Neu: 2002-04-16 Contents of this issue:
1. Airline Remains Optomistic 2. Cliffhanger Result? 3. Change Of Direction 4. Two Withdraw 5. Joint Talks 6. Niue Commitment 7. Atiu Advances 8. Welcome Aboard 9. Back To School 10. Medical Changes 11. Point of Views ======================================================================== April 16th, 2002 1. Airline Remains Optomistic: Air Rarotonga remains interested in future services from Rarotonga to Niue, said the airline's managing director Ewan Smith. "But a service would depend upon developing tourist flows to support two flights a week and financial particiaption from Niue to help launch and build the market," Mr Smith told Niue News On Line. The airline's SAAB 340 operation is now relatively mature so the amount of Niue support would depend upon how quickly traffic develops. "We need a average minimum revenue of around $NZ15,000 per return service to sustain it, said Mr Smith. Mr Smith said if Air Rarotonga had the financial commitment from Niue it could mount a return Rarotonga to Niue flight immediately. In other developments Mr Smith said consideration could be given to operating two SAAB flights per week from Rarotonga and base a Bandeirante in Niue to operate the short sectors Niue to Apia and Niue to Tonga. "However that is a 'deluxe' scenario that would involve a bigger financial committment from Niue," said Mr Smith. Future development of routes out of Rarotonga include a Rarotonga to Apia service which Mr Smith says will be considered when Air Raro purchases a second SAAB 340. 2. Cliffhanger Result?: With three days to go before the Niue general election, Alliance of Independence spokesperson Mrs O'Love Jacobsen says its a neck and neck race between the Alliance team and the Niue Peoples Party. She is predicting the outcome of the election will hinge upon how public servants decide to vote. Mrs Jacobsen said government employees form half of the total voters on Niue and they have been very quiet during the lead-up." She said that could be a sign that they are concerned about the future of their jobs. More common roll candidates conducted free to air talk-back shows today with plans proposed for rebuilding a wharf extension which was destroyed in a storm in 1998, chartering aircraft to run a direct Auckland-Niue service, providing more regular bushclearing programs, increased housing loans and support for organic farming. 3. Change Of Direction: A Human Resources Development report commissioned by the Niue Government and funded by NZODA has recommended significant changes to the development of human resources on Niue. With the population just over 1700 and still declining, the Review is recommending a shift of focus from training Niueans to leave Niue to concentrating education and training on people who live in Niue and are committed to staying and working there. Team Leader Dr Shirley Randell praised the contribution made to the review by public servants, members of the private sector and civil society who were enthusiastic to share their ideas and vision for capacity building with the Review team. Mr Tongiavalu Pihigia, team member, Special Projects Officer in the Premier' s Department and now a member of the Public Service Commission said that one of the recommendations of the Review is that in future scholarships and short-term study awards should concentrate on Pacific Island countries rather than New Zealand. "The Review had evidence that studies in PICs are more culturally relevant and students return from these islands to Niue in larger numbers", he said. The Review found that in the past the public sector has benefited most from education and training, while the private sector and civil society have been neglected. Fragmentation in the past has been a result of not having an HRD planning framework in place to give clear guidelines when incountry training, private sector and civil society initiatives have been added to the tasks of the National Training and Development Council. Changes recommended include a restructured Niue Human Resource Development Council with representation from the three sectors. This will be mirrored in the staffing of the Niue Human Resource Development Unit. With such small numbers, providing effective technical vocational education and training is a challenge. Team member Ms Cherie Morris-Tafatu, Manager of the HRD Unit,is currently investigating a liaison with the polytechnics in New Zealand and PICs to assist Niue to develop trade skills. Efforts will also be made to attract Niueans with trade skills living in New Zealand to visit the Island for skills transfer. The Review also makes significant recommendations about the coordination of donor contributions to HRD in Niue. 4. Two Withdraw: Two candidates seeking village seats in the forthcoming general election on Niue have withdrawn. Kim Ray Vaha of Toi has pulled out of the race leaving Lilivika Muimatagi to battle it out with the sitting member and Cabinet Minister Dion Taufitu. In Alofi South Puleikitama Tasmania has withdrawn leaving two candidates sitting member Robert Rex jr and former MP Makamau Hekau to contest the seat. Eight of the 14 village representatives have been returned unopposed. 5. Joint Talks: The Niue/New Zealand Joint Consultative Group meets in Niue next month to discuss the Wellington funded report on sustaining a Living Community and overseas development aid funding for the 2002/2003 fiscal year. Officials from New Zealand will travel to the island for the talks. 