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Crew, passengers isolate on ships as Covid-19 infections soar in Fiji

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Eighty-seven crew members and passengers have been placed into isolation on four inter-island ships in Fiji, health authorities said.

They are the latest group amongst more than 4000 Covid-positive people to have been turned away from hospitals because there are not enough beds.

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.. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt

Fiji’s chief medical adviser, doctor Jemesa Tudravu, said the health ministry has set up a homecare support system for those isolating on the ships and at home.

This includes delivering food and medical supplies to the ships.

Dr Tudravu said the ministry is also monitoring people at home with follow-up telephone calls.

Yet, more pressure is mounting on the Fijian government to impose a national lockdown amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis in the country.

Over 16,000 people infected with the virus are in isolation – with over a quarter of them at home.

Despite calls from the opposition and civil society groups in Fiji, the prime minister says he will not enforce a national lockdown because it will only cripple the economy and impact jobs.

Frank Bainimarama maintains a complete shutdown of the main island Viti Levu would affect Fijians living in informal settlements and who are reliant on daily wages.

The government is also concerned the tens of thousands of people who live in these informal settlements – where most of them are within the containment/red zones – would not be able to access essential services during any lockdown.

But a New Zealand-based Covid-19 modelling expert says Fiji should have a national lockdown.

Professor Shaun Hendy said a lockdown is a logical way of trying to get the virus under control, and New Zealand should be helping out financially.

“We should be looking at helping them with financial assistance to ensure that their economy can weather this. Whether they have a lockdown or not.

“It is going to be a very very difficult period for them in terms of their economy and of course their healthcare system is already under extreme stress.”

New Zealand should be moving faster to get Fiji the AstraZeneca vaccine, professor Hendy said.

Members of the AUSMAT team arrive in Fiji.
Members of the AUSMAT team arrive in Fiji. Photo: Supplied

New Zealand has pledged 500,000 doses of vaccines to Fiji, and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said both the AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines are due to be sent to the Fijian capital, Suva, from next month.

“By our calculations of those vaccines that have been pledged and committed, they may not have to draw on the full 500,000 doses however they are still for Fiji at this stage.”

The New Zealand government is still awaiting approval from Medsafe for the vaccine.

The Pasifika Medical Association of New Zealand said there was a real need for more outside medical staff on the ground in Fiji.

Its chief executive, Debbie Sorensen, said colleagues in Fiji had been telling her they are exhausted and overworked.

She said New Zealand has sent PPE and other equipment, but the health system in Fiji now needs hands-on help.

“They are probably in desperate need now for actual human bodies to help them respond and talking with our health professional colleagues, doctors and nurses in Fiji, they tell us they are very tired. That they have been working virtually without a break and really could do with extra support.”

Sorensen said New Zealand had sent a significant number of medical staff to Samoa during the measles epidemic there and Fiji just needs to make a formal request for help.

About 20 medical specialists from New Zealand and Australia are in Fiji helping their colleagues there.

Christchurch anaesthetist Wayne Morriss said doctors and nurses there were working incredibly hard, often seven days a week.

The NZAUSMAT teams have been helping Fijians to improve systems so the hospital can manage severely ill Covid-19 patients as well as people who need urgent surgery, like emergency caesareans.

Over the past two weeks, some less sick Covid-19 patients were moved from the hospital to the national gymnasium in Suva, where they could be monitored but transferred back to the hospital if needed, Morriss said.

There were also clinics at a sports arena and tents outside it.

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.. Photo: Fiji govt

Getting the whole country vaccinated was critical, and it was going very well so far, with about 80 percent of people having their first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, Dr Morriss said.

He said Fijian health authorities were doing their best in trying circumstances, but the situation was grim.

“It’s been a really sophisticated response from the Fijian health authorities, but I think that this sort of outbreak would stretch any health system. We’re obviously very worried about the increasing number of cases and deaths, and it’s fair to say it’s really stressing the system.”

