijians."It's our closest neighbour," he writes, "the people are great and New Zealanders want to go there to support it, but I don't think we are supporting the locals." If you continue to write like this, you most certainly are not.


For your information. Flight Centre has Auckland-Nadi return four nights accommodation packages ranging from NZ$769 to $1,105. If you travel AirPacific, one child travels free. And don't forget many things are much cheaper to buy in Fiji than NZ.  Your NZ$100 converts to F$134. And if you spend more than $500, they refund the 12.5% VAT (GST) on your departure! See also this House of Travel rebuttal posted on Scoop.


Footnote: The NZ Listener Health column ran a similarly misleading article in its 12-18 June issue.  The article relied heavily on the advice of a Dennis Mundy of Pacific Medicare. He recommended up to $100,000 insurance coverage because Fiji hospitals are "resource bankrupt. They can't cope with locals, let alone tourists." This is an alarmist exaggeration about public hospitals.  He didn't mention the world-class Suva Private Hospital and its clinic in Lautoka, or the fact that Kiwis living in Fiji don't think it necessary to take out $100k insurances. When one reads stories like this, you can only repeat the saying, "Who needs enemies when you have friends like this."

Regenvanu Cast Doubts on Natapei's MSG Story

Sethy Regenvanu was a Presbyterian Church Pastor trained at Pacific Theological  College, Veiuto, when it first opened in 1968. He was involved in the pro-independence movement and was the Deputy Prime Minister to Fr Walter Lini at independence in 1980. He was a Member of Parliament for many years before retiring. In October 2004 he was seconded for a three-year appointment by his church  to St. Andrew's Church in Suva. The letter casts doubts on the MSG story as told by Vanuatu PM Natapei.  You may need to press Ctrl and + simultaneously to enlarge.