Weekly Niue News http://www.niuenews.nu/ [2004-09-11: list updated for new site] _______________________________________________ > We have 6 guests online > May 21 2005 - Read It Here First - Niue's No 1 News Breaker > Its On Again... Poly Blue Take Off Date Confirmed > Polynesian Blue, the joint venture airline of Samoa and Virgin > Blue, will officially begin operations on September 1. > The new carriers name revealed by Niue News late last year > will manage all of Polynesian airlines international > operations. > > Its hoped the airline will lower the cost of airfares > throughout the region including the Auckland/ Niue/ Auckland > route. The Premier of Niue Young Vivian discussed the service > with Samoa government and airline officials last month in > Apia. > > Samoas deputy prime minister and finance minister Mr Misa > Telefoni, announcing the start up date for the venture, also > confirmed Domestic Poly Link has been formed to manage > Polynesian Airlines domestic links. > > Niue News has been told Cabinet has approved a $6.5 million > contribution to the initial capital of $13 million with Virgin > Blue chipping in $6.5 million. > > The deal has been hailed by the Samoa government which > believes it will stop the "bleeding" of national funds used to > prop up the carrier for many years. " Truth is that the > airline is not going to be ours anymore," said Mr Telefoni. > > [date.gif] Saturday, 21 May 2005 > Ban On Wifi Set To Be Lifted > Government employees will soon have access to the wifi > internet and e mail wireless system they've been blocked from > using for the past several years. > > Despite representations the ban on government department usage > remained and in some vital areas like meteorology restricted > the speedy transfer of data. > The dumping of Mr Toke Talagi and the appointment of Mr Bill > Vakaafi Motufoou as Telecoms Minister has brought about a > change in government attitude to using the free, efficient and > speedy wifi system instead of dial up on slow and overloaded > telephone lines. > > Some political commentators predicted it was Mr Talagis stance > against wifi that cost him the votes of many of the 430 public > servants in last months general election and almost brought > his controversial political career come to a halt. > Mr Talagi banned government departments from using wifi > because he arbitrarily decided it was illegal, claiming the > service provider, the Internet Users Society - Niue, required > a licence to operate it. However he never took the matter to > Court. IUS-N denied it was breaking any laws and has already > installed wifi in several villages around the island with the > intention to have it running in a majority of places in the > near future. > > Government departments using wifi will benefit from speedier > transfer of data as will the new hospital that is hoping to > install a video conferencing facility to link with Middlemore > Hospital in Auckland where specialists can confer with medical > staff on Niue in cases where urgent prognosis are necessary. > > Premier Needs To Be Innovative - Lakatani > > A former premier of Niue says Mr Young Vivian must come up > fresh ways to boost the economy, now he begins a second, > three-year term as the islands leader. > > Sani Lakatani says Mr Vivian has presided over a fall in > population from 1,700 to 1,200 after Cyclone Heta struck last > year. > > Mr Lakatani says he was a more energetic leader than Mr Vivian > has proved to be since 2002. [RNZI] > > Aid Earmarked For Niue But Should It Be More? > New Zealand has announced it has more aid tagged for Niue. > After announcing > a five year $40 million deal to help the isolated island after > Cyclone Heta New Zealands > Minister in charge of overseas aid Marion Hobbs has announced > there'll be > more assistance granted to Niue and Tokelau for cyclone > recovery. > This follows an annunced 21% increase in overseas aid > allocated in this year > 's Budget. But the Aid community is not so happy. > The Council for International Development says it's a > promising start but > falls well short of meeting New Zealand's United Nations > obligations. > However Ms Hobbs says the additional funding means aid > programmes in the > Pacific can be significantly expanded. "There will be > 30-million in the next > three years particularly aimed at Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, > Solomons and > Fiji. Vanuatu it is an education programme, rather like the > Solomons. Papua > New Guinea, it's doing a sector-wide approach programme in > community health > and Fiji, it's the beginning of the work on those outlying > areas where > people have shifted in outside the city." > Ms Hobbs says there will also be millions more for cyclone > devastated Niue and Tokelau over the next three years. > Senior Golfers To Compete In Samoa > Samoa is to host the inaugural South Pacific seniors golf > tournament in August. Niue will be encouraged to send a team. > Amateur golfers throughout the region, New Zealand and > Australia included,are being invited to take part in the > 36-hole event at Apia's Faleata Golf Club course, reports > Pacific Affairs correspondent John Andrews. > Teams of four registered players aged 50 and over will be able > to compete under the name of the home clubs for men's, women's > and mixed prizes. > Sponsored by Telecom Samoa Cellular, the tourney is the > brainchild of the course designer and tournament organiser, > Samoa's Papali'i Ulumalautea John Ryan, and New Zealander > Terry Dunleavy, former editor of the Samoa Bulletin,both of > whom are keen golfers. > The programme begins August 2 when players from around the > South Pacific arrive. After a practice day the following day, > the tournament proper gets > under way on August 4. > Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, also an > enthusiasticgolfer, will launch the event when he drives a > ball off the first tee. > Competitors will have the chance later to inspect the new > Aggie Grey's Lagoon Resort and golf course at Mulifanua, > certain to be a venue for next year's seniors tournament. > The Samoan Government is supporting August's event for which > Air New Zealand has been appointed official air carrier. > Dunleavy, a former Apia golf champion of the 1950s, said the > tournament presented the opportunity for Samoa to show how it > had embraced tourism. > "The hospitality and openness of the Samoan people is > legendary," he said. > Describing the tournament as a major event exposing Samoa's > quality golf facilities, Tuilaepa said it represented an > opportunity for the island > nation's up and coming players to gain insight into > international competition. > The tournament would show the country had three, 18-hole > courses of international standard ready for Apia's 2007 South > Pacific Games where golf > will be a featured sport. > "I feel Samoans are especially suited to this kind of > competition using personal strength as we do for rugby," said > the Prime Minister. > "It is a game of natural characteristics that develop from our > youth. The great amount of physical activity for the youth of > Samoa is working in plantations where they develop muscular > bodies from a young age." > Feeling indebted to the tournament initiators, Tuilaepa said > he hoped it would be a forerunner to an annual event in Samoa. > Tournament details and entry forms have been forwarded to golf > clubs throughout the South Pacific region. Entries close on > July 8. > > Trade Agreement Talks > > Senior officials from nine Pacific Island countries have met > in Fiji to discuss the implementation of the free trade > agreement known as PICTA. > The Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement was signed by > Forum leaders in 2001 and entered into force in April 2003. > The agreement aims to provide duty free access on eligible > goods over 8 to 10 years. > The meeting detailed the items on a Negative List that will be > initially protected under the agreement The the countries who > have ratified PICTA are > Niue, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, PNG, Nauru, Samoa, > Solomon Islands > and Tonga. > Illegal Tobacco Goes Up In Smoke > > Tongan authorities have started burning more than 300 packages > of illegal cigarettes, in an effort to crack down on fraud and > organised crime. The > contraband cigarettes, brought in from Singapore, were > confiscated by customs officers in the Tongan capital > Nukualofa recently. The destruction of the contraband goods is > in line with the government's ongoing revenue reform program. > The reform program is being funded and supported by the > governments of Australia and New Zealand. > Parliamentary Officers Choose Next Venue > > The Cook Islands is set to host the 6th Forum Presiding > Officers and Clerks Conference (FPOCC), and second Forum > Parliamentary Assembly (FPA) next year. > The announcement was made at the 5th FPOCC held in Samoa late > last month which was attended by the Cook Islands speaker of > parliament Norman George > and clerk of parliament Nga Valoa. > The conference was preceded by a workshop which focussed on > parliament strengthening, and considered issues such the > relationship with the media, > and information disclosure polices. In its official > communique, the conference touched on the need to strengthen > the role of public account committees, the role parliament can > play in fighting HIV/AIDS, the > importance of electoral systems in enhancing democracy, and > noted with interest, factors contributing to instability in > parliament. > IN A NUTSHELL > Park: Work started this week on a memorial park for Nurse > Cathy Alec and her infant son Daniel who lost their lives in > Cyclone Heta. Niueans from Auckland have donated playground > equipment and will be going to the island on May 21 to start > work on the project. Equipment was shipped to Niue free of > charge by > Reef Shipping Company. > > Poll: The last election results havent impressed Niueans > living overseas. In the latest Niue News poll 72% of > expatriate Niueans said they had no intention of returning to > the island 16% said they will be returning and 12% were > thinking about it. > > Thanks: Niue News has recorded 50,000 readers since it began > on line publishing last October. During the election week > 2,500 readers opened the page. The voluntary editors thank > those for their continuing support and positive comments. > Crowned: Congratulations to Auckland University student > Katrina Folau-Brown (23) who has won the coveted Miss NZ Niue > 2005/2006 title. > Travelling: Top polling common roll MP Terry Coe is off to > South Korea courtesy of the Moonies. He's going there to check > out renewable energy projects as part of a global good > governance project. Niue plans to become an eco-state with > assistance from organisations like Greenpeace. > Imposition: The Samoan government-owned Polynesian Airlines > has expressed concern over the impact that tighter immigration > controls are having