How Much is Government the Cause of the Fall of Business Confidence?

False because either-or is not the only choice pn152

Despite New Zealand's relatively healthy growth and prospects (subject, of course, to international events over which we have no control) business confidence continues to fall. 

Business confidence, of course, is only one economic indicator —and a not very robust one at that— of how the economy is faring, and likely to fare over the next 12 months.

But the  latest  MYOB Business Monitor Snapshot poll  (412 interviewed) of small to mid-sized businesses shows a sharp slump in both general confidence and - more worryingly - actual revenue, with petrol costs standing out as the biggest concern, with taxes and the minimum wage.  

MYOB general manager Carolyn Luey said that while this was concerning business operators were not panicking.

NZ News Report on Fiji "incomplete, misleading —and nearly a week late"

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Latest.  ■ Tupou Draunidalo expects HOPE to win 26 seats, and rule alone.  ■ Mike Beddoes returns to SODELPA. HOPE was only to win undecided voters.
____________________________-

I see an item in this morning's Wednesday news that repeats several news items  first published in Fiji last week.  

It cites Ro Teimumu saying "many Fijians felt left out" because the three chiefly confederacies were not mentioned in the welcome to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the decision to change from the "traditional" welcome was probably made  "high up."  Read, Bainimarama and the Fiji First Government. 

The Extent of Media Freedom in Fiji

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I've no doubt there are very real limits to freedom of expression and media freedom in Fiji, but it could be argued that some of it is needed for the public good, and a range of opinions are still expressed in the media and in letters to the editor.
The public can also listen to each of the political party leaders, and the debate between Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Dr Biman Prasad,  on StraightTalk with Vijay Narayan, and those that missed out can listen to recordings of the videos here or on the Fiji Village website.

NZ Snippets Monday 29 October

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Announcing NEW ZEALAND ALTERNATIVE, a new organization seeking more debate about NZ's place in the world. Check it out.

Parliament. Question time Oct. 24. Read this pointless exchange between Simon Bridges and Jacinda Adern, and then ask what is the point. 

Taupo man pleads not guilty of threatening to kill the PM.

Housing in Te Kauwhata. Minister of Housing and Urban Development Phil Twyford announces infrastructure grant to local government and the first Kiwibuild houses in Te Kauwhata, which is expected to become a major growth area in the northern Waikato.

"White person's country"? Probably a nutter but this is as racist as you can go. Not good for the tourist industry. Mentally deranged people need help.

My Response to Biman Prasad's Attack on Bainimarama's Leadership, and Biman's response

pn150

National Federation Party leader Dr Biman Prasad claims PM Bainimarama is guilty of overwhelming incompetence.

“He has totally shirked his pledge for the election campaign to be all about a battle of ideas. Instead he should have a public debate with me on why under his leadership for past 12 years there has been a stratospheric rise to the cost of living, deteriorating public health and medical services, mess in the

China and the Rape of Solomon Islands Forests

Click on this site (not the photo) to see a most incredibly damning video.

Do not click here. pn143

■ The Solomon Islands is China’s second-biggest source of tropical logs (after Papua New Guinea), despite the fact that the Solomon Islands are only twice as big as Beijing. 

■ The Solomon Islands exported more than 3 million cubic metres of logs in 2017, more than 19 times a conservative estimate of the annual sustainable harvest. 

Weekend Reading

 

Feast for your eyes

Saturday-Sunday 
SCROLL DOWN or enter pn and number (pnxx) in "Search this blog" in the Sidebar

■ After a year in Government, the things about which Labour is most proud. Click on Video
■ China and the Rape of Solomon Islands' Forests
■ My Response to Dr Biman Prasad's Attack on Bainimarama's Leadership 
And, if you haven't read it,
■Rabuka Aquitted, FICAC Appeal, and other Election-Related Fiji News pn148

Fiji: Rabuka Aquitted, FICAC Appeal, and other Election-Related News

PN148

The big news —now that the British Royal couple have left— is that Sitiveni Rabuka has been acquitted of charges brought against him by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption of falsifying his asset returns. So he can continue as an election candidate. My guess is that this will strengthen SODELPA's position in the election.  

Rabuka's earlier remarks on restoring land rents to chiefs, Ro Teimumu's comments on replacing the present constitution, and this article deriding Indo-Fijians and applauding Rabuka for the 1997 Coup, leave little doubt, however,  about where SODELPA stands on the role of the chiefs, the resurrection of the Great Council of Chiefs, the virtual exclusion of ordinary Taukei from a fair share of land rents, and the place of Indo-Fijians in Fiji. 

Breaking news, however, is that FICAC has filed an appeal

Pacific Islands Weekly 24 October: Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Israel, NZ, China, Japan

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Taxi owner supports FijiFirst. The owner of one of Fiji’s largest fleet of taxis has  vowed to use its vehicles to help the FijiFirst party in its campaign. Tiko Kece base owner Ratu Lomaca Baleilevuka said the reason was that the Government had assisted them with the issuing of taxi permits. Hum!!

Dr Wadan Narsey, in my opinion, rightly,   questions a situation where Board members of Fiji's largest financial entity, the Fiji  National Provident Fund, are all appointed by Government, which is also the largest borrower from the fund (about $2B.) Worker representation was abolished in 2014. (This suggests insufficient safeguards. -Ed.)

Ro Filipe for death penalty. Chiefly SODELPA candidate

Fiji President's Address in Welcoming the Royal Couple

HE PRESIDENT JIOJI KONROTE AT THE STATE DINNER HOSTED FOR THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX  10/24/2018

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• Your Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex;
• Your Excellency, the former President of the Republic of Fiji;
• The Honourable Chief Justice;
• The Honourable Speaker of Parliament;• The Honourable Prime Minister;
• The Honourable Leader of the Opposition;
• Your Excellencies, members of the Diplomatic Corps;
• Distinguished Guests; and
• Ladies and Gentlemen.


Bula vinaka and a very good evening to you all.

On a magical evening 65 years ago – in December 1953 – Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh stood on the balcony of this hotel – the iconic Grand Pacific – and acknowledged the vast crowd that had gathered in Albert Park to greet them on their first visit to Fiji.

NZ Political Snippets: Charter Schools, Oil exploration, Residency, Synethic Drugs, Bill English upbeat. Pay equity, Trade Hui, Land protest

pn145

Government repeal of Charter Schools welcomed by PPTA.

National criticises oil exploration ban.

NZFirst Bill proposed 20 years residence for Super.

Sri Lankan family wins NZ residency battle.

National and NZFirst work together on synthetic drugs.

Bill English upbeat about NZ economy.

Pay equity bill more "snakes and ladders""snakes and ladders." 

Auckland's trade strategy hui attracts 17,000 viewers.

Maori woman protester fights to preserve special Auckland land.

Fiji Election: Accusations all round

Unity's Nabulivou on FijiFirst's undemocratic ways;

pn144

SODELPA's Rabuka's tax liabilities; calls for a Leaders' debate, NFP's Prasad's claim of 12 years of Government incompetence.

Former PM and SODELPA leader Sitiveni Rabuka has admitted in his court caution interview that he had failed to declare all his assets, liabilities and income to the Supervisor of Elections contrary to the Political Parties Act.

NZ Labour Day: What We've Gained and Lost

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Our thanks to London carpenter Samuel Parnell (1810-1890) whose insistence in 1840 on eight hours work, eight hours sleep and eight hours recreation started it all.

The story goes that  a fellow passenger on the Duke of Roxburgh, shipping agent George Hunter asked him  to build him a store at Petone when they arrived in February 1840. Parnell's response has entered New Zealand folklore:

How to Treat our Oceans like National Parks

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A TED talk. Listen to David Lang on how to treat  our oceans like national parks

pn140

Oscar Kightley on the Cultural History of Samoan Tattooiong

Courtesy, JunoTattooDesigns.com  pn141

Tatau is an extraordinary book tracing the painful rite of passage and art form that has endured for 3000 years.

The play began with a group of Samoan men, bare chested and wearing yellow lavalava, walking to the centre of the stage, laying down some mats and sitting down for a ritual that’s been practised continuously for thousands of years – traditional Samoan tatau.  Read more.

Child Poverty: We No Longer have a Welfare Net. Government Needs to Get a Move On

pn135

Janet McAllister* let's fly at our collapsed "welfare system" and Government sluggishness in tackling the child poverty problem.                                    
Here is what she has to say. For the full article,  click this link.

Due to inflation and rising rents, we do not currently have a welfare net; it’s more of a platform submerged so deeply in water that people who fall on to it can’t breathe, even standing on tip-toes.

A New Meaning for "Multi-Culturalism?"

At the investiture with Governor-General Patsy Reddy. pn138 Also -- Academic warns about  Chinese influence in our elections. ________ Alex Braae in The Bulletin thinks Jamie-Lee Ross's secretly recorded tapes raise "huge questions for National" not because they broke the law or proved Simon Bridges breached the Electoral Act by not disclosing a large donation —which they didn't— but because of ethical and other issues.  The tapes prove Bridges knew about the donation from multi-millionaire Yikun Zhang, who National had nominated for the Order of Merit.

Petrol Price Realities -- Jane Clifton in the NZ Listener, and Brian Fallow on fuel prices and inflation

Also -- Brian Fallow "How Petrol Prices will hit home." How Fuel Prices will Hit Home."

                                                                  ***

A PM made gassy with fuel-price billiousness lets rip with a good blurt.    By Jane Clifton

Not very flattering, NZ Listener.  pn139

It's hard to see how petrol prices can be brought down without Government regulation.
Most political leaders relish what might be called their “gutsful” moments – typified by Helen Clark, who used to preface drastic action with, “People have had a gutsful of …”

Not all gutsful moments are great “Build a wall/Drain a swamp” theatre. John Key’s were a bit yeah/nah, but you could tell he’d finally taken the hatchet to an issue when he omitted to say he was “relaxed” about it. Bill English struck without warning. He had such a gutsful of Housing New Zealand that it woke up one morning to the news that all its properties were to be transferred to private charities. This didn’t eventuate, as few charities wanted them either – which underlines that the key to a successful gutsful moment is to have one’s ducks in a row so that decisive action can follow immediately.

Fiji Election Update 19 October

"Fear God and honour the King."  pn 142

FijiFirst, SODELPA and the National Federation Party are each fielding 51 candidates, the number of seats in Parliament plus the Speaker.

The Fiji Labour Party, HOPE (Humanity, Opportunities, Prosperity, Equality) and Unity Fiji parties have between 25 and 28. The People's Democratic Party and Freedom Alliance Party will not contest the election, choosing instead to respectively work with SODELPA or the FLP. There are no Independent candidates. 

Don Brash finally made it to Massey

pn137

Don Brash finally made it to speak at Massey. Its Political Society and "free speechers " are happy. 

Did he say anything unexpected? No. Not really. We already know his views on Maori and the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Weekend Reading 20-21 October

Saturday-Sunday 
SCROLL DOWN or enter pn and number (pnxx) in "Search this blog" in the Sidebar

■ Jane Clifton and Brian Fallow on Petrol price realities. pn39

■ A new meaning for "multiculturalism.'
Satire on the Jamie-Lee Ross and Simon Bridges saga. pn138

■ Child poverty. We not longer have a welfare net. Government needs to get a move on. pn135

■ The environment. Listen to a TED talk on treating the oceans like national parks. pn140

■ The cultural history of Samoan tattooing. Oscar Kightley.  pn141

Fiji: Govt has stabbed the stomach of our people by putting 9% VAT on basic food items - Prasad

By Vijay Narayan, Dhanjay Deo and Mohammed Feroz

Wednesday 17/10/2018

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad campaigning in Tabia, Labasa with the NFP team

National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad says this government has stabbed in the stomach of our people by putting 9% VAT on basic food items that were previously zero rated.

Pacific Islands Weekly: October 17th: Posts on Fiji, Tonga, Tokelau, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, PNG

A sample of Pacific Island fruit.  pn132

FIJI
Rabuka to appear onViti Straight Talk tomorrow, Thurdsay, at 7pm.
♦ SODELPA would introduce minimum wage of $4 a hour.
♦ NFP would raise wages in stages. 
♦ 63,000 people eligible to vote.
♦ Latest poll result. See pn130.
♦ Fiji has been elected to the UN Human Rights Council.

