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Govt reveals its Covid-19 Protection Framework

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The government has announced details of its Covid-19 Protection Framework, involving the roll-out of a ‘traffic-light’ system once all DHBs hit 90 percent full vaccination rates.

Watch the announcement here:

A vaccine certificate will be central to the new framework.

The system will involve three settings – green, orange and red.

“If you want to be guaranteed that no matter the setting that we are in, that you can go to bars, restaurants and close-proximity businesses like a hairdresser, then you will need to be vaccinated,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told media this morning.

She was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare as the government also announced enhanced financial support for businesses and those families struggling under restrictions, and a new $120 million fund to boost Māori vaccination rates and protection of communities.

Ardern said the vaccination certificates would allow businesses to be able to open and operate at any level.

If cases start to climb in areas with lower vaccination rates in lower-income communities, much more highly targeted and localised lockdowns can be used if needed, she said.

No caption
Photo: RNZ / Vinay Ranchhod

The red setting will allow hospitality to open with vaccine certificates, but gathering limits and physical distancing, masks and other public health measures will be used.

“This will still feel like a huge amount of freedom relative to what Auckland has now,” Ardern said.

Auckland will move into red as soon as the Auckland DHBs hit the 90 percent vaccination target, rather than wait for the rest of the country. At current rates, Auckland would absolutely move before Christmas, she added when questioned by media.

“This is within Auckland’s grasp and we will be throwing every resource we can to support them,” she said.

No caption
Photo: RNZ / Vinay Ranchhod

The rest of the country will move all at the same time to “orange” when all DHBs around the country reach the 90 percent target.

At orange, gathering limits can lift. Places that choose not to use vaccination certificates will either be closed or have public health measures in place.

Green is when there are some Covid-19 cases in the community but at low levels. Fully vaccinated people can enjoy all events and hospitality and gatherings by showing a vaccine certificate.

Premises choosing not to use certificates will face restrictions similar to the current alert level framework.

No caption
Photo: RNZ

Ardern said the reason for changing from the current alert level system was because the country needed a system that made use of the new tool of vaccines and vaccine certificates.

“On 29 November, Cabinet will review the progress that Auckland has made and the rest of the country to see if anything needs to change. We are open to moving the South Island before the rest of the country if all DHBs in the south hit their targets before others,” she said.

Ardern emphasised Covid-19 cases in the community would rise.

“But because we won’t take this step until we are at 90 percent vaccination, we will also have higher levels of protection that limit Covid’s impact,” she added.

If any member of the public was not vaccinated, there would be things they will miss out on and people who wanted to get out and enjoy summer should do so, the PM warned.

Detail would be progressively added to the system as time goes on. The country will move all at the same time to “orange” when all DHBs around the country reach the 90 percent target.

Ardern said the focus on elimination had kept New Zealand free from Covid-19 for much of the past 18 months when the population was vulnerable.

“We can rightfully be proud of what our world-leading response has achieved, but two things have changed since then,” she said.

“The first is that Delta has made it very hard to maintain our elimination strategy … but as our long-standing strategy was challenged we also had a new tool.

“That tool is the vaccine. The vaccine we are using in New Zealand is safe and effective … it also helps protect everyone. The more people who are vaccinated, the harder it is for Covid to spread through communities quickly.

“Protection means that we won’t just treat Covid like a seasonal illness, we will protect people from it with vaccination, management, and a response that focuses on minimising the health impacts.”

Financial support

An enhanced business support package was also unveiled. It included a significantly boosted Covid-19 Resurgence Support Payment. It will rise from $1500 per eligible business and $400 for each full-time employee (50FTEs maximum), to $3000 per eligible business and $800 per FTE. This will apply from 12 November.

The enhanced support will be paid fortnightly until Auckland has been able to move into the new protection framework.

The wage subsidy will continue to be available on the current criteria while areas of the country are still in alert level 3.

A $60 million fund for business advice and mental health support in Auckland was also announced. Businesses will be able to apply for up to $3000 for advice and planning support, and up to $4000 to implement that advice.

There will also be support for low-income households.

From 1 November income limits for assistance will rise to 40 hours at the minimum wage, or $800 per week and $1600 per week for a couple with or without children.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson told media the approach New Zealand had taken had, along with sustaining one of the lowest mortality rates in the world, also led to strong economic growth, low unemployment and one of the lowest levels of government debt in the world.

