Page 4 - IB March 2021

Editor’s note

THE ART OF LISTENING

At the celebration of Sir Michael Somare’s life at Suva’s Sacred Heart cathedral
this month, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong spoke about the willingness to listen as one
of the Grand Chief’s defining characteristics. It was a message he repeated a few
times; that true leadership is about listening, and that true leaders are servants of
their people.
Managing Director / Publisher
Samisoni Pareti It’s something we’ve been reflecting on this month. Was Fiji’s Prime Minister
Voreqe Bainimarama, who sat in the front pew of the Cathedral as the Archbishop
Managing Editor
Samantha Magick delivered his message, listening to the will of the people when he stopped public
consultations on Fiji’s controversial police bill? The draft bill was fiercely criticised
by the opposition, community groups and the media for a number of its provi-
sions which were seen as unconstitutional, and for the severity of the penalties it
Designer
proposed. The PM could not have failed to hear the uproar. In stopping the consulta-
Dick Lee
tions he claimed the draft bill didn’t represent government policy, and hadn’t been
endorsed by cabinet or the Solicitor General’s office. He indicated he had heard
Contributors
the public’s concern when he stated: “We cannot preserve public safety in the 21st
Samisoni Pareti
Century through backwards steps that erode public trust in the Fijian Police Force.”
Jason Brown
Kevin Mcquillan Fijians are due to go to the polls next year, which hopefully bodes for active
Bernadette H. Carreon listening on the part of all political aspirants. In Samoa, elections are just weeks
Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola away and candidates from the governing and ascendant parties are arrayed across
Dennis Rounds the nation, listening and responding to the concerns of their constituents- except
Dionisia Tabureguci where they have been banned from villages and campaigning. A close listen of the
chat on social media suggests concerns over legislative changes in Samoa have not
gone away for Samoans online, although we’ll have to wait to see if this is reflected
Islands Business is published monthly by at the ballot box.
Front Page Pte Limited
Editorial & Advertising Offices Meanwhile in our update on agriculture in this issue, we cite a regional report
GPO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands. about COVID and Agriculture called Pacific farmers have their say. Based on sur-
Tel: +679 9719660 veys completed by regional farmers organisations and containing a list of recom-
mendations about how to move beyond the usual rhetoric about the importance of
Emails agriculture to Pacific people and our economies, there’s some important messages
Editorial: editor@islandsbusiness.com
Subscriptions: subs@islandsbusiness.com in there if we not only listen, but act now, while our borders are still largely closed
Advertising: marketing@islandsbusiness.com and there is time.
Finally in PNG, there is some belated listening happening to medical profession-
als who have been warning for some time that COVID transmissions would likely to
Printing: spiral out of control, and hospitals and the health system would not cope. A small
PrintHouse, Suva, Fiji.
number of vaccines have finally landed in PNG. But it is a fraction of what’s need-
ed, and it is well after vaccine programmes are well underway in many other parts
of the world, including its neighbours. For months our leaders have been calling for
vaccine equity so that we aren’t left behind. When will the world not just hear us,
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February 2021 FJD $8

THE ECONOMIC DIAGNOSIS • TC YASA • FIJI’S FISHING CRISIS PACIFIC REGIONALISM
Solomon Islands ............. SL$30.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$20.00
Tonga .............................P10.00
Samoa ............................T10.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Niue ...........................NZ$10.00
New Zealand .................NZ$10.00
Tuvalu .........................AU$10.00
Palau ..........................US$10.00
Niue ............................ NZ$6.00
Hawaii ........................US$10.00
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
Hawaii ......................... US$6.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Tuvalu ..........................AU$6.00
Marshall Islands .............US$10.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Cook Islands ..................NZ$10.00
Kiribati ......................... AU$6.00
Cook Islands ................... NZ$6.00 Kiribati ........................AU$10.00 New Zealand .................. NZ$6.00 Tonga .............................P10.00 Cook Islands ..................NZ$10.00 Rebuild, Reform or Re-shape?
Australia .......................AU$6.00
Australia ......................AU$10.00
Papua New Guinea .............K15.00
Palau ........................... US$6.00
Marshall Islands .............. US$6.00
Nauru .........................AU$10.00
Papua New Guinea .............K10.00
FSM ............................US$10.00
Samoa ............................T12.00
Federated States of Micronesia ......
Australia ......................AU$10.00
Cook Islands ................... NZ$6.00
Fiji Islands.......................F$8.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Nauru .......................... AU$6.00
Australia ....................... AU$6.00
US$6.00
Fiji Islands.......................F$4.35
French Polynesia .............. CPF500 Federated States of Micronesia ...... Nauru .........................AU$10.00 Papua New Guinea .............K10.00 Solomon Islands ............. SL$30.00
US$6.00
FSM ............................US$10.00
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
Hawaii ........................US$10.00
Fiji Islands.......................F$8.00
Hawaii ......................... US$6.00
Kiribati ......................... AU$6.00
Kiribati ........................AU$10.00
Marshall Islands .............US$10.00
French Polynesia .............. CPF500
Fiji Islands.......................F$4.35
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
New Zealand .................NZ$10.00
Marshall Islands .............. US$6.00
Palau ..........................US$10.00
New Zealand .................. NZ$6.00
New Caledonia ................ CPF500
Nauru .......................... AU$6.00
Niue ...........................NZ$10.00
Niue ............................ NZ$6.00
Papua New Guinea .............K15.00
Palau ........................... US$6.00
Samoa ............................T10.00
Tonga .............................P10.00
Solomon Islands ............. SL$20.00
Samoa ............................T12.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
Tuvalu ..........................AU$6.00
Tuvalu .........................AU$10.00
Tonga .............................P10.00
Vanuatu ........................ Vatu500
editor@islandsbusiness.com
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4 Islands Business, March 2021