Neu: 2002-03-27 Contents of this issue:
1. Exchanging Skills 2. Germany Posting 3. Check This Out 4. Too Many Junkets 5. Read It First 6. NPP Premiere 7. Team Talk 8. Why Namukulu? 9. Numbers Game 10. Diabetes Trial Delayed 11. Chopping Brawl 12. What A Blast 13. Lines Down ======================================================================== March 27th, 2002 1. Exchanging Skills: Tongan handicraft makers have expressed interest in exchanging skills with regional counterparts following the Tongan Trade Fair 2002 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga's capital. The exhibition featured handicraft items and other locally made goods from Samoa and Niue and from the Tongan areas of Vava'u, Niuafo'ou and Niuatoputapu. Local women told Radio Tonga News that the participation of regional countries enabled them to learn new styles for jewelry, baskets, fans, carvings, and other items. Secretary of the Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industries Christine Uta'atu said a bigger hall likely would be required for next year's trade fair event.(PIR) 2. Germany Posting: A former High Commissioner to Samoa, Peter Hamilton who has also served in Suva, Ottawa and Geneva will be New Zealand's next Ambassador to Germany. NZ Minister of Foreign Affairs Phil Goff said Mr Hamilton will take up the position early 2003, replacing Mr Win Cochrane.Germany is New Zealand's second most important economic partner in Europe, and New Zealand's sixth largest bilateral trading partner. "It is our top global market for apples, kiwifruit and venison, our second largest European market for sheepmeat, and our second largest source of tourists from Europe. As such, it is a very important partner for us."Germany and New Zealand enjoy excellent bilateral relations. These are enhanced by growing scientific and technical cooperation underpinned by the 1978 Science and Technical Cooperation Agreement, and people-to-people links through the reciprocal Working Holiday Scheme signed in October 2000. High-level exchanges, most recently the visit of President Rau to New Zealand in May 2001, underscore the importance of the relationship."Given its geographical position and political and economic ranking within the European Union, Germany has a pivotal role to play in the eastward expansion of the EU. As the largest net contributor to the EU, Germany is pushing for rapid reform of agricultural subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy, which is of particular interest to New Zealand. This will be an important issue for Mr Hamilton to follow."New Zealand and Germany share a common perspective on many international issues, including support of the Kyoto Protocol and whale conservation. It is important that we maintain clear and open dialogue on these and other shared concerns," Mr Goff said.Mr Hamilton is currently Director of the Trade and Economic Analysis Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 3. Check This Out: Got kids using the internet? Take an interest in what they're looking at ! The Internet Education Foundation assists parents with tips for safe surfing. Go to www.getnetwise.org.a resource to help children have safe educational and entertaining on-line experiences. Great sites for kids to visit and directions for reporting on-line trouble. Niue Daily News On Line supports this Internet Education Foundation project. 4. Too Many Junkets: Papua New Guinea's Ombudsman Commission is "increasingly concerned" that too many government officials and their associates are travelling overseas in large parties, costing the state hundreds of thousands of kina. In the past month, the commission has effectively stopped overseas trips by three provincial groups. Chief Ombudsman Ila Geno said: "It appears that these delegations often do not report on their trips and therefore the public does not know what was achieved, if anything. "The commission is not against overseas trips by leaders. However, it is concerned when reasons given do not appear legitimate. This is not good governance. "When a leader travels overseas with an entourage of unnecessary people this can bring discredit to Papua New Guinea." Papua New Guinea's Constitution gives the Ombudsman Commission special powers to intervene and prevent conduct likely to breach the Leadership Code. ( Papua New Guinea Post-Courier/PINA Nius Online). 5. Read It First: The best election 2002 coverage from Niue! Its countdown time for candidates - nominations close April 4. We'll give you informed with professional comment ahead of the rest. 6. NPP Premiere: The Niue Peoples Party opened its campaign at Tamakautoga promising to keep people first, develop a direct airline service and get more aid for the island. Campaign leader Young Vivian told TV Niue News that the NPP were pleased with the support they were getting from villagers who agreed with the party performance in the past. He said it was often difficult to carry out some of the proposals because of the lack of population. He pledged more money for aged pensioners, village councils, sporting bodies and the Ekalesia church and support for organic farming. Mr Vivian also said the NPP would look after people who were living on the island. In a separate interview Premier Sani Lakatani, home from an overseas trip, said EU funding was in the pipeline for renewable energy proposals which included the construction of wind generators. On the air services issues the Premier said proposals for new initiatives were still under consideration but it was unlikely anything would eventuate until after the election. 