As the outbreak grew in Fiji and a cluster of cases emerged among health workers the main hospital in Suva, the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, was restricted to almost exclusively Covid-19 patients.

But this has had a serious impact on the rest of the health system, Dr Morriss said.

“The main hospital was effectively closed down a month ago… to patients other than Covid cases, and we know there are ongoing health needs even during a pandemic.

“So there’s still lots of patients with medical or surgical problems that need treatment.”

The purpose of the Medical Assistance Team is four-fold, he said.

“We are assessing the capacity of the main hospital and will assist with re-opening it for non-Covid patients.

“We’ve also been asked to support the Fiji Emergency and Medical Assistance Team which is currently working in the Vodafone Arena, and for the next couple of days the National Gymnasium is also going to be opened to take moderately sick Covid patients.

“Those patients will be monitored so that if they deteriorate they will be transferred for more advanced care, to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

“The fourth area the team are working on is advising Fijian health authorities to upgrade health workers’ PPE.

“The other area that is really important is infection prevention and control, so that’s the use of PPE and other measures to reduce the spread of infection within the health facilities. It’s really important that the staff and the patients have faith that the PPE and other equipment is going to keep them safe.”

Mandatory vaccination

With no change to its strategy to combat the pandemic, the Fijian government has embarked on a ‘mandatory vaccination’ campaign instead.

Workers have been told they must be fully vaccinated by November or face losing their jobs.

The head of Fiji’s vaccination taskforce, Dr Rachel Devi, says with the widespread transmission of the virus on the main island of Viti Levu, priority will be given to pregnant women.

Dr Devi told a recent panel discussion on Fiji that people need to get vaccinated and practise Covid-safe measures to help in the fight against the coronavirus.

A total of 428,524 Fijians (73 percent) of the target population have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while 90,531 (15.4 percent) have got both jabs.

Fiji’s daily average test positivity rate is now at 29.7 percent – the World Health Organisation threshold is 5 percent.

There are over 16,000 active cases in isolation, with more than 160 deaths reported.

Samoa court declares FAST party new government

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Samoa’s Court of Appeal has ruled that the country has a new government after it judged the impromptu swearing-in by the newcomer FAST party on 24 May was legitimate under the doctrine of necessity.

FAST leaders, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and Laauli Leuatea Schmidt
FAST leaders, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and Laauli Leuatea Schmidt Photo: Ame Tanielu

The ceremony came on the 45th day following the general election, the last day allowable under the country’s Constitution.

It has been more than 100 days since the 9 April election.

Party founder and deputy leader La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt says the party are celebrating with prayers and a church service this evening.

La’auli said they will work through the weekend to ensure a smooth transition of government on Monday.

“Today the court of Samoa has declared the FAST Party the new government. And the doctrine of necessity has now been honoured and the new government starts from the 24th of May since we had that swearing-in.”

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, the daughter of Samoa’s first prime minister, becomes the country’s first woman in the role.

The Court of Appeal found the 24 May swearing-in satisfies the requirements of the Constitution as a legitimate convening of the Legislative Assembly.

It added that the previous ruling of the Supreme Court, which did not recognise FAST’s swearing in, relied upon the good faith of other actors who are obligated under the Constitution.

The court’s findings regret that reliance on that good faith was misplaced.

The ruling concludes with a recognition of “the swearing in carried out on 24 May 2021 at the Tiafau Male of elected members of parliament, to be consistent with the terms of the Constitution, the Supreme law of Samoa, and therefore lawful.”

It continues in its recognition of FAST as government since the ad hoc May swearing in which casts doubt on any actions as government by the caretaker HRPP since that date.

The judgement was signed by Chief Justice Perese, Justice Tuatagaloa and Justice Tuala-Warren.

Abuse in care: Former Wesley College student describes beatings, abuse

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Andrew McRae of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

A former student of Wesley College has spoken emotionally of physical abuse, including severe beatings, bullying and extreme violence at the boarding school near Pukekohe.

