Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > We have 10 guests online > May 11 2005 - News As It Happens - Just For You! > Young Vivian Re-Elected Premier With Overwhelming Support > Premier Young Vivian has been re-elected to the top leadership > role in Niue's newly elected government. He won > unqualified support over an alliance of independents candidate > Mrs O'Love Jacobsen by 17 votes to three. > > Premier Vivian, tipped late last year to retain his position > by Niue News, stood on a strong platform of continuing > development and economic reforms that will lead to Niue being > less reliant on foreign aid. > > Mr Atapana Siakimotu was re-appointed Speaker of the > Legislative Assembly for the next three years and three new > MP's were sworn in - Ms Lilivika Muimatagi (Toi), Mr Kupa > Magatogia ( Lakepa), Mr Organ Viliko (Alofi South) - along > with the 17 others returned to Parliament in the April 30 > general election. > > Mr Siakimotu defeated a former Speaker Mr John Funaki 14 votes > to 6. > > Mr Vivian now has to pick a three-person Cabinet to work with > him and there is speculation as to whether or not he'll choose > former Ministers Toke Talagi, Bill Vakaafi Motufoou and Fisa > Pihigia. Political commentators are predicting that former > High Commissioner to Wellington Hima Douglas may replace Toke > Talagi who won his common roll seat at a "lucky dip" after > tying with businesswoman Maihetoe Hekau. > > Mr Vivian said after the Assembly vote hes yet to decide the > formation of a Cabinet. > > Mr Vivians not ruling out the return to Cabinet of the former > finance minister, Toke Talagi, who became an MP when his name > was drawn from a hat. He told Radio New Zealand International > News: I have yet to decide. I think I will have a day to think > about it, and I will select them on Friday. I have been > talking to Toke Talagi about a number of things, but I havent > yet decided. > > [date.gif] Thursday, 12 May 2005 > Party Politics Swept Aside By New Assembly > The door has slammed shut on party politics on Niue. > Overwhelming support for the re-appointment of Young Vivian > (69) as Premier has demonstrated the newly elected MPs > resistance to any allegiances to a party system that was born > with the formation of the Niue Peoples Party in 1996 and the > death of it three years ago. > > The alliance of independents didnt even back Mrs OLove > Jacobsen in the leadership stakes she was defeated to the top > job recceiving only three votes while Mr Vivian scooped 17. > > The alliance group of independents was confident it has eight > supporters in its camp only days before the 11th Assembly held > its first meeting at the Fale Fono. > > Its understood many of the alliance group, aware they did not > have the numbers to overthrow Mr Vivian, decided to back him > at the last minute. > > The challenge to previous Speaker Mr Atapani Siakimotu by a > former Speaker Mr John Funaki failed to succeed in a 14 to 6 > vote off. > > Mr Vivian is the third Premier to lead the sparsely populated > isolated island since the death of the legendary Sir Robert > Rex. > > He is a former school teacher who entered into politics in > 1969. Mr Vivian was secretary-general of the South Pacific > Commission in Noumea 1979-1982. Following the death of Sir > Robert Rex, Mr Vivian was appointed Premier from December 1992 > to February 1993. He lost a leadership bid to Mr Frank Lui of > Alofi North. > > Mr Vivian has served the Ekalesia Niue Church in his home > village most of his life and has a long career as a Cabinet > Minister in island governments since 1974 when Niue attained > self government in free association with New Zealand. > Keeping The Island Family Together Prime Mission > Niues newly elected Legislative Assembly faces some tough > decisions as it begins a 12^th term in the islands history. > Keeping the tiny community of 1200 together will be a number > one priority. Clearing the 350 derelict homes mostly owned by > expatriate Niueans living overseas comes a close second. > > Economic development to reduce the islands reliance on aid has > a chance of success in the nonu and fishing industries, thanks > to joint venture deals involving Reef Group and the Government > of Niue. > > Tourism has suffered setbacks after Cyclone Heta and has > failed to attract much attention from the government. The > infrastructure seems to have collapsed with investors having > little or no representation on the abandoned authority and the > defunct tourist association. > > It needs a realistic strategic plan but is now being > out-marketed by neighbouring island destinations experiencing > visitor booms. > > A weekly airline service to and from Auckland restricts > holidaymakers and attempts to re-launch Niue into the New > Zealand and Australian market has met with mixed reaction. > > Reducing the public sector which employs around 430 and > boosting the private sector or ensure sufficient labour for > income earning projects presents a challenge as does a number > of suggestions made in the first Whole Of Government Report > made by renowned New Zealand state