♦Seven objections against political party candidates contesting next month’s general election were received yesterday as the Electoral Commission ended the objection period at 4pm.

The objections:

Hot-headed and Cooler-headed Fuel Price Arguments : What are the Real Issues at Stake?

 "Of the 40 cents a litre increase in petrol prices over recent weeks, about 30 cents of that has been due to a combination of rising crude oil prices internationally and a weaker exchange rate (which makes imports dearer). The remainder has been adjustments in retailer margins, changes in discounts and an increase in taxes of about 9 cents." -- Eaqub.
____________________________________

pn129

Jacinda Adern said petrol prices had increased by 38c in the year ending 28th September, of which 6.8c was for the Emissions Trading Levy and GST. These figures were provided by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and were also used by the Automobile Association to show that tax was not the major factor in the increased petrol tax. (See my posting pn121).


Government opponents, including "hot head"  Cameron Slater, immediately  attacked these figures because they did not include the 3.5c excise tax and the 10c Auckland Regional Fuel Tax that came in two days later, on September 30th. Mike Hosking said the increase was mainly due to taxes — which it wasn't. (Use "Search the blog" for "pn127".) 

We look at these views and then at those with "cooler" heads.

The Hullabaloo over the Leak of Simon Bridges' Email

pn136

UPDATE. Jami-Lee Ross unanimously expelled from National caucus. $1m by-election in Botany.
________________________

I really don't see why the hullabaloo over Jami-Lee Ross and Simon Bridges. Yes, there's been a leak and, yes, we now have the probable culprit. Thank goodness. The media has been speculating — and casting doubt on Bridges' leadership— for weeks. Or is it months? In my opinion, this is an internal matter for National and should only be of passing interest to the media and the public. Bridges handled it in the best possible way, and no doubt the National caucus will do the same. 

Let them get on with the job, and start reporting on more important things that really matter. Taking cheap shots at the political parties and their leaders in "opinion" pieces based on rumour and speculation is not keeping the public informed: it's gossip. The media's focus should be on policies and what the political parties are doing about them. The media's political job is to inform, report and analyse news; not to make —and make up— the news as if they were the main actors.

Fiji: Latest Fiji Sun-Razor Poll on Election Outcome

Voqere Bainimarama, Biman Prasad, Sitiveni Rabuka pn130

The Election will be held on November 14,  The results of  the poll published in the Fiji Sun yesterday, 13 October, were:

Thinking about "The Rotting Corpse of Daily Journalism"

pn127

"But my real suspicion was this: the stench was from the rotting corpse of daily journalism after it had finally, and deservedly, carked it from overdosing on clickbait, reporting speculation and breathless beat-ups." -- Greg Dixon, "On the (Carterton) pong track," NZ Listener, Oct. 13 .., pp 94.

Dear Reader

pn131

I hope you enjoyed the weekend posts. 

 Relax.  I'm not asking you for a donation, but I am asking you for some show of support.


When the blog started in 2007 it focused only on Fiji As it Was, Is and Can Be.  From then until a year ago it had over 3 million page views.  The revived blog,  New Zealand, Fiji, Pacific Islands, has a much smaller readership. 

It takes time to re-build a readership, but numbers are now slowly growing, and over the past four weeks the blog had nearly 6,000 page views. 

A Letter from Greenpeace

pn128

Hi Crosbie,

This is really exciting.

Together, we campaigned to stop the Government funding massive irrigation schemes that were going to drive further expansion of industrial dairy. We worked together for two years and earlier this year, we won!

Compulory Te Reo Māori debate fails to address key problems, say critics

Māori language week was celebrated last week and the key issue in the media was a debate on whether Te Reo Māori should be made compulsory in New Zealand schools. 

Mike Mohr of Asia Pacific Journalism* reports.

Te Reo Māori lessons ... lack of teachers and resources
make it hard for a compulsory approach.
Image: Māori Television pn92

Amid the debate over the issue of compulsory Te Reo Māori lessons in New Zealand schools that intensified last week, many arguments and opinions for and against were voiced.