William Wilson.
William Wilson. Photo: RNZ

William Wilson, who is now 43, and of Scottish and Samoan descent, was at the school in 1991 and 1992.

He came forward to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care’s Pacific inquiry being held in Auckland.

Wesley College is one if this country’s oldest schools, founded in 1844 by the Methodist Church.

It caters for predominately students of Pacific and Māori descent.

Wilson came forward to share his experience in the hope it will help prevent the abuse he went through from happening to anyone else.

When he was 13, he found out that his father was actually Samoan and not Māori.

”On my first day at Wesley College it was me, mum, grandad and grandmas. I will never forget that moment. As we turned into the school driveway, my grandfather told my mum to tell me the truth.”

”My mum then told me that the school was for Pacific Islanders and that I was an Islander. A Samoan. I didn’t want to believe her,” he said.

”When I jumped out of the car all I could see was these big, giant island guys. They were giants. I was only small and short. I cried to my grandma I didn’t want to stay here. I knew something was going to happen. I just could feel it.”

He spoke of a ritual called the night parade, where prefects dragged the new boys out of bed at 1am.

A few of the students were picked on and made an example of in front of the others.

”They made me do lots of things, 100 press-ups and I got hit with a broom stick if I couldn’t. This was done to keep others in check. I was the main one to be picked on.”

Other abuse included being whacked with sticks and taiaha, nipple twisting and being brutally kicked.

The violence then took on an extra dimension.

It was called Island Respect, where the student was physically and mentally beaten.

The victim would stand between three other boys on either side.

The prefect would order each side to beat the guy in the middle, until he fell.

”And you have to stand back up. The prefect would tell you what you have done wrong and then he would call another one from each side to beat you until you fall down again. They would also verbally abuse you when this was happening. That Island Respect hiding that I suffered was over two hours. I kept standing up and telling them they were wrong.”

”The Island Respect hidings didn’t happen that often because they were dangerous. They could kill someone, but they happened to me.”

On another occasion, after being accused of something he did not do, he was beaten so badly he could not stand up.

”They bashed me for two and a half hours. The prefects carried me to the main prefects flat after that. That was the prefect who beat me. Took me to his flat. He cried over me and wiped my head with a cloth and said he hadn’t seen anyone get a beating like that ever. I told him that I would never forgive him. He had ordered people to beat me during that hiding.”

He said the whole school seemed to be in on the abuse.

”The school staff gave the prefects the powers they had and they encouraged this abuse.”

His beatings at Wesley College resulted in hearing loss, depression, PTSD, among other things and also affected his education.

”Waking up every morning at Wesley College, I lived in fear. I was expecting torture and abuse in the morning before our shower, at lunch time or prep time. This meant I couldn’t focus on school.”

Wilson told the inquiry all he now wanted was for no one to suffer like he did.

”I want those who made me suffer to be made responsible. I don’t want them to suffer like I did. I just want them to be aware of what they did and accept that they were wrong. This includes the school. The school. That was so wrong.”

He said, as for redress or compensation, he is not sure he can put a price tag on what he went through at the school.

”I feel like I never had a chance to be a child and that I lost my youth and future.”

”I think a genuine meaningful apology from Wesley College acknowledging what happened to me while I was in their care and an apology from those who abused me would make a lot of difference.”

Wilson said he knows and accepts that everything that he is today is because of what happened to him.

”I accept that I can evolve and be something more and I hope this process will help me do that.”

Before meeting with the Royal Commission, he had tried to see lawyers about his case.

”When I told them what happened, they would no longer want to be part of a case against Wesley College. I have been through so many different lawyers.”

Trans-Tasman bubble: Cabinet considers closing travel to Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Cabinet ministers have convened a special virtual meeting this afternoon to discuss the trans-Tasman bubble, including a potential pause of the entire arrangement.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins heading to a post-Cabinet conference.
(file photo) Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Prime Minister’s office said the meeting had been planned for “several days” given the developing situation in Australia.

Any announcements are not expected until tomorrow, but RNZ understands a range of possibilities are being canvassed, including a total pause.

