pn777. New Zealand and Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Pacific Islands Forum Snippets

Punakaiki, West Coast

NEW ZEALAND. Three West Coast Conservation Board members have resigned citing conflicts of interest between conservation and Ngai Tahu interests, the privatisation of public assets and instances of racism when they tried to uphold conservation interests. 

What has brought the matter to a head is the proposed construction of a $26 million Punkaiki visitors' centre funded by the provincial growth fund. 

The accusations are denied by Board member Kara Edwards and Poutini Ngai Tahu. 

Peter Goodfellow has been re-elected National Party president,  a position he has held since 2009, at the party's three-day annual conference in Auckland, when contender David Carter resigned from the Board. As he headed for the airport. Carter said he had no confidence in Goodfellow or the "culture" of the Board. 

Goodfellow spoke of a  rejuvenated party. "Today marks the beginning of our campaign for a party vote victory in 2023.  Judith we're right behind you."  The party appointed its first-ever Pasifika member. Jannita Pilisi, to the Board.  With no rural representatives on the Board, it is claimed the party is no longer  party of rural NZ and is now dominated by Auckland.

 ACT's David Seymour has criticized the government for reserving 401 MIQ (Managed isolation and quarantine) spots for people returning from the Dubai Expo. The Expo, an event of the world's largest gathering of industry, starts in October. The government has spent $60 million on its pavilion promoting NZ goods and services and is expected to attract up to 25 million visitors over the six-month-long Expo.   

Seymour says the government is "playing favourites" by putting the needs of the Expo returnees ahead of other New Zealanders wishing to return home.   He has yet to make similar accusations about quarantine arrangements for the All Blacks when they return from their third Wallaby Bledisloe cup test in Perth! Given the Expo's importance to the NZ economy, I find his remarks unusually petty, and more akin to those of Judith Collins.

FIJI. SODELPA MP and lawyer Mosese Bulitavu has been expelled from the SODELPA party for supporting the Government Budget and amendments to the iTaukei Land Trust Act. SODELPA is also trying to have him vacate his seat in parliament.

Further fires, this time at Ba's Muslim school —and possibly a house fire in Drekaniwai settlement and the Assistant Roko Tui's office in Taveuni— add to suspicions that some fires are political protests against the Fiji First government, and the influence of the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in particular.

COVID in FIJI. Some  86.7% (508,769) of the target population have now received their first jab, and 29.9% (175,570) their second jab.  There are currently 19,154 active cases in the Central Division and 4,916 in the West. There were six Coviod-related deaths between the 5th and 6th of August. Fiji's total population is about 894,000.

TONGA. Cases of cocaine worth 2 million pa'anga have washed up on Vavau beaches. Three foreign nationals and some local scavengers have been arrested.  

SAMOA. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa has directed the Attorney General to take swift action against opposition party members making what she called “unprecedented public and media attacks” on the Samoa Judiciary. 

The PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM celebrates its 50th anniversary. Secretary-General Henry Puna of the Cook Islands says the region’s key successes on the global stage have included  1) supporting territories achieve their self-determination aspirations through the UN system,  2) the reflection of  Pacific interests in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 3) the creation of an ocean-related sustainable development goal through SDG14, and 4)  the islands state's collective efforts in negotiation of the Paris Agreement.