Page 10 - IB May 2021

Whispers Whispers

Frank feedback in Tonga Parish was standing in the way of ties is carrying the biggest debt load
Tonga’s King Tupou VI shocked the national rugby league success. How- and individual debts owed by students
Kingdom’s parliamentarians when he ever Rugby League Samoa President, are as high as SI$46,000.
questioned their honesty and abilities Tagaloa Faafouina Su’a said: “Matt has
while opening the Legislature’s new been our head coach since 2013 and has Examining Samoa texts
session this month. Local media quoted helped strengthen our game on and off Samoan students doing Year 12 exams
the King as saying that the House and its the field…We are a proud nation with were apparently penalised for study-
members were failing in their responsi- passionate rugby league fans, and I have ing four short stories that have been
bilities. no doubt that the best years for Rugby banned, reports the Samoa Observer.
He made the comments in a virtual League Samoa are ahead of us.” For his One-quarter of the schools who ran the
address, at an opening that was low-key part, Parish says while they haven’t had exam had taught the banned texts. A
in line with COVID-19 restrictions. The the results they should have recently, review of the examination found other
King said while the House focused on there’s great potential and he is focused problems; some students had been
healthy living, education and the econo- on developing leadership within the taught material set for lower years.
my every year, “there is no innovation.” team and that none of the former Aussie The banned stories dealt with issues
He chastised parliamentarians for trying stars had been in touch directly. such as teenage pregnancy and suicide.
to run businesses and underfunding ef- Another, published more than 60 years
forts against illegal drugs. APTC update ago, is about a 12-year-old who suffers
When parliament convened a fort- Four senior managers at the Australia for doing too well on a Government
night later to respond to the King’s Pacific Training Coalition have been intelligence exam.
speech, the usual live broadcast of the made redundant in a restructure of the
debate was cut after members voted organisation in Suva. Two other senior Prisoners at large in PNG
18-2 to stop the broadcast. There is no positions, including one handling labour PNG correctional authorities say
public gallery in parliament. Tongans are mobility, have also been marked for about 5,700 prison escapees and bail
due to go the polls later this year. redundancies, although the incumbents absconders have been at large since
are working through a transition period. 2010. An optimistic PNG Correctional
And the Academy Award goes to…. As reported in Islands Business last Services Commissioner Steven Pokanis
Fijians are bemused as to how a month, APTC’s leadership is undergoing says their names and personal details,
man who pretended to be a policeman significant refocussing. An Australian including “birthmarks and tattoos” will
worked out of a busy Suva station for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade soon be published so the community can
three weeks before being caught. With spokesperson says that DFAT “initi- help bring them back to prison to serve
classic understatement, Acting Com- ated a strategic review of the program their terms. He says 72 prisoners have
missioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu to ensure that it is well-positioned to escaped from Beon, Kerevat and Buebi
told the Fiji Times that the case was support the Pacific’s economic recovery jails this year.
a “breach of our practices”. The man from COVID-19 through skills develop-
apparently claimed to be from Sigatoka ment. Pacific partners of the APTC were Jackhammers away
in the western division, and said he consulted as part of the review process. The sound of construction will be
was stranded when containment zones The report has been shared with the heard all over Honiara after the recent
were implemented, preventing travel Board of APTC. groundbreaking ceremony for works
between different parts of Viti Levu. He “The fundamental focus of APTC will connected with the 2023 Pacific Games.
has been charged with impersonating a remain working with industry and stu- China Civil Engineering Construction
police officer. dents to meet their demand for skills,” Company (CCECC) has been given the
the Spokesperson says. US$85 million contract to build the
Samoa stands by its man At the time of publishing, the report 14.95 hectare sporting village, which
Samoa Rugby League is standing by its and DFAT’s management response were will include a main national stadium,
coach Matt Parish after former league still to be made publicly available. tennis centre, aquatic centre, public ca-
star, Willie Mason said he should stand tering area, futsal/hockey pitch, multi-
down. Another Australian player, Mat- purpose hall, running track and football
thew Johns had used his radio show to Big bills at SINU pitch. Both Chinese and local workers
make the offer to coach Samoa, and Members of parliament are believed will be employed on the project. Taiwan
said his famous brother Andrew would to be amongst the former and current had originally signed up to fund the fa-
be willing to join him. The name of yet students who owe the Solomon Islands cilities before Solomon Islands switched
another star, Sonny Bill Williams, who National University (SINU) SI$123 million diplomatic recognition to China in 2019.
has a Samoan connection, was also (US$15.4 million) in unpaid tuition fees.
floated. On his podcast Mason claimed The Faculty of Education and Humani-

10 Islands Business, May 2021