The meeting is being held virtually as it is one of Parliament’s recess weeks, meaning ministers are spread across the country.

The news comes as Australia grapples to get control of its Covid-19 outbreak.

Quarantine-free travel is currently paused for three states: Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

At yesterday’s vaccine update, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters the trans-Tasman arrangements were under “constant review”, but also that the pauses would be reviewed on 27 July.

“We will continue to make adjustments and make decisions as we need to, to make sure that we are reducing, as much as is possible, the risk to New Zealand.”

Asked directly whether the entire bubble should be closed, Hipkins said he had nothing further to add.

“Every day we get updates from Australia, and we share our updates with them, and we keep everything under review.”

New South Wales recorded 124 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, its worst day yet in the outbreak, and officials are warning the outbreak will get worse.

Victoria has recorded 26 new local cases, but only two were infectious in the community. South Australia has also reported two new cases.

Queensland, which reported no new cases overnight, also announced it would close its border to people coming from NSW from 1am tomorrow.

Currently only New Zealanders returning from New South Wales have to undergo a 14-day stay in managed isolation.

All other returnees must get a negative pre-departure test 72 hours before their flight and monitor their symptoms. Only people who are normally resident in New Zealand are allowed to return.

NZ, Australia pull out of Rugby League World Cup

By
Kaniva Staff
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by One News / TVNZ

New Zealand and Australia have officially withdrawn their teams from this year’s Rugby League World Cup in the UK.

A joint statement released this evening by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) and New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) said they had informed the International
Rugby League (IRL) and Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) organisers neither will compete in a 2021 World Cup because of player welfare and safety concerns.

“The safety and wellbeing of our people is the main priority, and unfortunately, that cannot be guaranteed to our satisfaction,” NZRL CEO Greg Peters said.

“There are stark differences between how the pandemic is being managed in the UK compared to Australasia and recent developments have highlighted how quickly things can change.

“The tournament organisers have moved heaven and earth to make this work, so it is not an easy decision, but the Covid-19 situation in the UK shows no sign of improving, and it’s simply too unsafe to send teams and staff over.

“We understand how disappointing this is for fans and those involved; however player and staff safety remains paramount.”

Organisers said earlier this month the tournament will go ahead as planned in October despite Covid-19 still posing an issue in the UK.

Adding to the complexity is the fact this year’s World Cup is the first time three different competitions are all being held at the same time as one giant event, with world champions set to be found in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments.

Combined, 61 matches were expected at the World Cup prior to tonight’s announcement.

However, ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys insisted player wellbeing and safety must come first.

“Not participating in this year’s World Cup is not a decision the Commission has taken lightly, but we must put the best interests of our players and officials first. Protecting them is our absolute priority,’’ V’Landys said.

“In the current environment, the risks to the safety, health and wellbeing of the players and officials travelling from Australia to participate in the tournament this year are insurmountable.

“The majority of NRL players are currently living away from home under difficult biosecurity protocols. They would then be required to remain under protocols and away from home for the duration of the tournament before again quarantining on return to Australia. This is too much to ask our players and officials to do.

“We have again requested the IRL and Rugby League World Cup consider postponing the event until 2022 to enable all players to participate.”

This year’s tournament was scheduled to kick off on October 23 when England faced Samoa.

Abuse in care inquiry: Woman didn’t know her culture or where she came from

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Andrew McRae of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

A life of abuse from an early age has been outlined to the inquiry into abuse in care by a woman of Tongan and Palagi descent.

Joanna Oldham.
Joanna Oldham. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae

The Royal Commission is focusing on the historical abuse in care of Pacific people at its hearing in South Auckland.

Joanna Oldham was unaware of her Tongan ethnicity or culture growing up.

Her father was Pākehā and her mother Tongan.

She remembers, as a child, not knowing what her culture was or where she came from.

”I just knew that whatever I was, I was different and that whatever I was, was wrong. My father, grandmother and the whole side of my Pākehā family was extremely racist toward Māori and Pacifica people, including me.”

