Page 12 - IB FEB 2019

Political Brief - PacIFIc

Nauru checkmates require two doctors to assess the person on Nauru or Manus
Island as needing further medical treatment or assessment.
However the new Nauruan law specifically bans transfers
Australian vote where a patient has sought assessment from an overseas-based
doctor during the process.

Under the Nauruan rules:
• All transfers from Nauru must go through Nauru’s Overseas
Medical Referrals Compliance Committee
• A Nauru-based health provider must believe “additional
expertise or differently resourced facility are required”
• Referrals are blocked if they follow “the recommendation
of an overseas health practitioner [through] telemedicine
examination or diagnosis”

The Australian newspaper reported Nauru’s Justice Minis-
ter, David Adeang as saying: “Nauru passes laws in the best
interests of Nauru. This is a fundamental right of sovereignty,
¬mutual respect and co-operation.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Australia
in order to assure security for the Pacific region.”
Parliament of Nauru Photo: en.wikipedia.org Passage of the Medivac law in Australia was not without
controversy as it was the first legislative loss for a government
in decades. After the vote, Prime Minister Morrison accused
kOROR, Nauru – Nauru’s cabinet has approved new medical the opposition Labour Party and other supporters of the bill
laws which require all medical transfers off the island to be of weakening Australia’s border protection. Speaking about
approved by a new committee and Nauru’s health minister. the subsequent Nauru decision he told Australian commercial
The laws came just 72 hours after Australia’s parliament radio only that “it’s a matter for them and it’s a reminder that
controversially passed a law which gives doctors more power its their country.”
to decide whether asylum seekers being held on Nauru and in The Australian Government has said refugees and asylum
Papua New Guinea should be sent to Australia for medical treat- seekers would be sent to the Australian territory of Christmas
ment. The Australian law is still to come into effect but would Island unless they needed higher-level care.

Petitions call for dissolution of Parliament withdrawal of nominations set for late February. The Island Sun
Nuku’ALOFA, Tonga – Over 10,000 signatures have been col- reports that this is significantly less candidates than the 2010 and
lected through petitions calling on Tonga’s king to dissolve parlia- 2014 polls and attributes the decline in part to the introduction
ment yet again and investigate alleged corruption in government. of a SB$5000 (uS$645) nomination fee. Solomon Islanders will
Matangi Tonga reports three petitions have been presented to go to the polls on 3 April.
the palace in Nuku’alofa by former government minister, Clive
edwards and parliamentarian Lord Nuku. A third petition was Palau’s President calls for a strong bloc
presented by former MP Teisina Fuko on behalf of members of kOROR, Palau - Micronesian leaders have been urged to demand
the public. Clive edwards said he believed that once a Royal Com- a stronger voice in Pacific planning and negotiations. Palau’s
mission for Investigation was appointed, a caretaker government President Tommy Remengesau told his counterparts gathered
would need to be put in place. A fourth petition was reportedly for the Micronesian President’s Summit in koror that they need
being organised at press time. to continue to band together to address concerns such as climate
change, environmental degradation, illegal fishing and access to
Cook Islands-flagged vessel under probe air transport links. The leaders of FSM, Marshall Islands, kiribati
RAROTONGA, Cook Islands – A Cook Islands-registered ship is and Nauru joined Palau at the summit. President Remengesau
under investigation for allegedly refuelling a vessel that is on the said the bloc wants the uN to establish an office in the North
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (Iuu) fishing vessels list. Pacific, as uN programmes tend to be centred on the South Pacific.
The Ministry of Marine Resources is looking into the Hai Soon
26, which is owed by a Singaporean company but registered in France’s President to visit Tahiti
Cook Islands. Director of Offshore Fisheries Tim Costelloe said it PAPe’eTe, Tahiti - French President emmanuel Macron will
is possible the Hai Soon may have been unaware of the ship’s make his first official visit to Tahiti later this year. French foreign
Iuu status, but they have asked the parent company to provide a advisor Stanislas Cazelles said preparations are underway for the
compliance plan to explain how they would ensure such breaches visit. Meanwhile the French Senate has approved a revision of
do not happen again. French Polynesia’s autonomy statute to recognise the legacy of
France’s nuclear testing programme in the South Pacific between
279 candidates file to contest election 1966 and 1996. French Polynesia’s President edouard Fitch says
HONIARA, Solomon Islands - The Solomon Islands electoral the changes were designed to calm domestic and international
Commission had received 279 candidates’ nominations at the opinion about the legacy of nuclear testing.
close of nominations on 20 February, with the date for final

12 Islands Business, February 2019