on > passenger loads on the Apia to Pago Pago sector. Malopaia John > Fitzgerald told the Samoa Observer newspaper that March > figures showed a drop of more > than 2,000 passengers from the same month last year. Malopaia > believes the drop is a direct result of stricter immigration > laws imposed in both countries. > > Pointers: A nation wide brochure to promote mental health and > the prevention of youth suicide in New Zealand has been > printed in Niuean, Samoan and > Tongan. Pacific Island health centres are promoting the > project. > Bribery: Tonga's new parliamentary Speaker of the House, Noble > Veikune, and two other men pleaded not guilty to bribery > charges when they appeared for > arraignment in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. Noble Veikune was > charged with one offence of bribery of a government servant. > 'Amini Tu'ivai was charged > with two counts of knowingly dealing with forged documents and > conspiracy to commit bribery of a government servant. Aisea > To'a was charged with bribery of a government servant and > conspiracy to commit bribery of a government servant. It is > alleged that in 2003, the three accused bribed government > servants for the release of a container containing alcohol > spirits. [RNZI] > Website Contributors To Register After Abusive Material > Why do so many Niuean websites end up being abandoned or > restricting contributors because of defamatory, abusive and > insulting comments published on the Net? In a culture where > politeness and respect is considered by most to be paramount > the trend has many scratching their heads. > A number of Niue websites over the years have closed down or > restricted contributions because of unmitigated abuse. The > relatively new website > Niuean.com this week issued a statement that " due to abusive > behaviour by some inconsiderate users in some forum posts the > site administration has > decided to require everyone who wants to post in the forum to > register." > "This will allow Niuean.com to closely regulate and hold > accountable abusive users and promote Niuean.com's philosophy > of constructive and future > building dialogue for the Niuean community." > Contributors are warned: "If you are looking to propagate > negative and insulting material it is suggested that you look > elsewhere as Niuean.com > prides itself in being a fair and positive contributor to the > Niuean community." > Website specialists have told the Niue News that the only way > to clean up forum posts and chat rooms is to tightly manage > the sites and edit defamatory material. > What Makes Our Politicks .. > You would think Niue is a political scientist's dream. A self > governing state that links its GDP to aid contributions. > A country with a population of 1200. Eight hundred of those > are voters who elect a Legislative Assembly of 20 members - 14 > from villages and six from the common roll. Niue is known as > the most democratic country in the world. Half the village > candidates this year were re-elected unopposed some villages > have only 15 voters enrolled. > The Premier [ elected by the Assemblymenbers] is a village > candidate back in Parliament unopposed - his Cabinet of three > Ministers consists of village candidates, one of them also > re-elected unopposed. The man who had his hand on the nation's > wallet Toke Talagi was returned by the draw of his name from a > hat after a common roll tie. The controversial finance boss > and education minister has been relegated to the back-benches. > > One can only assume the leader thought that was the > appropriate place for a legislator who won a seat in the > Assembly at a public lucky dip. > But is the backbench the fate of the most popular politicians > on the island? Seems that is so. Common roll members who rake > in the votes from the island-wide electorate like Krypton > Okesene (578 votes) Terry Coe (563) O'Love Jacobsen (508) and > Hima Douglas (403) don't get a look in at Ministerial level > yet they have by far the strongest support of the community. > No one seems to know why. > > Insiders will tell you that many of the Assembly appointments > are based on close links to family and friends others say > sometimes there is a priority for ability. > > " Don't know what it is," said second highest poller Terry Coe > one time Minister in the Lui led government. "Certain leaders > have always tended to shy away from appointing people who have > the nation's backing." > > Those winners have over the years generally formed an alliance > that calls itself the Opposition-an essential ingredient in > any democratic government. But they don't get any perks as the > most-favoured politicians no government office space, > telephone or fax facilities and little or no access to > government papers. And if the punters favoured few happen to > get majority Assembly support for a motion they put to the > House Cabinet can veto it and usually do. > Maybe it is little wonder current day political scientists and > sociologists by-pass the tiny isolated island. Maybe the > political and social mores on Niue are best left well alone. > Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 May 2005 ) > Do you consider Sani Lakatani was a more energetic leader than > current Premier Young Vivian? > 50487 Visitors > > > Go to top of page Home | Last Week's News | Contact Us | > Internet Niue | Register a .NU domain | Niue Weather | People > of Niue | Pacific Chapter ISOC |
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