Helping Fiji
July 24th, 2012 at 11:46 am by David FarrarStuff reports:
The Government will provide $2 million to help Fiji prepare for its 2014 general elections.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who met with his Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola in Suva over the weekend, said the funds would be to help with voter registration, constitutional process and voter education.
The Government has yet to decide how it would be allocated, though McCully said $500,000 would go to the Constitutional Commission for work on consultation. …McCully said he’ll be watching the situation closely, but he was happy with the process so far.
”We’ve been given an assurance by the attorney general … that there would be freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the media to report on the work of the commission,” he said.
With the elections just two years away, this is a good time to be helping. The Commodore has succeeded in having the elections done on his timetable, which means there are no excuses for any further delays.
Tags: Fiji
July 24th, 2012 at 12:09 pm
The govt should have waited until the elections were closer and publicly promoted with candidates prepared to stand
Not responsible for the National govt at all
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
The Government will provide $2 million to help Fiji prepare for its 2014 general elections.
The TAXPAYER will provide $2 million to help Fiji prepare for its 2014 general elections.
There fixed that for you.
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 12:19 pm
It’s about time we started to engage closer with Fiji, rather than just harping on about democratic elections. Hopefully this is the start of a more nuanced policy.
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 2:57 pm
Why are we wasting money on these shitty Pacific Islands? Why should I work in NZ to give money to corrupt governments? Does the King of Tonga needs a new Rolls Royce? Why don’t we give some money to Iraq while we’re at it? I’m sure Chris Carter will see it’s well looked after.
Not only do we encourage dependency amongst our own population, we promote it on (previously self-sufficient) islands. It’s sick and it’s sad.
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
If only those islands could go back to the way they were before colonisation, eh?
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 5:11 pm
andretti
Great point,if the media ,and everybody else stopped calling it “government” money and instead called it what it is, maybe more taxpayers would wake up to the way we are being constantly rippred off.
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
mikenmild (5,214) Says:
“rather than just harping on about democratic elections”
Yeah, who cares if they dont have democracy. The chiefs and the commodore know best.
Vote:July 24th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
OneTrack
Vote:Yes, democracy good; military rule bad. Sadly, that is about as sophisticated as NZ government thinking about Fiji has got since 2006.
July 25th, 2012 at 9:17 am
McCully – well done about time we offered practical help to Fiji, rather than bitch about why the Great Council of Chiefs should reign supreme.
Vote:We have one person one vote so why not Fiji.
July 26th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
Vote:testJuly 26th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Woot!
Vote: