Neu: 2002-04-13 Contents of this issue:
1. Voting With Feet 2. Affordable Communications 3. Fronting Youth 4. Situations Vacant 5. Terror Threat? 6. Two Term President 7. Sky Control 8. Park Stabbing 9. Aid Fund Fiddle? 10. Sprint Finish ======================================================================== April 13th, 2002 1. Voting With Feet: "Huge problems" face Niue because of de-population, said Professor John Henderson head of the department of politics at Canterbury University New Zealand. In an interview with Radio New Zealand International broadcast this week, Dr Henderson said Niueans who are New Zealand citizens were voting with their feet and taking up residency in New Zealand and Australia. He said there had been some "creative thinking" about independence or integration with New Zealand but considered it highly unlikely that Niue's politicians would vote themselves out of a job by promoting integration. Dr Henderson said a regular air link with New Zealand would help stimulate the tourist industry but when the population drops below a level of viability airlines are reluctant to introducing new services. "There are no easy solutions to Niue's problems," he added. A report on a recent research project carried out by two NZ consultants on how to maintain the island as a Living Community is due to be publicly released before the end of the month.The researchers talked to islanders on Niue and Niueans living in New Zealand to gather information for their report. 2. Affordable Communications: Ministers from the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum meet this week to discuss how communications in the region can be made more accessible and affordable. The Forum Communications Policy Ministerial meeting at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji will consider a range of measures aimed at encouraging more flexible policies and revising outdated regulatory frameworks. "Information technology is a vital tool for development and the Internet, for example, offers tremendous opportunities to improve the delivery of health and education services to island communities," said the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Mr Noel Levi. Access to the Internet in the region is, however, still limited to a very small part of the population. "Liberalisation of the sector is increasingly likely, through national efforts as well as regional trade processes, but will be held back by weak regulatory frameworks. "Progress in this area will require closer cooperation between different groups in the communications, trade, finance and legal sectors, as well as user groups. At their last meeting in 1999, Forum Communications Ministers endorsed a Communications Action Plan to address issues such as limited and unequal access to information and communications technology outside the cities; high costs of equipment and services, improving Internet access, and reducing prices. Costs for telecommunications and Internet access in the Pacific Islands are higher than in other regions, partly due to the international accounting regime but also due to restrictive policies and regulations.(Forum Secretariat). 3. Fronting Youth: Leaders of both groups contesting the 2002 general election on Niue had the opportunity to address the island's youth on a radio program Saturday. Premier Sani Lakatani said the Niue Peoples Party would provide youth with increased grants to assist them with youth development programs. He said youth were an important part of the society and it was essential to retain them on the island. Mrs O'Love Jacobsen, leader of the Alliance of Independents team said promises of money did not promote the self esteem of young people. Mrs Jacobsen said youth they had to learn to be independent and not rely on handouts. 4. Situations Vacant: Two jobs available on Niue with salaries ranging from $21,000-$25,000. The government is advertising for a Revenues manager for its tax department. Applicants should have an accountancy background and would be responsible to the financial secretary. The second position is that of director of tourism. Its the second time the vacancy has been advertised. The director is responsible to the semi-autonomous Niue Tourist Authority Board. The position of general manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue has been taken up by Patrick Lino a former corporation employee who has been studying and working in Auckland for the past three years. 5. Terror Threat? New Zealand has been placed on terror alert as fears grow al Qaeda groups could strike here, writes Joseph Lose in this weekend's Sunday News. A new anti-terrorism squad is being set up by the customs department as part of a $30 million emergency government boost announced by prime minister Helen Clark. The elite customs squad will track terrorists and make sure guerrilla fighters cannot hit New Zealand targets or use the country as an underground base. "Al Qaeda could target the American embassy here," customs national intelligence manager Andrew Coleman said. The new customs squad would pass on intelligence to anti-terror units, who would swoop on terrorists. The customs department is getting 30 more officers to fight terror.(Sunday News). 