Official Song for Flying Fijians: Whatever the Result, Fiji Will be Proud of You
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Lockington’s Everyday Fiji … Life Goes On
WEEKEND READING. Scroll down for items on • the Pacific Islands Forum •Sir Paul Reeves and Rupert Murdoch
Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
Sevens rugby is said to be Fiji's national game
Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
Sevens rugby is said to be Fiji's national game
FORUM FUTURES: REFLECTIONS BY ROWAN CALLICK IN ISLANDS BUSINESS
FORUM: Auckland summit—make or break for Forum New leaders don’t see it quite so special
Rowan Callick
Rowan Callick
Sir Paul Reeves: Some Words in his Praise
Click to hear what former Commonwealth Secretary Hon Don McKinnon and others have to say. Sir Paul Reeves to be honoured with state funeral | NATIONAL News
Click to Harold Koi in the Fiji Times
As it happened: Sir Paul Reeves farewelledThis is a chronological account of the funeral. Readers may prefer to read it from bottom (9:30 am) to top (1:10pm)
Click to Harold Koi in the Fiji Times
As it happened: Sir Paul Reeves farewelledThis is a chronological account of the funeral. Readers may prefer to read it from bottom (9:30 am) to top (1:10pm)
Sir Paul Reeves's Address at 2009 PIPSA Meeting (Vinaka, Steve)
PACIFIC ISLANDS POLITICAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND, 3 DECEMBER 2009
Not all Pacific leaders made it to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad. Commodore Bainimarama was barred and Nauru's President was not there because Nauru had not paid its membership fees. But the Prime Minister of Vanuatu must take the prize for the strangest reason for being absent.
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND, 3 DECEMBER 2009
Not all Pacific leaders made it to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad. Commodore Bainimarama was barred and Nauru's President was not there because Nauru had not paid its membership fees. But the Prime Minister of Vanuatu must take the prize for the strangest reason for being absent.
Rupert Murdoch Experiences Karma
By Bill RalstonNZ Listener Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011.
If you were of a New Age bent you’d call it “karma”. The biblically inspired would intone “You reap what you sow”. I’ll stick with the more mundane refrain of “What goes around comes around”. The King of “Popular Journalism”, the man who made a multibillion-dollar fortune and became one of the most powerful people on Earth through promoting sensationalist news, has himself fallen victim to the scourge of Red Top’s whip.
If you were of a New Age bent you’d call it “karma”. The biblically inspired would intone “You reap what you sow”. I’ll stick with the more mundane refrain of “What goes around comes around”. The King of “Popular Journalism”, the man who made a multibillion-dollar fortune and became one of the most powerful people on Earth through promoting sensationalist news, has himself fallen victim to the scourge of Red Top’s whip.
News and Editor's Comments Friday 19.8.11
Weekend Reading • Allen Lockington column • Forum Futures by Rowan Callick • Bill Ralston on Rupert Murdoch • And possibly more
Friday 19.8.11
Having not written anything for the blog for the past few days, I have to play catch-up. Hence the number of items in today's News.
BILL RALSTON writes mainly "manly" and sometimes funny feature articles in the NZ Listener. This week, after a jaunt in Vanuatu, he wrote this, comparing Vanuatu to Fiji, "It was nice to holiday in a place, where instead of thuggish men in uniform toying with the safety catch on their automatic weapons, you encounter only pleasant, shy, smiling people ..."And this from an intelligent and generally well informed man writing in the country's foremost weekly magazine!
WISE FORUM ADVICE NEEDED. The SecGeneral of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, says Fiji is not "taking sufficient steps to enable a return to parliamentary democracy." The steps, Mr Slade, are spelt o…
Friday 19.8.11
Having not written anything for the blog for the past few days, I have to play catch-up. Hence the number of items in today's News.
BILL RALSTON writes mainly "manly" and sometimes funny feature articles in the NZ Listener. This week, after a jaunt in Vanuatu, he wrote this, comparing Vanuatu to Fiji, "It was nice to holiday in a place, where instead of thuggish men in uniform toying with the safety catch on their automatic weapons, you encounter only pleasant, shy, smiling people ..."And this from an intelligent and generally well informed man writing in the country's foremost weekly magazine!