But said he was acutely aware of the impact of restrictions on businesses.

Robertson said Cabinet had also made, in principle, decisions on assistance provided under the new traffic-light framework. He will be taking a paper to Cabinet in November proposing a transition grant for Auckland businesses based on a similar criteria to the current Resurgence Support Payment.

Once it is fully operational across New Zealand, the current support schemes will be replaced by something that will better reflect the new framework, he said.

One of the things being considered is how businesses not using vaccine certificates will be treated, particularly in the red level.

Robertson said he thought payment would not be made available to any businesses that should be using a vaccine certificate but choose not to. However, this required more thinking and work on the part of government.

There would also be ongoing support for people who need to isolate and be tested.

“Delta has tested us all, and I know that we have asked a lot of people as we have fought this outbreak … we are almost there and to reiterate the words of the prime minister, please get vaccinated,” he said.

Support for Māori

Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare announced a further $120 million fund would support Māori communities to fast-track vaccination efforts and prepare for the new framework. A total of $60m would be spent on boosting Māori vaccination rates, and $60m would support Māori and iwi-led initiatives to protect communities against the virus.

Henare said the ongoing support was what was required to boost Māori vaccination rates. “While we say 90 percent for Māori and indeed the rest of the population, we will continue to make the vaccine available to continue to lift those numbers,” he said.

Covid-19 update: 129 new cases in the community

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

There are 129 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today, after hitting triple digits for the first time yesterday.

Biology and science. Covid-19. Microscopic close-up of the covid-19 virus. Coronavirus illness spreading in body cell. Global pandemic disease. 3D Render.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said 65 of the new cases were still to be linked to earlier cases.

Nine of today’s new cases are in Waikato, with the rest in Auckland. All of the Waikato cases are linked. There have now been 73 cases in the district linked to the current outbreak.

There were also five new cases in managed isolation.

A total of 102 community cases was reported yesterday.

There are 51 people in hospital with Covid-19, including five in intensive care.

The ministry said there have now been 2389 cases in the current outbreak, and 5090 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

There were 41,294 vaccine doses given yesterday – 10,066 first doses and 31,228 doses.

Earlier today, the government announced details of its Covid-19 Protection Framework, involving the roll-out of a ‘traffic-light’ system once all DHBs hit 90 percent full vaccination rates.

No further locations of interest in Hawkes Bay and no positive detections for Covid-19 in the most recent wastewater testing. Further testing will be conducted next week.

There were no further locations of interest in the area, other than the Kmart Napier that had already been reported.

The Ministry of Health also reiterated its call for people in the Auckland suburb of Redvale to get tested.

It said that the suburb, which was the site of a party during alert level 3, has an ongoing high chance – or “high positivity rate” – of some infection.

“We are asking Redvale residents with symptoms, no matter how mild, to get tested as soon as possible, even if they are vaccinated. We are also encouraging testing in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale and Bayswater.”

Demolition of 93-year- old Treasury building criticised

By
Kaniva Staff
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The demolition of the 93-year-old historical treasury in Nuku’alofa  has been heavily criticised.

Demolition of old Treasury building in Nuku’alofa. Photo/Owen Pau’u (Facebook)

The demolition appeared to be part of a government new plan designed for the Pangai Si’i land where the old Treasury was situated, before the new Saint George Palace was constructed next to it and was launched in 2017.

The  Palace was a four-storey office block, housing the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and the office of Trade and Foreign Affairs.

The old government treasury was built in 1928 and it originally housed the Customs Department and the General Post Office.

Photos of the demolition have been shared to Facebook this week by Owen Pau’u.

Critics and heritage campaigners shared their reactions under these photos.

“Should have been preserved as a historical building,” a commenter wrote on Facebook.

“Sad indeed,” one wrote.

“No appreciation of history and heritage. Whoever planned this could have preserved this icon and build around it,” another wrote.

“We drove past it early this week and thought it was being refurbished! But sadly not.

“S. A. D Yes to our surprise too early this week here in homeland silence and anger deep down as we noticed drove by this historical building was part of our history…no public consultation!!??? What next…

“Sad!!! $2million to demolish n re build or just demolish. Why not preserve it,” a critic wrote.

In response another wrote: “I am not sure if this cost is true. But how embarrassing to pay someone that much money to demolish this building. I also don’t know how they can justify spending that much money on this demolition”.

Have they been fair, honest, ethical and kept their promises? Voters must scrutinise government’s record closely before November election

By
Kalino Latu
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COMMENTARY: His Majesty King Tupou VI has called on voters to elect the best MPs to Parliament.

How are they to ensure this happens?

In this critical time before the general election next month, voters should ask whether their leaders have been honest, fair, ethical and kept the promises during the last election. The people need an honest government that distributes development projects fairly and makes sure their benefits last a long time.

PM Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva News)

Voters should scrutinise the candidates for election closely to make sure they elect the best people to Parliament this coming election, as the king wishes.

Taxpayers and donors’ money

They must also be aware that they pay part of the costs of the government’s projects through their taxes. The rest comes from overseas aid. The controversial road construction programmes that have been carried out have been funded by the people’s tax money and overseas donors. They were not personally paid for by the Prime Minister or the MPs and Cabinet Ministers whose constituencies have been favoured with the work.

Voters should also understand that the weaving houses,  toilets, bridges, wharves and upgrades for local airports, including the recently announced multi-million pa’anga upgrade for Vava’u International airport were not paid for out of the Prime Minister’s pocket.

They were paid for by the taxes people paid and overseas grants and aid.

It’s election and campaign times

Voters must understand that any project or significant event or ministerial campaign that is staged by the government from now until the election are government’s duties, not special  things that have been funded by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers for the benefit of the voters.

If politicians, especially the government ministers, have visited your houses recently – especially in the outer islands – and met your elders you should ask why they are visiting now when it is close to the election and why they did not come last year or the year before.

Voters should understand that it is the responsibility of the government to build and repair roads, wharves and bridges and meet the people’s urgent needs through local  development projects such as constituency and local wardens fundings.

Government must be fair, ethical and honest

Government MPs and Ministers have this power. What voters need are Parliamentarians who can do it more fairly and more honestly than Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa’s government. Having said that, we acknowledge that some people have said they are happy the government has built toilets and weaving houses for them and repaired roads. This is why they will still vote for them despite the many accusations which laid against the government.

However, we would urge these people – and every voter in this election –  to subject this government to the closest possible scrutiny. Have they really done such a good job? Have they kept their promises? Have they treated everybody fairly and distributed improvement projects equally?

This government’s failures

This government might fail such close scrutiny. The Prime Minster has been accused of abusing his power and lying to the public. He has been accused of staging a national fasting programme to allow him and his Cabinet Ministers to tour the outer islands at the same time they and their wives were being paid travel allowances from the government’s coffers.

Democrat supporters have long complained about the roading programme, which has been mired in controversy since it was revealed that contracts have gone to friends of the government, including Tu’i’onetoa’s People’s Party (PAK – Paati ‘A e Kakai) bigwig and convicted criminal ‘Etuate Lavulavu. The only constituencies that are regarded as a priority for the roading project are those which voted for the PAK.

The  control and manipulation of information has worsened under Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa.

They were elected to Parl’t under PTOA banner

PM Tu’i’onetoa, MP Vātau Hui and MP Poasi Tei breached their promise to the people that they were with the PTOA Party in the last snap election. When Democrat leader ‘Akilisi Pōhiva died they defected and joined the Noble MPs in a premiership election in which voters did not have a say.

It is important for voters to confirm in this upcoming election where they want their MPs to stand in terms of party line and political blocs.

If the people can bring pressure to bear on their MPs to vote for the Prime Minister of their choice then we will truly have a chance to elect the best people to Parliament.

 

 

Covid-19 update: 102 community cases in NZ today

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The number of new community cases has reached triple figures for the first time, with 102 cases reported today.

Test for coronavirus Covid-19. Female doctor or nurse doing lab analysis of a nasal swab in a hospital laboratory. Medical technologist holding a COVID-19 smear kit, wearing protective gloves from

Photo: 123RF

The Health Ministry said 94 of the cases were in Auckland and eight in Waikato. Thirty of the cases are household contacts.

Forty of the new cases remain unlinked and there are 199 unlinked cases in the past 14 days.

There were 60 new community cases yesterday.

The Ministry said all of the Waikato cases were in the Te Awamutu area. Seven have already been linked to known cases.

One of the Waikato cases travelled to Hawke’s Bay last Friday, but returned to Te Awamutu before testing positive.

At today’s media conference, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield confirmed there were no known positive cases in Hawke’s Bay.

People in the Te Awamutu are being urged to get tested if they or anyone in their household has symptoms, or if they have travelled out of Te Awamutu over the past week for work or other activities.

Dr Bloomfield asked for more people to come forward for testing in Waikato, as only 3000 swabs were taken yesterday.

There are 46 people in hospital with Covid-19, including seven in intensive care.

Two cases were reported at the border, including one historical case.

There have been 2260 cases in the current community outbreak and 4956 since the pandemic began.

Dr Bloomfield said the harms for Covid-19 fall much more on those who are unimmunised

“UK data shows that of 40,000 patients hospitalised in the six months to the middle of this year in the UK, 84 percent of those people hospitalised hadn’t been vaccinated and only 3 percent of cases in hospital were fully vaccinated.”

He said the data for New Zealand was similar.

Dr Bloomfield updated guidance for allied health professionals working in settings outside district health boards and hospitals clarifies that they can provide services under alert level 3. This will enable about 2000 people in Auckland alone such as psychotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors to provide services to those who need it.

They will continue to provide tele-health services where that is most appropriate, he said.

This week is also infection prevention control week, and Dr Bloomfield acknowledges the “huge dedication and effort” of IPC professionals working on the front line.

Follow all the latest Covid-19 developments with RNZ’s blog

Auckland hotel to allow only fully vaccinated guests

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Amy Williams of RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

An Auckland inner city hotel and restaurant operator has decided it will take only guests who are fully vaccinated from November.

The Hotel Britomart, including its restaurant Kingi, is introducing a vaccine mandate ahead of any government licence to do so.

The hotel’s owner also operates The Landing, a luxury holiday accommodation in the Bay of Islands, which is also part of the vaccine mandate.

Its general manager Clinton Farley said they were taking the position to keep their staff and guests safe.

“We’ve decided to take a stance on mandating vaccines across our entire team,” he said.

“We’re mandating that all our suppliers and contractors and visitors whether they be guests or restaurant patrons also are double dosed and able to provide evidence of that before setting foot on our property.”

He said the legal ramifications have been considered and the decision to introduce a vaccine mandate was not taken lightly.

Farley said anyone who could not prove their vaccine status would be turned away.

“Prior to arriving at the hotel we send out a number of communications, whether that be on our website or booking engines, and we also ask people to confirm that they have been double dosed vaccinated,” he said.

“If they arrive at the hotel or restaurant without evidence of such we will not be able to check them into the hotel or allow them to dine at our restaurant.”

Other businesses are not so bold.

The hotel sector is urging the government to pave the way for its members to require both staff and guests to be fully vaccinated.

The Hotel Council Aotearoa has formally asked the ministers of tourism and finance to pass legislation to make vaccine mandates legal in the hotel and hospitality sectors.

Its strategic director James Doolan said many business owners do not want to carry the legal risk and are waiting on government advice.

“I’m hearing from members that they would like to introduce vaccine mandates but it’s important that the government takes the lead and passes legislation confirming vaccine mandates by hotels and other hospitality venues would be legal,” he said.

“Earlier on in the fight against Covid the government passed legislation confirming that the lockdowns were legal and I think it’s perfectly reasonable for hotels and hospitality venues to ask the government to pass similar legislation confirming that vaccine mandates are legal too.”

Doolan said he hoped the government’s announcement on Friday would include a vaccine mandate for the hotel and hospitality sectors.

Early easing of Covid restrictions could be lethal for Maori/Pasifika

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

A Pacific public health expert says a premature transition of Covid-19 restrictions in New Zealand could be lethal for Maori and Pasifika communities.

The government is under increasing pressure to ease restrictions in Auckland with National saying it would set a six-week deadline for ending lockdowns and that a target of 85-90 percent vaccination rates were ‘do-able’ within that timeframe.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday revealed the city would remain in alert level 3, step 1 and signalled the government would reveal a Covid-19 protection plan on Friday.

But Auckland University public health associate professor, Collin Tukuitonga, says easing restrictions before vaccination rates among the most at risk communities of Maori and Pasifika are high, could be a death sentence.

“It is abundantly clear that Maori and Pasifika people will have more infections, more of them will go to hospital and more of them will die,” he said.