6. Two Term President: While Niue may have more women in their Legislative assembly after the weekend general election, in Tahiti, Lucette Taero has been re-elected for a second term as president of the French Polynesia Assembly, beating two other women. Taero had last year been the first woman elected to head the assembly, which has 23 women as elected officials. When the political parties introduced their candidates for assembly president this year three women were on the list: Tea Hirschon, for the Tavini Huiraatira party; Tilda Fuller for Fetia Api; and Taero for the majority Tahoeraa Huiraatira. Taero was elected with 29 votes, followed by Hirschon, who obtained nine votes; and Fuller with seven votes. Three blank votes were recorded. Taero was from 1996 to 2001 Minister of Employment, in charge of women's conditions. She also worked for several years in this field in schools and with associations. Political observers underline the fact that the representatives of French Polynesians were elected, in the territorial elections, with a system of men-women parity. (Tahitipresse/PINA Nius Online). 7. Sky Control: Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have reassured Fiji that - unlike Tonga and Samoa - they will not take away airspace management from Fiji. Fiji PM Laisenia Qarase, speaking at the opening of a new Air Traffic Management Centre at Nadi Airport, said he received this reassurance from Vanuatu Prime Minister Edward Natapei and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza over the continuing management of their flight information regions from Nadi Airport. Samoa, Niue and Tonga have shifted control of their flight information regions to New Zealand. The New Zealanders had offered to pay them a share of the revenue from providing flight information to aircraft crossing their regions, something they did not get from Fiji.(PINA Nius). 8. Park Stabbing: A 41 year old Pacific Island man on a family outing was stabbed to death when a fight broke out with another visitor at an Auckland NZ regional park yesterday. The dead man was in the main carpark of the Omana Regional Park, near Maraetai Beach, about 25km southeast of Auckland, with a large family group when a fight began about 3.30pm. The Pacific Island man was seriously injured in the fight with a Maori man and died at the scene soon afterwards while ambulance officers made attempts to resuscitate him. Police believe the weapon used to kill the victim was either a knife or a machete. The Maori, who police believe was alone, sped from the carpark in a late-model light-coloured Commodore.it is understood the incident could have been gang related. 9. Aid Fund Fiddle?: Police in the Cook Islands have been called in to investigate the disappearance of aid funds meant for food producers on the small atoll of Aitutaki, reports Radio Australia. The country's Aid Management Division set aside more than AUD$ 55,000 (US$ 29,000) for the Aitutaki Producers Association. But when the association -- which has 35 members -- went to get the money for machinery and marketing, only AUD$ 5,000 (US$ 2,674.50) was left. The association says the money was taken without authority and has asked for statements from the Aid Management Division to learn where the money went. A spokesman said police were called in, because criminal acts are suspected.(Radio Australia). 10. Sprint Finish: Candidates on the hustings drumming up support for Saturday's tenth general election on Niue are making last minute efforts to woo the 900 voters on the isolated 265 sq km raised coral atoll 500kms east of Tonga. Reports from Niue indicate there are pleas from several candidates to " keep it clean." They hope there will be no handouts, freebies, or treating which has often been labelled as pre-election "custom." Niue News independent commentators say there are two distinct factions aiming to peak before the April 20 election - the ruling Niue Peoples Party, and the newly formed Alliance of Independents. The country's leadership is proving to be a talking point - our commentators predict its "sink or swim" time for Premier Sani Lakatani (67). Sources inside the NPP are saying if he holds onto his common roll seat the former Army platoon sergeant is unlikely to be re-elected to lead the tiny nation. Pundits are favouring the appointment of 66 year-old Young Vivian (Hakupu) as Premier. The former teacher heads into his final three years of politics. Alliance spokesperson Mrs O'Love Jacobsen (48) is another potential leader but her team will have to scoop the pool and hold 11 of the 20 seats - a tough challenge.She would be the South Pacific's first woman to lead a nation. Mr Vivian was Premier of Niue for several months following the death of the island's first Premier, the late Sir Robert Rex. However he has never held the reigns for three years but has in his long political career always been close to the action serving in many Cabinets and holding a raft of portfolios. The rift between Mr Lakatani and his supporters inside both the Assembly and the Party has been widely known in the small community. Our commentators add however that Niue's politics has always been fickle and with a week to go the musical chairs are likely to constantly change position - which seat successful candidates land in will largely depend upon who is conductor of the band. [Copyright. All rights reserved. Publication of this article in any form is prohibited]. __END__