The Pākehā side of her family, including her grandmother, referred to her as that black bitch.

When she was first taken into state care, her ethnicity was listed as half European, half Tongan.

”Despite Social Welfare getting my ethnicity correct the first time, throughout my records, Social Welfare subsequently mistook me as Māori, Samoan, Cook Island Māori and Niuean.”

She was born in 1974, first lived with her drug dealing, violent, gang member father who, when she was 11, was convicted of murder.

Her life started to spiral at the age of about eight when she was sexually abused by an Anglican minister, who has since died.

The then-Social Welfare Department were made aware of what was going on, but were told the Anglican minister was looking after the family and welfare help was not needed.

Oldham only learned of this recently.

”It’s not surprising,” she said.

Documents show that Social Welfare had also been aware friends of her father were sexually abusing her, but again nothing happened.

”Of course I feel angry.”

She went through a series of foster placements and welfare homes – being abused in most of them and running away on numerous occasions.

She said she felt safer on the streets.

”I wasn’t safe at home, I wasn’t safe with my Dad, my Dad’s friends. I wasn’t safe with my grandmother, I wasn’t safe in church. You know, where was I safe? I was safe with those people who were other kids like myself, who I guess happened to be living on the streets.”

While she felt the streets were a better place, it was not long before she was abused there too.

”[As] a young woman, I guess I became more of a target. You know just like all the other girls who were with me, as we matured we became a target for strangers.”.

The pattern continued with welfare knowing what was happening, but again not reacting.

”My initial thought is, I hope they are still not doing that. I hope they are not treating children that way now. I hope something has changed, like are we still treating children this way, I hope not.”

Oldham said she has now come to terms that what happened to her was not her fault.

”I am very aware when control has been taken away from you, by people stronger than you, the power that we do have is in our words. I don’t know what the lessons are and I don’t know what the answers are. I know that there are people like myself and you know one of the coaches in my boxing gym [says], you know we don’t have degrees but we’ve got some answers.”

She said early intervention could have made a difference to her life.

”There were opportunities missed. Right through this there were many times when interventions could be done and different things could have happened. We need to be better recognising and acting.”

Oldham said survivors have a role to play in finding solutions so abuse of young people in care ends.

”I have slowly built a life for myself. I have built a career. For many years I was too afraid to talk about my childhood or seek help and so I have had to work to change my life on my own.”

Pregnant women among Covid-19 deaths in Fiji, babies saved

By
Kaniva Staff
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Two pregnant women are among Fiji’s latest victims of Covid-19, health authorities said.

Doctors were able to save both women’s newborns, the Health Ministry announced last night.

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Photo: Supplied

The ministry reported a record number of 21 deaths from the virus, along with 1091 new cases in the 24 hours to 8am on Wednesday. The deaths occurred between 14 July and 20 July.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said while the outbreak was contained to the main island Viti Levu, primarily in the Lami-Suva-Nausori corridor, the ministry had seen increasing cases in the Western Division over the past week.

“Both pregnant women had been unwell with Covid-19 symptoms at home before presenting to our health facilities in severe respiratory distress.

“In both cases, our physicians made the decision to conduct emergency caesarean operations to rescue the newborns and assist with the care of the mothers.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of their attending physicians, both mothers passed away. The fast actions of the obstetric team saved both babies.

“Maternal deaths at any time are a tragedy, and maternal deaths due to Covid-19 are a clear indication of the severity of this outbreak.”

It was not known at which stage of pregnancy the mother’s were at.

It was the sixth day out of the last seven that the daily figure of cases had topped 1000. The previous day, 1054 cases and 12 deaths between 13 July and 19 July were reported.

Dr Fong said given the rapidly evolving covid situation in Fiji, health teams were working around-the-clock to reprioritise and “focus our efforts to ensure we are protecting those most at risk of severe Covid-19 and dying”.

“Our elderly, people with existing medical conditions, and pregnant women are most at risk.

