Neu: 2001-12-07 Contents of this issue:
1. Alliance Choice 2. Freight Fee 3. Bad Bug ======================================================================== December 7th, 2001 1. Alliance Choice: Opposition politicians plan to launch a co-ordinated challenge to the Niue Peoples Party hold on power in the tiny South pacific island state. Calling themselves the Alliance of Independents [AI], the opposition group wants Niueans to tell them at public meetings how think the world's smallest nation should be run.The first meeting is to be held at Aliutu Hall Alofi 6.30 pm Sunday. Consisting of seven independents, the group hopes that, with like-minded supporters, AI candidates can contest all 20 village and common roll seats at the general elections due next March. Former cabinet minister Veve Jacobsen, the Alliances spokesperson, told freelance Pacific affairs writer John Andrews that the opposition group hoped to gain the necessary majority of 11 seats to take over the reins of power. But Premier Sani Lakatani has other ideas. In an interview with Andrews in Auckland before setting off for a series of University of South Pacific functions, Mr Lakatani said he was confident that the ruling Niue Peoples Party's [NPP] candidates would top the 11 elected to office in 1999. I expect to get 11 again and I think we will get more than 14 next time, he said. I think there's a 60 per cent chance of re-election. If I get re-elected, I will go for the premiership. It [his election bid] will be on the common roll. I asked for the blessing of the party for me to carry on as leader of the party, he said. It was almost unanimous. Mr Lakatani believes Niueans have faith in his NPP government which had achieved credibility by creating things for the people to do and carrying out its social policies. We have delivered more than 90 per cent of the promises of the election in 1999, he told Andrews. What we promise this time, we hope to deliver 100 per cent. Two promises which had failed to eventuate were an airline and the unemployment benefit. Mr Lakatani hopes the air service issue will be resolved early in the New Year. While refusing to specify the next election date, he said he could dissolve the Assembly on March 19, the third anniversary of the last election and call for elections that month or in April. The AI caucus has met to formulate a strategy for the election. With Mrs Jacobsen in the group are independent MPs Terry Coe, Hunuki Hunukitama, Peter Funaki, Talaitama Talaiti, Jack Willie Lipitoa and John Operator Tiakia. The group is releasing a public document inviting Niueans inside and outside the Assembly to join the AI cause, the manifesto for which will be drafted next month and launched in February. We are looking at competing in every seat, said Mrs Jacobsen. The document invites people [to stand] in village constituencies as well as on the common roll. Our attitude is that we would be far better to go on board with new people than to go on board with people who are likely to be disloyal in terms of the group. We are committed to change. It will only come about if we offer a choice. If we are not seen to be united in our cause, we are going to be seen to lose the plot. We will agree to disagree, allowing the flexibility of not towing the party line because parties, as we have seen in Niue, do not work. Obviously it doesn't work in a small community. Niuean voters would be given an option in the next election, which, Mrs Jacobsen hopes, will bring about a committed change. We know we are the underdogs and we have to play our hand carefully, she said. Mrs Jacobsen is making no secret of her desire to challenge for the leadership of the AI but readily acknowledges it is an aspect upon which her caucus colleagues have to rule. We will have to name our leader before we go to the polls, she said. Because I am spokesman [for the group] does not mean I will be leader. Because I am a woman, I will have a difficult job to prove that I as a woman can do the job. At the end of the day, caucus will decide and it is caucus decision. Toke Talagi, another prominent independent MP, said he would be seeking re-election but he and two allied independents, Billy Talagi and Pokotoa Sipeli, did not believe it was their interests to join any existing party. The idea that we should form another party is against my principles because of the size of the [Niue] population, said Toke Talagi. It seems ridiculous if three parties set themselves up. He believes there is a good chance that his faction could end up holding the balance of power. [Note: Copyright reserved. This article cannot be reproduced without permission of the author, freelance journalist John Andrews.] 2. Freight Fee : Air New Zealand has introduced a new document handling fee that will "significantly" add to the costs of exporters and importers. Big freight-forwarder Mainfreight said yesterday that it would add "quite significant extra costs for ourselves and our customers". A fee of $20 plus gst will be applied to all international air waybills through the company's terminals in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. An Air NZ spokeswoman would not reveal how much additional revenue it would bring to the troubled airline that has required a $1 billion rescue package from the Government. The new fee would be effective from January 28. Qantas and Singapore Airlines had similar fees. 3. Bad Bug: A disaster has been declared on Rarotonga following the discovery of a fruit fly that could wipe out all fruit growing and exports. Ministry of Agriculture policy and planning officer Patrick Arioka said male Queensland fruit flies have been found in flytraps at two separate locations, two days apart. This particular species of fruit fly can destroy between 80 to 90 percent of any commercial fruit, including noni, tomatoes, papayas, mangoes, guava and rose apples. It is found only in Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and parts of French Polynesia. Mr. Arioka said it was suspected the fruit fly may have come from plastic bags of fruit, dumped at the wharf by a visiting French naval vessel. The dump has since been covered by soil. Spraying to destroy the fruit fly cannot begin until the wet season ends, so Cook Islands officials have set up bait traps. Fallen fruit is being collected and buried.(Radio Australia/PIR) __END__