administrator Don Hunn. > > Urgent appointment of a New Zealand police officer as Chief of > Police is necessary as out lined in the Hunn Report. > > Maintenance of capital equipment, roads and government > buildings along with plans to turn the island into an > eco-state will likely gain good monetary allocations in the > July budget. > > Health now under the wing of the Pacific division of the > Counties Manuaku District Health Board in South Auckland and > education being monitored by Dunedins College of Education > links the island with New Zealand and its resources ensuring a > diversity in specialist advice. > > New Zealands guaranteed aid over the next four years will make > the July budget for 2005/2006 [likely to be around $19 million > ] gives the Treasury benches a better chance of more accurate > monetary forecasting. > > Premier Young Vivian wants a chance to finish off many of the > economic development projects commenced during his last term. > If one or two of them help curb the islands reliance on > foreign aid he will have achieved what no other Premier has > been able to in the past 30 years. > > Nonu Destined To Be Export Winner > > Niues latest economic hope nonu juice is destined to become > the islands number one export earner...pushing tourism into a > back seat. The success of the juice has been demonstrated in > Samoa where Nonu juice beat out fresh fish as the countrys top > export for the first time in February this year, according to > new Central Bank of Samoa figures. > > Nonu is on the rise in revenue and market outlets, thanks to > some hard work by producers. But the uncertainties that plague > agricultural exports hover constantly and prevent farmers from > plunging into all-out planting. Exported nonu juice surged > twofold in earnings, to $632,000, as volume also doubled and > prices rose 3%, the Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) said. Nonu > fruit also rose strongly in export earnings in February - by > $179,000 - to $269,000, thanks to an increase in volume that > was nearly threefold, the CBS said. > And in latest developments in the health juice industry a new > study into the healing powers of Nonu is being carried out in > Fiji.study carried out in Fiji. > > The University of the South Pacific will undertake the > scientific research to determine the chemical compounds in > nonu or kura plant that is purported to have medicinal > benefits. > > Speaking at the launch of a working paper on "Kura Files" USP > researcher Dr Mani Naicker said trials would determine whether > Noni is indeed safe for consumption. > > "The kura files is a qualitative social survey report in which > the researchers have embarked on a nationwide questionnaire > based survey in which the general public in rural and urban > areas were asked about what they know about the kura plant," > he said. "As well, they have been asked about preparations are > they aware of from the plant itself and what purpose they have > been used for. For example, if they have been using it to cure > headaches or to cure arthritis and so on so, it's a recorded > evidence from the people who have been using these plants for > so long." > > According to the website Nonipacific.com, Noni is known > throughout the South Pacific as the "mother of all healing > plants". > > With the common name Morinda citrifolio, nonu has been used by > Pacific islanders for centuries almost as a panacea and has > provided both healing and nutrition. > > Nonipacific said there was evidence that the plant had been > use in Polynesia and China as far back as 2000 years ago. > > Hospital Blow-Out Within Project Funding > > Additional money for the Niue Hospital construction project is > within the overall project funding, said a Ministry of Foreign > Affairs official this week. The government of Niue has > requested an additional $500,000 for conrete flooring and > foundation work which has already been completed. > > The official said the government of Niue, AC Consulting Ltd, > NZAID and the NZ Ministry of Health and have been working > through the design changes and costs, and there may be scope > to reduce the size of the cost increase. > > "However, even with the currently estimated increase, the > total cost still remains within the overall project budget > that NZAID has allowed for this project." > > Police Chief Soon To Be Named > > Niues new Chief of Police will take up his position on the > island when final funding under the New Zealand/Niue > Strengthened Cooperation Programme (SPC) is finalized, > according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official. > > Until an agreement is finalised the officer to head the > islands police force cannot be named. > > " A candidate for the position has been chosen and > negotiations are underway with the successful officer on his > terms and conditions. Funding for the position and continuing > support from NZ Police for Niue Police will be funded from the > NZ:Niue Strengthened Cooperation Programme (SCP). An > arrangement between NZAID and NZ Police is being worked out > covering arrangements for this