WISE FORUM ADVICE NEEDED. The SecGeneral of the Pacific Islands Forum, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, says Fiji is not "taking sufficient steps to enable a return to parliamentary democracy." The steps, Mr Slade, are spelt o…
Well, Some Discussion Must be Taking Place: a USP Notice
Faculty of Business & Economics Inter-School Debate Series
“Media Freedom, Human Rights and Democracy are basic to Development.” ***********************
Date: Thursday,18th August 2011 Time: 6-8pm Venue: FBE 014-024
Debate between the School of Economics (Negative) and the School of Government, Development and International Affairs (Affirmative)
“Media Freedom, Human Rights and Democracy are basic to Development.” ***********************
Date: Thursday,18th August 2011 Time: 6-8pm Venue: FBE 014-024
Debate between the School of Economics (Negative) and the School of Government, Development and International Affairs (Affirmative)
Permit Requirements for Hindu Prayers Unwarranted
Ed. Comment. To the uninitiated, this looks like a religious body using the State, through PER, to control religious practice. The police decision, presumably approved by Government, to allow itself to be used in this way (and used is the correct word) makes a total mockery of the Regulations. This is not what they were intended for.
I repeat my appeal. Lift PER, but if this is not possible at present for reasons of State security, state what these reasons are, and apply the Regulations in ways that make sense to normal citizens -- Croz
Permit Requirements for Hindu Prayers Unwarranted Media Release 16th August, 2011
The Citizens’ Constitutional Forum is shocked to learn of and strongly opposes the decision of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji and the Fiji Police Force that Hindu’s wishing to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna this week need to acquire a permit to do so.
I repeat my appeal. Lift PER, but if this is not possible at present for reasons of State security, state what these reasons are, and apply the Regulations in ways that make sense to normal citizens -- Croz
Permit Requirements for Hindu Prayers Unwarranted Media Release 16th August, 2011
The Citizens’ Constitutional Forum is shocked to learn of and strongly opposes the decision of the Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji and the Fiji Police Force that Hindu’s wishing to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna this week need to acquire a permit to do so.
Killing Me Softly
By Crosbie Walsh
The quickest, easiest and most deadly way to kill an idea is to subject it to ridicule, and the best way to ridicule something is to take it to its extreme.
Thus, if you really wanted to ridicule the Bainimarama government and so undermine its support, the best way to do so would be to take its most dubious and unpopular regulation, the Public Emergency Regulations, and apply them with total rigidity. It seems this is exactly what is happening.
PER was introduced after the Abrogation of the 1997 Constitution as a targeted means to deter specific Government opponents. It is now being used as a shotgun that affects everyone.
Under PER, if ten of more people wish to gather, for whatever purpose, they require a permit. Police Spokesperson Theresa Ralogaivau is most precise about this. She says it applies to "any gathering." And it can take two or more weeks to obtain a permit. I discussed the procedure in an earlier posting.
So, as one reader put it, "if…
The quickest, easiest and most deadly way to kill an idea is to subject it to ridicule, and the best way to ridicule something is to take it to its extreme.
Thus, if you really wanted to ridicule the Bainimarama government and so undermine its support, the best way to do so would be to take its most dubious and unpopular regulation, the Public Emergency Regulations, and apply them with total rigidity. It seems this is exactly what is happening.
PER was introduced after the Abrogation of the 1997 Constitution as a targeted means to deter specific Government opponents. It is now being used as a shotgun that affects everyone.
Under PER, if ten of more people wish to gather, for whatever purpose, they require a permit. Police Spokesperson Theresa Ralogaivau is most precise about this. She says it applies to "any gathering." And it can take two or more weeks to obtain a permit. I discussed the procedure in an earlier posting.
So, as one reader put it, "if…
Leweni Again Warns Church to Keep to Agenda
Salaseini Vosamana in the Fiji Times
Friday, August 12, 2011 THE Republic of the Fiji Military Forces has warned the Methodist Church to stick to the initial agenda agreed to by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama at its annual three-day ministerial meeting. And the church has called on its members not to risk having the meeting ù to be held in a fortnight ù stopped by deviating from their list of issues to be discussed.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni, in a statement released by the Ministry of Information, said the RFMF had been monitoring the movements of key figures in the church, their meetings and the dissemination of information to delegates.
He said the approval for the meeting was based on Government's effort to continue its dialogue with the church and ultimately addressing the "anomalies within its hierarchy".
"Security is a concern to the RFMF and police and Government's intention is to cancel the meeting should t…
Friday, August 12, 2011 THE Republic of the Fiji Military Forces has warned the Methodist Church to stick to the initial agenda agreed to by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama at its annual three-day ministerial meeting. And the church has called on its members not to risk having the meeting ù to be held in a fortnight ù stopped by deviating from their list of issues to be discussed.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Neumi Leweni, in a statement released by the Ministry of Information, said the RFMF had been monitoring the movements of key figures in the church, their meetings and the dissemination of information to delegates.
He said the approval for the meeting was based on Government's effort to continue its dialogue with the church and ultimately addressing the "anomalies within its hierarchy".
"Security is a concern to the RFMF and police and Government's intention is to cancel the meeting should t…