Comments for Pacific Guardians

Comment on GOLF: Samoa High Commissioner searching for Samoan Lydia Ko by Vicki Aitken

Vicki Aitken — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 20:27:01 +0000

GOLF IS NOT AN EXPENSIVE SPORT! It really annoys me to read headlines like this in the media. The average junior golf club memberships around NZ is $50 for a whole year!! To play Junior Tiger every year only costs $20. And kids can buy a brand new set of golf clubs (bag, wood, 2 irons and putter) and get a $50 voucher off club membership from NZ Golf website (www.golf.co.nz) for $175.
The First Tee of NZ (www.thefirsttee.org.nz) offer Golferships for reduced fees or free of charge afterschool term time lessons for those in financial hardship…..so if any junior (18 years and under) are keen on playing golf in NZ it is very accessible. Especially if we compare it to swimming lessons introductory lessons for a whole term $145 and to full participate in an elite Swim club it’s been known for parents to pay $5,000 a year per child. I’ve heard of people paying $200-300 for a child to play soccer for just one winter season….compared to this you can’t tell me golf is expensive!!!

Comment on OPEN LETTER: Afioga Peseta Sam Lotu-I’iga – agent of change? by Unasa Tuala Uesifili Unasa

Unasa Tuala Uesifili Unasa — Thu, 16 Oct 2014 01:57:30 +0000

If pacific people did not vote for national (most probably for labour) then the article Tuifaasisina misses the point? Uesifili Unasa

Comment on NIUE: 40 years on the sovereign road, where’s the country headed? by Lealaiauloto Aigaletaulealea F. Tauafiafi

Lealaiauloto Aigaletaulealea F. Tauafiafi — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 22:23:29 +0000

Thanks Gaylene, will do.

Comment on NIUE: 40 years on the sovereign road, where’s the country headed? by Gaylene Wilson

Gaylene Wilson — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 19:36:34 +0000

Interview former Premier Hon Sani Lakatani – he has much to tell particularlyaround Niue becoming independent from New Zealand to find and have it’s own identity. I think you will find his views interesting.

Comment on NIUE: 40 years on the sovereign road, where’s the country headed? by Lealaiauloto Aigaletaulealea F. Tauafiafi

Lealaiauloto Aigaletaulealea F. Tauafiafi — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 06:15:04 +0000

Malo John, your point is taken and one we have pencilled in to follow up. Especially as all the villages at the time did not want self-governance. The revelation and answer to why Niue did decide to go it alone is found in an interview by RNZ’s Ian Johnston with Young Vivian in his second term as Premier. The relevant excerpts I’ve pasted below:

IAN: There were some countries in the Pacific which didn’t really want to become independent or self-governing. They felt more secure under a colonial protected kind of pattern. Was that true of some of the villages or not?

YOUNG: Yes it was true in all of the villages. They don’t want the process of decolonisation. They wanted very much to have that relationship with New Zealand to be secured. That was the key to the whole of the experimentation on this constitutional development.

IAN: So you saw your job, did you, as to persuade them to have the courage?

YOUNG: Yes… it was actually New Zealand who bent backwards to try and help the Niuean people to accept it. By including those two clauses and another clause making sure that it’s a legal obligation for New Zealand to financially and administratively assist Niue. That was put into law and in black and white.

IAN: So that was the lifeline that guarantees that you won’t be cast adrift.

YOUNG: Yeah, that was the guarantee. The other guarantee was… that we’d always have access to New Zealand. The other one was that the public service commission must be in Wellington. So those are the things that we have to assure the people and put it in black and white that New Zealand will always help Niue financially and administratively. It’s a legal obligation.

Comment on NIUE: 40 years on the sovereign road, where’s the country headed? by John R. T. Kumitau

John R. T. Kumitau — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 03:18:01 +0000

40 yrs ago there was a group that went around the Island campaigning to vote against “Niue Self-Government”. I think it’s also good to hear from them.

Comment on Personal budget message from Bill English to Edwin Puni by teineolemau

teineolemau — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 04:45:53 +0000

hello, thats a letter that Bill English sends out to all national party members and supporters on his database. lol

Comment on Pacific Island nations scores huge tuna deal with United States by Michael Field

Michael Field — Fri, 10 Oct 2014 00:31:17 +0000

This is spin – Kiribati has destroyed regional fishing consensus over this – the devil is in the detail

Comment on Pacific MP’s swell Labour Pacific Caucus by Paul

Paul — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:41:11 +0000

If ever there was a time for Pacific to put their hands up for leadership of the Labour party it is now. With substantial not to mention loyal Pacific support, Pacific are missing from the critical roles within the Labour party. Its time to step up and start leading!!

Comment on 2014 ELECTION: 3 More Years Hard Labour by Tuifa'asisina Mea'ole Keil

Tuifa'asisina Mea'ole Keil — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 21:22:51 +0000

Malo Paul.

My next article is about the voting stats of Electorates that have a PI MP. Of note will be the how many eligible voters did actually cast their votes. Another stat are their party vote numbers as compared to the 2011 General Election. As you already mention the 2020 General Election, My thinking is similar to yours, and mine is based upon the stats that by 2025, the Asian, Maori and PI block will rival “mainstream” NZ voters in numbers, however questions galore arise e.g. how do you get our group which do not have a participation stat turn up and vote? Thanks for the feedback. Yes 2020 Pacific has ring to it.

Soifua

Tui