“These shifts include changes to our testing services, home quarantine guidance, ensuring we are providing life-saving medical care to those people who are most at risk and establishing vaccination for pregnant women.”

Fiji now has more than 15,000 active cases in isolation. It has recorded 146 deaths, 144 of them from the latest outbreak that began in April.

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.. Photo: Fiji govt

Call to return to normal antenatal care

An Australian health expert says Fijian women who have contracted Covid-19 should return to normal antenatal care as soon as they are no longer infectious.

Addressing a virtual discussion on Fiji, Professor Michelle Giles of Melbourne’s Monash Univeristy said as a general rule a woman’s standard antenatal care should not be compromised because she has Covid-19.

And she said this did not have to be done face to face.

Giles told the panel said she would encourage pregnant women not to stay away from hospitals or healthcare settings beyond the 14 days for fear of infecting other people because that was not likely to happen.

“What we actually know is that some people can shed the virus for a longer period of time, and it may not equate to them being infectious to others,” Giles said.

“I think if you have other infection control measures in place and they’ve had their 14 days, I would not demand or require a negative test before they have their return for antenatal care.”

Fiji’s Health Ministry has begun administering about 150,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to pregnant women.

More data was showing that Moderna is safer for pregnant women and their unborn babies, Giles said said. Thousands of pregnant women in the US had received the Moderna vaccine and studies showed babies were not seen to be born pre-term or with abnormalities nor were their mothers more likely to experience side-effects.

“Women should get vaccinated as soon as they can, but I think if there are women who have particular concerns about one vaccine, I think we have a lot of accumulated safety data for the Moderna vaccine which is also very reassuring.”

The head of Fiji’s vaccination taskforce Dr Rachel Devi said from next Monday, pregnant women would be given the choice of the AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine.

“We will not be cross-vaccinating anyone. If anyone out there has already got their first dose of AstraZeneca during their pregnancy, they will get their second dose of the AstraZeneca.

“For those who have not been, they will be offered the Moderna, but of course the choice is theirs,” Devi said.

No bail for man accused of killing Tongan seasonal worker in NZ

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Auckland man charged with the alleged murder of 23-year-old Hiko Lynch has been denied bail.

Hiko Fungavaka. Photo/Supplied

The 34-year-old accused with interim name suppression had been jointly charged with murder. He appeared in the High Court before Justice Francis Cooke on July 16.

He is also charged with wounding with intent to injure and failing to help detectives with a search.

Lynch was in New Zealand as an RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) worker before he died in an alleged stabbing on Market St on June 20 in central Blenheim.

Police believe the fatality came after an altercation between the Tongan RSE workers and some Rebel gang members from outside the region.

Lynch had been out celebrating a friend’s birthday. Two other Tongan men were wounded and hospitalised at Blenheim’s Wairau Hospital.

Lynch body was sent back home to Tongan where it was buried early this month.

Tonga’s sports and recreation laws under review, consultation announced

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tonga’s sports laws are up for reform and interested people can have their say on proposed changes to the new Act.

Known as Sports and Recreation Bill 2021, it will override the Tonga Sport Council Act 1989.

The Parliament yesterday Tuesday 20  said its Standing Committee is set to conduct meetings with members of the public in the House starting tomorrow Thursday 22 and Friday 23.

“It is open to the public to join in and submit proposals,” it said.

It said the laws were clarified to the public during radio talkback shows which gave people an opportunity to understand the impacts of the proposals and provide feedback.

It also said it received 24 calls with feedbacks from the public during the shows.

The proposed new laws list 22 sport associations which it said are the governing bodies for respective sport in the kingdom.

One of them was the controversial Tonga National Rugby League Incorporated (Kautaha Liiki ‘Akapulu Fakafonua ‘a Tonga) (TNRL) which was listed as the country’s ruling body for Tonga’s rugby league sports.