“Fortunately we haven’t had the deaths here that has been apparent in other countries. But clearly if we move prematurely the people at risk will pay the price.”

Covid-19 update: 60 new community cases reported today

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

The number of new community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand has dropped from yesterday’s record high, with 60 new cases reported today.

No caption
Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

The Ministry of Health said 56 of today’s cases were in Auckland and four were in Waikato.

Yesterday the ministry reported 94 new community cases, the highest number since the pandemic began.

There were also two cases reported at the border today.

Twenty-two of today’s 60 cases are yet to be linked to earlier cases. There are 166 unlinked cases from the past 14 days.

There are 43 people in hospital, including five in intensive care.

The number of community cases connected to the current outbreak is now 2158 and there have now been 4854 cases in this country since the pandemic began.

In announcing today’s new Covid-19 case numbers, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said infections were still expected to rise and daily numbers would bounce around.

He continued to encourage New Zealanders to get tested for the virus.

“Of the four new cases today in Waikato, two of those are close household contacts who were already in a quarantine facility and the other two were also known to have likely links to existing cases.”

The total number of cases in Waikato is now 56, 10 of whom have now recovered.

Dr Bloomfield again urged people in Waikato to get tested

“Yesterday, New Lynn’s Shadbolt Park was classified as a location of interest. It’s now been reclassified as an exposure event and has been taken down from the Ministry of Health website. Having looked further into the event, which was being managed by a PHU elsewhere in the country it is now being assessed as an exposure event with a small number of people who are contacts. They are all known, have all been contacted and are now isolating.”

There were 42,809 vaccine doses given yesterday – 10,392 first doses and 32,417 second doses.

He said health teams in Auckland had moved away from using suburbs of interest as part of their testing regime because the infections are widespread across the city. Testing instead is going to be focused in areas where there is a higher test-positivity rate, where the risk of unidentified cases is considered potentially higher.

“People with symptoms and even if they are mild symptoms, even if you are vaccinated in New Lynn and the North Shore suburbs of Rosedale, Redvale and Bayswater please do go and get tested as soon as possible,” Bloomfield said.

He said it was important to determine whether there were undetected cases in those communities.

Dr Bloomfield also said from Thursday healthcare employees working into quarantine and isolation facilities would be allowed to work in other healthcare facilities without the need for a 48-hour stand-down period and negative test requirement.

“This will allow greater flexibility in using that MIQ workforce and of others being able to supplement that workforce and reduce some of the real pressure that is under that workforce,” he said.

He said information was going up on the Health Ministry’s website soon relating to the third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for immuno-compromised people. It would include the inclusion criteria, including how this small group of people would be identified and when they would receive their third vaccination.

“You will not be able to book a third vaccine on the Book My Vaccine website … details will be up on the website later this afternoon,” he said.

Immigration lawyer calls for Covid-19 vaccination to be a condition of visas

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Gill Bonnet of RNZ.co.nz. Republished with permission.

An immigration lawyer is calling on the government to boost Covid-19 vaccinations by granting visas only to those who get inoculated, and offering an amnesty to overstayers who are double-jabbed.

Richard Small said with a record 165,000 new residents expected next year, making vaccinations a condition of visas would increase immunity levels in hard-to-reach communities.

Allowing visas for overstayers was an idea proposed by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA), which also called for a clear pathway to residency for people from the Pacific Islands.

The government’s broad residency announcement a fortnight ago will be enacted next year] but the estimated 14,000 people on expired visas were not included.

“The reason I would support vaccination as a condition for section 61 (visas for unlawful people) is that at least for our client base this is one of the most at-risk communities and potentially with relatively high levels of non-vaccination,” Small said.

“With Delta we cannot afford to leave anyone behind. A visa is the one thing that would overcome isolation and anti-vax preaching that a lot of these people are receiving within their isolated settings by fundamentalist US-leaning churches.”

Small, who runs Pacific Legal immigration lawyers, said visas for hard-to-fill jobs such as fruit picking could be followed up with residence through Pacific Island quota visas not used during the pandemic.

“There may be an argument to also allow equivalent visas in the aged care industry which is crying out for staff,” he said. “Allowing caregiver visas for a certain number of applicants who are looking after vulnerable relatives provided there is clear evidence of their sponsorship and support. Again this would be subject to vaccination.

