Page 9 - Islands Business January 2021
P. 9

Whispers

       women’s groups, disability advocates   ing individual and group interests is
       and other humanitarian organisa-  commonplace as it should be, and the
       tions over the years.  Fiji Women’s   party leadership is expected to deal
       Crisis Centre Coordinator, Shamima   with this and manage it as best we
       Ali wants to know if a Code of Con-  can.” He has asked supporters to put
       duct for first responders developed   their faith in the party, and help them
       after devastating TC Winston in 2016   form a new government in 2022, even
       has been distributed. She has also   as Sitiveni Rabuka, who was voted out
       criticised the publicity that some-  of the SODELPA leadership, has started     Front Page Pte Limited
       times surrounds disaster responses.   work to form a rival opposition party.   PO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands.
       “Stop using children for photo op-  Workers for Rabuka were ejected from          Tel: +679 330 3108
       portunities and do not increase their   a TC Yasa fundraising concert in Suva    Email: advertising@islandsbusiness.com
       trauma. When you take supplies into   this month, where they were trying to     Circulation & Distribution
       the communities, don’t try to be   collect signatures.                          subs@islandsbusiness.com
       photographed with it. Think about                                                    Finance
       the people’s trauma. They are going   Colossal coral                           finance@islandsbusiness.com
       through a lot,” Ali told local media.  Scientists are calling it one of the
                                         world’s largest corals. Measuring 22.4   Regional and local magazine sales agents
         Chang thwarted by Fiji courts   metres across and eight metres tall,     Amy Street Pharmacy - Amy Street, Toorak
         The former vice-chancellor of the   the Porites coral has been documented   Hot Bread Kitchen-selected outlets-Fiji
       University of Fiji has failed to get a ju-  within the waters of the National Park   Gulabdas & Sons - Levuka, Fiji
       dicial review of the Fiji government’s   of American Samoa. Scientists estimate   Kundan Singh Supermarket – Arts Village, Pacific Harbour,
       decision to refuse her entry back into   it is between 420 and 652 years old.         Fiji
       the country. Sushila Chang defied the                                     Kundan Singh Supermarket – Tamavua, Suva, Fiji
       COVID-19 lockdown of Lautoka last   New medical intake told to pay           Lami Pharmacy – Main Street, Lami
       year. She said she needed to be with   their own way
       her husband, who was undergoing     Is there an impending oversupply            Mad Hatter Hut - Suva, Fiji
       treatment for cancer. As a result, she   of medical workers in Fiji? First year   Methodist Bookstore – Stewart Street, Suva, Fiji
       was sacked from the University. The   students planning to study medicine/        MHCC – Suva, Fiji
       Fiji High Court has now ruled that the   surgery and dentistry have been told   Nausori Airport Bookshop – Nausori
       government’s decision could not be   they will be no government-funded     Samabula Drugstore – Samabula, Suva, Fiji
       challenged through judicial review.  student loans or scholarships available   Suva Bookshop – Downtown Boulevard, Suva, Fiji
                                         to them this year. The government says        Tappoo outlets – Fijiwide
         Tongan league awaits decision   since 2014, adequate funding has been    Textbook Wholesalers – BSP Centre Suva, Fiji
         The Tonga National Rugby League   allocated to train doctors, oral hygien-  USP Bookcentre – USP, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji
       is still waiting to hear whether it has   ists and dentists to meet the World   Palm Court Bistro – QBE Arcade, City Centre, Suva
       successfully appealed against its ex-  Health Organization’s requirements for
       pulsion from the International Rugby   the doctor to patient ratio of 1 doctor   Boroko Foodworld – Boroko, PNG
       League. TNRL is appealing the decision   per 1000 people. Students already doing   Friendly Islands Bookshop – Nuku’alofa, Tonga
       to expel the League last February over   their degrees will continue to receive   Hachette Pacifique – Papeete, French Polynesia
       a dispute between players and admin-  assistance.                       National Stationery Supplies – Honiara, Solomon Islands
       istration. Tonga is hoping the matter
       is ironed out well ahead the Rugby   Au revoir Ambassador Fitou        Nouvelle Messageries Caledoniennes de Presse – Noumea,
                                                                                          New Caledonia
       League World Cup, which is  scheduled   Is a small city like Suva big enough
       to be held in England in October.  for two high-level French diplomats?   Pacific & Occidental Capelle & Partners – Yaren, Nauru
                                         France’s short-lived Ambassador to        Pacific Supplies – Rarotonga, Cook Island
         Democracy in action, or just    Fiji—he was appointed only at the end   Robert Reimers Enterprises – Majuro, Marshall Islands
         chaos?                          of 2019— is already on his way home.        South Seas Traders – Alofi, Niue
         The upheavals within Fiji’s opposi-  Jean-François Fitou apparently got      Stop Press – Port Vila, Vanuatu
       tion Social Democratic Liberal Party   on the wrong side of his predecessor,   Yap Cooperative Association – Colonia, YAP, FSM
       are a testimony to democracy in   Ambassador Sujiro Seam, who is now
       action, says the new SODELPA leader   Ambassador and Head of the European
       Viliame Gavoka. “Often our detractors   Union (EU) Delegation for the Pacific.
       point to SODELPA as a divided party in
       conflict. But the truth is, SODELPA is   Whispers is compiled under the supervi-
       democratically structured. Compet-  sion of the editors



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