Pn7. Bula Vinaka and a very Happy New Year to you all.
As we end the past year and celebrate the coming of 2016, I hope
you are all able to take the time to reflect on what we have been able to
achieve and focus on the path ahead of us–a path that will take Fiji and all
Fijians to even greater levels of success and prosperity.
In 2015, we completed our first full year as a true democracy,
and the Fijian people had the opportunity to see their votes and their voices
become actions.
2015 was indeed a year of action. It was a year of achievement
and it was a year in which Fiji truly came into its own as a model Pacific
Island country.
We witnessed how successful a Government can be when it remains
untainted by ethnic considerations and division. How effective it can be when
it awards on the basis of merit. How fair it can be when it embraces common and
equal citizenry for all Fijians. And how successful the country can be when we
focus on growing the economy for the well-being and prosperity for all. These
values have led us to become a more unified country, and the world has taken
notice.
This year, I had the opportunity to visit the Fijian diaspora
around the globe and tell them what we have been able to accomplish as a new
Fiji. I let them know that Fiji is back, better than ever before, and that we
are open for business.
The changes that we have implemented were long-awaited by many
of our Fijian brothers and sisters overseas -- and it was an emotional time, as
we reconciled with many people who were told that Fiji was no longer home for
them. They recognised the progress we’ve made, and many committed themselves to
walk side by side with us towards an even more prosperous and united future for
our country.
As we recapture what we lost, and rebuild relationships with
many Fijians who were driven away, we will strengthen our global presence. And
with their knowledge and investment, and together with our home-grown talent,
we will take our economy to even greater heights. That is why reconnecting with
our people living abroad is so important.
My fellow Fijians,
Last year I asked you all to capitalise on our transition into
democracy, and I am proud to say we are meeting that challenge every day. In
2015, we built upon our education revolution, we continued to improve and
modernise our infrastructure – connecting more and more Fijians to roads, water
and electricity - and we logged our sixth consecutive year of economic growth.
Our schools continue to equip our children with new technology
in the classroom that will keep our students, and future workforce, competitive
on the regional and global stage. Our infrastructure continues to develop,
bringing essential services to every corner of the country. Our economy is
improving every day, and my Government will remain committed to making sure
that the benefits reach every level of our society. All of this was made
possible because the vast majority of Fijians are focused on the future, they
don’t live in the past, and they don’t want to go back to the politics and ways
of the old. They have stood as one people, together, to confront the obstacles
that came our way and now step into the future confidently.
My fellow Fijians,
To strengthen our stand as one modern nation, free from its
colonial past and to give ample opportunity to Fijians of all ages, and in
particular our youth, to further contribute and consider what symbols most
rightly represent our wonderful nation; my Government has decided to further
extend the feedback period for designs for the new national flag to 29
February, 2016. The Government has received a number of new submissions since
the 23 designs were published earlier this year.
The new time frame will be as follows: From 1st to
the 19th of March 2016, 5 designs will be chosen, through the PM’s
Office, for you all to vote on. Members of the public will have 3 months to
vote on the 5 designs through public consultations, social media and text
messaging. It is expected that the design with the most votes will be announced
on 1 July to be our new national flag. The new national flag will be raised on
Constitution Day which is on September 7.
I urge you all to join our pursuit for a flag that represents
who we are today, rather than our past and one we can fly proudly into the
future.
With that said, my fellow Fijians, our work can’t stop here.
There is much that is left to be done, not only to reach our potential in the
short-term, but also to pass on better opportunities to our future generations.
That means leaving our children and grandchildren a world, and environment,
that we can be proud of.
Recently, I was in Paris at the United Nations Conference on
Climate Change advocating a strong deal that addressed the threat climate
change poses to our region and demanded real action on the part of developed
countries.
At the start of this month, the UN laid out the Paris Agreement.
It’s not everything we asked for, but it is still a step in the right
direction. But now, more than ever, our commitment will be tested as we
continue to fight to make sure the strong words printed on the agreement take
the form of real, binding cuts on emissions through the developed world.
I am counting on other small island Leaders to stand fast, as we
have in the months leading up to the Conference, and on our development
partners to continue collaborating with us as we push forward in mitigating the
effects of climate change. By having a national co-ordinated approach, we will
mainstream climate change issues to all the Government Ministries and ensure
that we are able to source the right levels of financial support and
allocations.
My fellow Fijians,
I hope that you have been able to spend quality time with your
families and loved ones this holiday season. Families are the backbone of our
country, and we must do what we can to protect the sacred bonds of trust that
hold our families together. That is why I have committed to using every
available opportunity I have to condemn domestic violence and sexual assault
that plague our society.
The law punishes these crimes severely, but we need to create a
culture that disgraces anyone who even thinks about abusing or assaulting our
women and children. And people who commit these atrocities should be mortified
to show their faces in our communities and in our society.
When we allow violence to persist in our most private settings,
when we have such a fundamental breach of trust, it creates an epidemic of
destructive and immoral behaviour that spreads throughout our society, and it
is our collective responsibility to prevent that from happening. As Fijians, we should be able to look at ourselves in
the mirror and know that we are doing our utmost to protect those who cannot
always protect themselves. So, I call on all of you to join me in this mission
to ensure that every Fijian woman and child lives a fulfilling life that is
free from violence and abuse.
As we close out 2015, let us, above all, thank God for the many
blessings, and let’s resolve to do our best to keep building a better Fiji.
Wherever you are on this New Year’s Day, I wish you all a very
happy and prosperous 2016.
Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
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