7. Team Talk: The Alliance of Independents (AOI) that is shaping up to the Niue Peoples Party in the April 20 election, launched its manifesto at the tiny village of Namukulu last night emphasising it was " a team not a party." Our political commentator estimates the Alliance to have five common roll candidates on board and four village representatives. It will need at least eleven friendly seats in the Assembly to gain control of the Treasury benches but cannot rely on support from a trio headed by Mr Toke Talagi who regarded themselves as holding the balance of power in the previous government. Spokesperson Mrs O'Love Jacobsen (48) said the AOI was "committed to look after what little we have left, the most precious of our resources - the patriots of Niue remaining on the island." Maintaining a small-scale economy ranks high on the list and includes dedicated airline and shipping services, professional taro exporting, maximum income from offshore facilities and promoting tourism. The team lists the removal of import duty on basic food items, lowering fuel prices restricting official travel and reducing politician per diem rates as "immediate needs." The AOI has taken a swipe at the NPP government that pushed 10 local high school teachers into a corner when they stopped work over a pay dispute. In its education policy the AOI says it will recruit teachers with appropriate qualifications and give Niuean teachers first option. (When the 10 local teachers were threatened with dismissal they resigned and were replaced by expatriate staff at twice the local salaries. Most of the'local teachers have other jobs or moved overseas). The AOI team has pledged to rid the public service of the age-old problem of nepotism and favouritism and says vacancies on all statutory boards will be advertised rather than politically appointed. "The formation of the Alliance of Independents is to provide you with an alternative option of a better government. We will not burden the people outside the House as this should be the business for those whom you have elected; so make them work for you," said the AOI manifesto. (Copyright NER 2002. All rights reserved. Publication in any form is not permitted.) 8. Why Namukulu?: The Alliance of Independents choice of venue for launching their manifesto has great significance, says spokesperson Mrs O'Love Jacobsen. The tiny west coast village of Namukulu with only and handful of voters is home of veteran politician Jack Willie Lipitoa (68) an MP since 1990. "Jack has always been an independent and stuck by the Rex and the Lui governments which discouraged party politics because it divides families and villages. So we chose Jack's home village to honour his loyalty as an independent member of the Assembly," said Mrs Jacobsen. Mr Lipitoa, a former high school woodwork teacher is a lay preacher and Ulumotua of his village's Ekalesia Church and supports the Alliance of Independents. 9. Numbers Game: Last election 20 candidates sought the six common roll seats. With nine days left of the nomination process our independent political commentators estimate about 12 names are in the hat - and some who supported the Niue Peoples Party are going it alone as independents accentuating a rift in the party ranks which has been widening by the day. Veteran wannabes will again line-up but expect at least four fresh faces to split the votes and cause heartache for some who regard a common roll chair in the Assembly Chamber as "a safe seat." 10. Diabetes Trial Delayed: The Cook Islands Government has delayed a decision on whether to allow a New Zealand company to trial a controversial pig cell treatment for diabetes. Diatranz has been trying to arrange the trial in the Cook Islands after being turned down in New Zealand. The treatment involves pig pancreatic tissue being transplanted into humans. A spokesman for Prime Minister Robert Woonton said the decision would be deferred until New Zealand has reviewed the process. 11. Chopping Brawl: Machetes, knives and sticks were used in a brawl near a southern Sydney high school yesterday in which four teenagers were stabbed, one seriously. As many as 30 people, including students and a group of outside youths, were involved in the mass lunchtime brawl near Kingsgrove North High School. A 17-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds and was admitted to hospital in a critical condition. Three other youths were in a stable condition and four others were taken into custody. Police were questioning a further 10 to 12. One student said the attack occurred between a group of Asian youths and a teenager of Pacific Island appearance (NZ Herald). 12. What A Blast: Stricken by poverty and corruption, Tonga has always been forced to be entrepreneurial. It has sold passports to Hong Kong businessmen, claimed ownership of sought-after satellite broadcasting locations in space, and officially switched time zones to be the first country to welcome the new millennium. Now it plans to establish itself as the hub of the potentially lucrative market in space tourism. InterOrbital Systems , a Californian company, says it has reached agreement with the Tongan Government to use one of the 170 islands, Eua, to launch rockets taking tourists into orbit at a cost of US$ 2 million a head for week-long trips, beginning in 2005. This week it announced its first customer: Wally Funk, a 62-year-old Texan woman who trained with the astronauts in the U.S. Mercury program but was not sent into outer space. "When I was rejected by the Mercury program, I knew one day I'd be a paying passenger," she said. Her ticket buys 60 days of training in a "resort setting," followed by the holiday of a lifetime in InterOrbital's Neptune Orbital Spaceliner craft.(PIR). 13. Lines Down: International connections will be out of action on Niue today between 12 noon and 1pm ( NZ time). Telecom Niue says it is carrying out urgent work on its satellite technology and apologises for any inconvenience. __END__
