Page 13 - IB MAR 2019

Political Brief - PACIFIC

PIF Preview: It’s all about climate change

AS it prepares to host the annual Pacific Islands Forum this
August, Tuvalu has again criticised Australia for its coal min-
ing and climate change policies. TVNZ reports Tuvalu’s Prime
Minister Enele Sopoaga as saying this month: “There is no point
in giving ODA (Official Development Assistance), we appreciate
it of course but giving it at the same time as continuing pol-
luting the atmosphere and increasing the cost of adaptation I
think just doesn’t work well.” He continued: “I would implore
and impress on the leaders of Australia to reconsider their coal
mining policy and the $64 million dollars they are getting from
selling their coal.” Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama plans to attend
the Forum leaders meeting for the first time in years. He too
has been critical of the Australian government position, most
recently when Australian PM Scott Morrison visited Fiji. “From
where we are sitting, we cannot imagine how the interests of
any single industry can be placed above the welfare of Pacific
peoples and vulnerable people in the world over,” Bainimarama
said. During that visit, Morrison said Australia had already
invested $200m in climate resilience in the Pacific, with a
further $100m to follow. “We won’t be doing it through global
climate funds or anything like that, we’ll be doing it directly,”
he said. “It’s our home and we’ll be working with fellow family
members here to address the impacts of climate change here
in the Pacific.” Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga Photo: File
Meanwhile Palau’s President Tommy Remengesau Jr. says Mi-
cronesian leaders will push for a Micronesian to head the Pacific Tuvalu meeting, and they would support a Marshall Islander to
Islands Forum after the current Secretary General ends her term. take the role. Papua New Guinea’s Dame Meg Taylor’s second
Remengesau claims they will announce their candidate at the term in the role ends in 2020.

formed in New Caledonia, with the aim of promoting the interest for his government during a visit to Tuvalu alongside Prime
of the people of Wallis and Futuna, and the existing form of the Minister Enele Sopoaga. PM Sopoaga hopes the partnership will
relationship with France. More Wallisians live in New Caledonia improve consultation, communication and clarification of issues
than in their native home. In September last year, Wallis and between the two countries. He said there are many issues they
Futuna became an associate member of the Pacific Islands Forum. can work on together: responding to climate change; issues of
Meanwhile minister Girardin opened an academy promoting visa, immigration issues of Tuvaluans coming to New Zealand;
local Polynesian languages during her visit, saying Wallisian issues of co-operation in many areas like vocational training and
and Futunian should be maintained as living languages for all hands-on training and the building of local capacity in Tuvalu.”
generations. While in Tuvalu, Peters also visited a New Zealand-supported
government fisheries building, saying: “Tuvalu has enjoyed
Tonga petition waiting game remarkable successes as part of regional tuna management
Tonga’s Privy Council continues to consider three petitions pre- arrangements with its Pacific neighbours…We are delighted to
sented to King Tupou VI last month which call for the removal of partner with Tuvalu to enable participation in these initiatives,
Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva’s government. The PM has called which build environmental, social and economic resilience”. New
the petitions ‘trouble-making’ and said any attempt by the King to Zealand has pledged to contribute $38.3 million in total aid to
remove his government would be unconstitutional. The petitions Tuvalu 2018-21. About 3500 Tuvaluans live in New Zealand,
allege corruption in government, the by-passing of regular pro- providing a significant source of income in remittances back
curement and tendering processes, and constitutional breaches. home, while 80 are working in New Zealand under seasonal
PM Pohiva survived a no-confidence motion in February 2017. employment arrangements.
Meanwhile all seven Noble Representatives and three inde-
pendent MPs walked out of parliament on March 12 over the Visa free agreements for Samoa and Israel.
withdrawal of six government bills which had previously been Samoa and Israel have finalised an agreement allowing visa free
marked as urgent. PM Pohiva says the bills now need public travel agreement between the countries. The agreements were
consultation. penned during Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s
visit to Jerusalem this month. Samoa and Israel first established
Tuvalu-NZ partnership moves diplomatic relations in the 1970s. PM Tuilaepa used the trip to
Tuvalu and New Zealand have signed a statement of partnership, take another swipe at online critics of his government, saying he
which will see the countries work together on climate change, would like to share Israel’s cyber know-how to combat ‘fake news’
workforce development and regional security. reported the Jerusalem Post. The visit came at a difficult time for
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters signed Israel’s President Netanyahu, as he faces corruption charges.

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