“We have 20 to 30 per cent of our long-term overstaying clients, particularly women, who have stayed single and are cultural caregivers full-time to New Zealand resident or citizen elders with multiple co-morbidities. They are saving the health system many millions of dollars and are liable for deportation for their efforts.”

Vaccinations could be added to the full medical test and would be subject to medical exemptions and waivers.

A temporary visa for overstayers could be followed by the opportunity to apply for residence, he said, pointing to an amnesty in the early 2000s.

“Lives were transformed, children have gone on to become doctors lawyers, leaders in creative fields,” he said. “I think the community would be surprised to learn the breadth and depth of gratitude and achievement that has come back from several thousand families who eventually gained residence after a two-and-a-half year probation.”

The EMA are among those who support the amnesty idea as its members seek solutions for New Zealand’s skills and labour shortage, saying it should have accompanied the government’s Dawn Raids apology.

Immigration minister Kris Faafoi said in a statement an amnesty was not considered as part of the one-off residence work. “That is something that would involve a number of broader considerations,” he said. “A vaccination requirement was also not considered as part of the one-off residence work.”

Pacific reset

Government overstayer estimates suggest overstayers from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu make up 48 percent of the total numbers.

Professor Paul Spoonley, who researches migration and settlement and is looking at the level of cohesion about the government’s Covid-19 measures, said an amnesty would be a positive step. While RSE workers were being let in, backpackers who would also normally do orchard and vineyard work were not, so there would still be a shortfall in seasonal labour.

“We’ve offered an amnesty to people who are here illegally and wouldn’t it be a good idea to try and consider who they are and where they are, subject to health and character requirements.

“I’m a great fan of requiring anything that you might do to show signs that you’ve been vaccinated. I think that we should attach to the rights to come to this country the requirement that you should be vaccinated and tested. What’s disappointing to me is that very often, it’s down to “rights”, and the right not to be vaccinated. Whereas I think there’s a “public good” right, which is that we should have communities that are vaccinated, unless there are very good reasons why you shouldn’t be.”

The Pacific reset announced by the previous Labour-New Zealand First coalition proposed changes to Pacific immigration.

The work focused on ensuring that residence policies, including family categories, were “accessible; that people’s settlement needs are being met; policy settings minimise the risk of migrant exploitation; and that existing immigration policies recognise climate change displacement in the Pacific where appropriate.”

A Cabinet paper showed reviews of the seasonal RSE scheme and Pacific-focused residence categories were being carried out to ensure they supported good settlement outcomes. The Samoan Quota and the Pacific Access Category programmes allow approximately 1750 people to be granted residence in New Zealand annually. Previous criticism has pointed to how difficult it is for successful ballot applicants to obtain job offers, meaning places have not always been filled.

The Ministry of Education signalled its interest in the work, particularly overstayers and the potential impact on outcomes for their children’s outcomes, including transition from secondary to tertiary education.

The Cabinet paper showed then-Foreign Affairs minister Winston Peters had put forward an action plan on Pacific climate change-related displacement and migration to investigate changes to visas, which it suggested may be implemented after 2024.

A petition by the Pacific Leadership Forum last year called for residency for Pacific Islanders stranded here during the pandemic and evidence it gave to Parliament suggested overstayers contribute $124 million in taxes to New Zealand every year.

Lord Fohe fined $500 over resident assault

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Lord Fohe, who attacked a tenant who lived in his estate was fined TOP$500 after admitting assault and pleading guilty.

Lord Fohe. Photo/Screenshot

The incident happened in Puke when the king’s noble arrived at Tasimani Fa’s residence and assaulted him.

The court was told Lord Fohe was not happy after Fa challenged him during a meeting in December 2020 .

In court, Lord Fohe was apologetic and asked Justice Langi for mercy.

READ MORE:

The judge discharged him without conviction, which has spared him a criminal record.

The court reminded  Lord Fohe his responsibility to keep a good record because of his hereditary title and avoid assaulting people.

Lord Fohe’s fine came after the New Zealand High Court ordered that the former Governor of Vava’u, Lord Fulivai and his wife repay a New Zealand businessman $253,370.60.

It said the Fulivais must repay the  money paid to them by company director Christopher Barrett to make land available to him, together with interest dating to January 1, 2018; repayment of loans with interests and costs for the entire proceedings.

 

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