support," the official told > Niue News this week. > > Big Pacific Youth Summit In Samoa > Young people from Niue and throughout the Pacific are taking > part at Samoa in the first Pacific Youth Summit for the United > Nations Millennium Development Goals. > Samoa's Acting Prime Minister, Ulu Vaomalu Ulu Kini, > officially opened the four-day summit at the Tofamamau > Catholic Church Centre near Apia. > The summit is one of the biggest and most important gatherings > yet of Pacific youth. More than 70 delegates, observers and > resource people are taking part. > Delegates are from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, > New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, > Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. > The summit is funded by the United Nations System in the > Pacific and the Government of Samoa. The United Nations > agencies involved include the United Nations Development > Programme (UNDP), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and > United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural > Organisation (UNESCO). > The Millennium Development Goals, often called the MDGs, are a > set of goals and targets the world's nations have agreed to > try to achieve by 2015. > The eight goals were adopted by the United Nations in > September 2000. They join nations in the fight against > poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender > inequality, child and maternal mortality, disease and > environmental degradation. > IN A NUTSHELL: > > Marketing: While former All Black flanker Michael Jones heads > the marketing of Niues nonu juice many in the know think that > the Wellington Hurricanes back and All Black Maa Nonu should > be his assistant. > > Oops 1: Quote from Toke Talagi on RNZI after winning the lucky > dip on Niue: "I think Ive done sufficient and demonstrated > sufficient, that should enable me to retain my position in > Cabinet, whether as minister of finance or some other > portfolio. I certainly would like to retain finance because I > believe I have done a number of things in there that has > helped with the long-term prospects of this country to become > more self-sufficient and stable." > > Oops 2: Toke Talagi again on RNZI on his lack of an outright > votes win in the election: " Clearly there were things that > the electorate were not happy about but its often very hard to > read from the results of this type of election what people > were particularly unhappy about. I believe that we have done a > great deal, especially with our relations with New Zealand and > also our economy here, so its very difficult to say, at the > present moment, why they didnt vote for me in these > elections." > > Oops 3: The stress of lengthy delays in announcing the final > results of the Toi village constituency in the Niue general > election took its toll at the drawing of a name from the hat. > Both candidates tied after provisional recounts. Immediately > after the drawing the winning candidate was the subject of > physical abuse, according to witnesses. > > Poll: Pollsters in last week's vote on delays in election day > final results reckoned it took too long by officials to > release figures. 80% wanted quicker action 20% indicated > satisfaction with the announcement of results. > The French Social, Economic and Cultural Fund for the Pacific > has earmarked $US3.6 million for a total of more than 50 > projects dedicated to the Pacific region. > > Oceania Flash > reports the Funds steering committee, which met last week in > Paris, has endorsed projects in the fields of research, > biodiversity, meteorology and climate change, natural disaster > prevention, public health, media and culture. > > One of the funds aim is to promote a better integration of the > three French Pacific dependencies into their regional > environment and therefore boost, whenever possible, relations, > exchanges and cooperation with the Pacific Island States. > > Several of the approved projects are based on existing > facilities either in New Caledonia or in French Polynesia: in > climatology, scientists in New Caledonia are to undertake a > study in regional climate changes, while in French Polynesia, > a study on deforestation is to be carried out in conjunction > with authorities in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) and the Chilean > government. > > On environment, another ongoing study is looking into the > causes of coral bleaching, a perceived consequence of global > warming in the Pacific Ocean. > > Other ongoing projects benefit from the French funding, > particularly the French-Australian initiative to fight against > a worrying increase in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the > Pacific, and a French-New Zealand public health project. > The roving chairmanship of the Fund is currently held by > French Polynesia (2004-2005) > Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 May 2005 ) > If you live off island does the election result make you want > to return to Niue? > (_) I'm thinking about it > 47864 Visitors
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