6. Niue Commitment: Niue has given a written undertaking to the Secretary General of the Organisation Donald Johnston of the Economic Development (OECD) that it will co-operate with the international body on the exchange of information for criminal tax mattersand will put in place measures of transparency by the year 2005. In a letter to the OECD on April 11 the government sought release from the OECD blacklist as an unco-operative tax haven and requested technical assistance for amending existing international business company laws and regulations. The tiny nation also requested that it be invited to participate on an equal basis with other OECD countries in any discussions in the global forum on the design of internationally accepted standards to prevent harmful tax practices. Niue undertook in March to repeal its offshore banking licensing legislation but did not do so because of legal implications arising from a protest lodged by a licence holder. 7. Atiu Advances: Plans to enlarge the tiny harbor on Atiu and provide the island with an industrial-sized refrigeration complex have been announced by the Minister for Outer Islands Development, Norman George. Mr George has released a concept plan for a project which will enlarge the harbor to make it capable of sheltering sports fishing boats, freighters, visiting yachts and local fishing boats. Though the plans are only in their initial stages and government is still looking at the costs, he says funding the project shouldn't be a problem. "That's especially so nowadays, with the European Union (EU) prepared to fund projects into the millions of dollars," he said. The refrigeration complex to be associated with the harbor redevelopment will see industrial deep freezers set up to store imported meat and vegetables for the island. Mr George said the freezers will also be used to store island-grown vegetables like taro and arrowroot - and possibly fish for export to other islands, including Rarotonga and Aitutaki.(Cook Island News). 8. Welcome Aboard: All the top Niue Government bosses had a get-together yesterday to meet newly appointed commissioners, corporation managers and department heads. New public service commissioner Togia Pihigia joins chairperson Mrs Malua Jackson and veteran Uhotau Pasisi. Recently appointed BCN manager Patrick Lino and Bulk Fuel manager Desmond Tukutama have returned from overseas to take up their jobs. Former Commissioner Mrs Tiva Tongatule is the new director of education. 9. Back To School: Five hundred school kids on Niue went back to school this week. About half the students are at Niue High School for an 11 week term highlighted by speech competitions and parents day. The high school has three attachment trainee teachers, six supporting staff and 23 permanent teachers. At Niue Primary School the newly formed early education unit re-opened and the primary school this term features a sports day which was postponed from last term. 10. Medical Changes: New Zealand GP Dr Andrew Morgan who has been medical director of the Lord Liverpool Hospital on Niue for the past two years returns home next week. He will be on the medical staff of Blenhiem Hospital in Marlborough. Dr Morgan will be replaced by another New Zealand GP Dr Gary Mitchell who worked on Niue several years ago. 11. Point of Views: The need for a small community to work together, pushing harder for a direct airline service from NZ to Niue and maintaining the NZ standard of living on the island were major points raised during the first day of general election candidates spirited free to air talkback sessions on Radio Sunshine.With only four days to go political commentators say campaigning aimed at the 900 resident voters on Niue revolves around the Niue Peoples Party " sharing the cake" by increasing pensions, village council and church and the Alliance of Independents team policy of attempting to get the country to embrace self reliance through planned macro-economic development. About half of the 18 common roll candidates have chosen to use the free air time. Our political commentators say the most radical policy comes from Mrs Lofa Rex an independent candidate seeking one of six common roll seats who is standing on a platform of "Niue for Niueans" which has raised the ire of many eastablished resident Tongans, Tuvaluans and palagi New Zealanders.Mrs Rex is the wife of Minister of Justice and Health Mr Robert Matua Rex jr.who faces two challenges in the Alofi South constitutency. Political commentators add there are mixed reactions to the NPP, Alliance of Independents and independent candidate policies and on voting day family and village allegiances will be a big factor in deciding the winners. NPP insiders are confident of gaining at least 14 seats in the 20 member Legislative Assembly. Some Alliance supporters are confident of swinging in with nine seats.Major lobbying will commence next week after Saturday's results are confirmed. Independents without affiliations will be prime targets. Mr Young Vivian is being favoured as the next premier folowing major splits within the NPP. Mr Vivian was returned to the Assembly unopposed in the Hakupu Village constituency. His son Dylan, a former manager of the Niue Hotel, is seeking a common roll seat on the NPP ticket. [Copyright. All rights reserved. This article must not be reproduced in any form] __END__