It is unclear at this stage, whether the structure and officials of the current Tonga National Rugby League Incorporated will continue under the new law when it will come into force in about a year from now – the normal time span it takes for a bill to be processed before it became law, or that the government will restructure it to suit the current situation in which there was a rival rugby league body, the Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League (TMTRL).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Tonga National Rugby League’s (TNRL) appeal against its expulsion from the global governing body early this year.

The TNRL was expelled from the International Rugby League (IRL) in March 2019, after a long-running battle over governance, money and a threatened player boycott.

The CAS decision came after the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation has already endorsed the bid by TMTRL, which has the support of the current Tongan players and coach.

You can find the copy of the new Bill in this link:

Lao_Fakaangaanga_Fika_9-2021

China calls meeting with NZ officials over ‘Cold War’ mentality

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

China’s embassy has summoned New Zealand foreign officials to a meeting after the government voiced criticism of Chinese state-funded hacking, raising industry concerns over trade implications.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

The meeting came after the embassy issued a statement yesterday saying the accusations from the minister of New Zealand’s spy agencies Andrew Little were “totally groundless and irresponsible”.

The statement said such accusations should be backed by clear evidence, and doing so without was a malicious smear.

“We urge the New Zealand side to abandon the Cold War mentality, adopt a professional and responsible attitude when dealing with cyber incidents, and work with others to jointly tackle the challenge through dialogue and cooperation, rather than manipulating political issues under the pretext of cyber security and mudslinging at others.”

In a statement this afternoon, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s office said officials had met with representatives of the embassy at their request.

“Areas of difference need not define our relationship, but we will continue to promote the things that we believe in, and support the international rules-based system,” she said.

“Our relationship with China is one of our most significant, impacting a wide range of sectors and groups across Aotearoa New Zealand.”

New Zealand exporters have been concerned that the escalation of rhetoric could lead to a trade backlash from China, urging both countries to keep trade and politics separate.

New Zealand China Council chair Sir Don McKinnon said the country had to be prepared after calling China out.

“Once you reach a stage where you feel you have to criticise China publicly – which is what’s happened more recently – well that escalates it to a new level and you’ve got to be prepared for the consequences of that,” he said.

“Trade with China means money in people’s pockets in New Zealand from one end of the country to the other.”

Sir Don, who is also a former deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister for New Zealand, said it was a natural commercial decision make the most of a good opportunity but some of the vulnerability of New Zealand’s trade with China came down to individual exporters and companies.

“They’ve got to make the ultimate judgment how … vulnerable do they wish to be given the nature of whatever they are producing,” he said.

“Let’s accept the fact that the last 20 years the consumption of dairy products and red meat in China has grown tremendously strongly.

“They may look back in a couple of years time and say ‘well, we were pretty smart’, on the other hand they may look back and say ‘well we might have got it wrong for a while’.”

University of Auckland economics lecturer Robert Scollay said it was up to such companies to assess risk, but the government also had a huge and difficult role to play in managing the trade relationship.

“The major players are not necessarily always acting in a reasonable way so navigating a path through those tensions is actually a really major task for the government and you need to rely on them to manage that extremely competently and carefully.”

“In general I think they need to avoid taking actions which can be seen as gratuitously taking sides.”

He questioned the government’s pro-US move to express support for a “rules-based Indo-Pacific”, after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Joe Biden’s phone conversation leading up to the APEC Covid-19 leaders’ meeting.

“I just wonder whether that’s really a prudent thing to do in the circumstances.”

Sir Don was more hopeful, saying he saw no signs of real retaliation yet.

“The consumption market in China’s not going to change and, yes, there might be a bump – but you wait it through.

“The main thing is New Zealand’s policies overall with China should always be straightforward, be transparent, be open and honest. It’s when you deviate from that you get into bigger problems.”

He said the government’s role was to create the environment for producers, manufacturers and service providers to maximise their returns, and there were other opportunities to explore including trade deals with the EU and UK, difficult as those might be to achieve.

“We’ve clearly got to work very very hard at getting good deals, even with the United Kingdom.”

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