Many New Zealanders support the idea of te reo being introduced more widely into schools, with overwhelming media coverage in support for compulsory Te Reo be implemented into the New Zealand core school curriculum by 2025.

But the question that has not yet been answered is whether it is possible or realistic, and the views of some who do not agree with the notion of compulsion have not yet been fully voiced.

It is an ongoing debate that has divided many New Zealanders in support of its implementation and those opposed to Te Reo being made compulsory.

Fiji: How Democratic was the old Communal Voting System?

Tabua (whale's teeth). Highly valued culturally.

With the Fiji Elections due on 14 November and the strong likelihood of accusations that it will not be a democratic election, despite the presence of international observers, this could be a good time to recall just how democratic the electoral system was that it replaced. The way Fiji was before the 2006 Coup. (*All figures are based on the 2006 election.)

1. Each voter had two votes, one for a Communal electorate, the other for an Open electorate. 46 of the 71 electorates were Communal, in which voters voted according to their ethnicity; the remaining 25 were Open electorates where every voter voted irrespective of ethnicity.  Both were geographically based.

Weekend Reading

Feast your eyes

 Saturday-Sunday 
SCROLL DOWN or enter pn and number (pnxx) in "Search this blog" in the Sidebar

• Fiji: How Democratic was the old Communal  Voting System? pn120
• Compulory Te Reo Māori debate fails to address key problems, say critics pn92
• A Letter from Greenpeace and an 11-minute video "The Regenerators" showing alternative farming practices.  pn128

Bainimarama: Three Under One Banner a Celebration of Unity:

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at the launch of the iTaukei Ministry and iTaukei Affairs Board Strategic Development Plans 2018 – 2022 on October 5, 2018. pn119

Three Under One Banner A Celebration Of Unity: PM

Pacific Islands Weekly 10 October. Fiji Day, Fiji, Tokelau, Niue, PNG, Quality NZ Aid, Pacific Media Centre

pn124

Fiji celebrates its public holiday called Fiji Day every 10 October to commemorates the signing of the Deed of Cession in 1874, which initiated a 96-year long process of gradual granting of independence from British rule. On the same day, 10 October, in 1970, Fiji finally became a fully independent nation.

Massey to consider Brash Exclusion

Brash: Haka promotes domestic violence.
Chapman: Reserve
Bank does not exist. pn125

An independent review will be conducted into Massey University's cancellation of a planned speech by Don Brash.

RNZ reports former Deputy State Services Commissioner Doug Martin will carry out the review, which is due in November.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Thomas said she welcomed the review.

e-Tangata Issue 7 October

pn122

E-Tangata is produced by the Mana Trust, an independent charitable organisation focused on strengthening the Māori and Pasifika voice in New Zealand media.

This issue has articles on Minister Kris Faafoi, Maori perspectives on the Justice system. compulsory Te Reo, whether the Maori electorate decided the outcome of the 2017 election, how the Maori Party lost its way  ... and more, much more.   

I found an earlier article on Sir Tipene O'Regan of special interest because I worked with him in the 1960s.  His grandmother's saying raised a smile: "Forgive your enemies, but write down their names." A very wise woman!

"It's Now or Never for Action" -- International Climate Change Report (Updated)

Update. See also Pacific Media Centre posting. pn126 Yesterday in the PM's post-cabinet press conference, not a single question was asked about the IPCC report, despite it being hot off the presses.

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin, by Alex Braae and supported by Vector. Climate change report says it's now or never for action. The latest report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change has been released, and it's a brutally stark warning.

Fuel Prices: The AA's Cost Breakdown and a Longer and Deeper View (Updated 9 Oct.)

pn121

_____________________________

UPDATED. Read  Gordon Campbell on the political costs of the price rises.
____________________________

The Automobile Association (AA) Breakdown

New Zealand has a de-regulated market and as such retail prices are influenced more by global supply and demand factors rather than the cost of refining fuel locally (although half our finished fuel is imported). 


The price you pay for a litre of petrol is made up of the imported cost of the petrol, taxes (fuel excise, ETS and GST), shipping costs and an importer margin (the amount the fuel companies earn to offset their operating costs, plus profit margin).