NEWSROOM: 10 February - 23 February 2008

Australia urges return to democracy
23 February 2008 - Source: Fiji Times

Australia has urged the interim Government to return to democracy and the rule of law after a ban on members of the International Bar Association (IBA) from entering the country.

Australian Bar Association (ABA) president Tom Bathurst QC, revealed this in an interview on The Australian website.

IBA program lawyer Felicity Johnston, who arrived at Nadi Airport from Los Angeles on Saturday, was refused entry.

She was from a group of IBA officials scheduled to visit Fiji for a four-day visit to assess the independence of the judiciary and rule of law.

In a statement, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said "Australia continues to urge the regime to return Fiji to democracy and the rule of law".

Queensland Supreme Court judge Roslyn Atkinson was one of the legal experts barred from entering Fiji.

Justice Atkinson was due to fly to Fiji this week as part of the IBA delegation together with Malaysian Bar Council member Roger Tan, Peter Maynard and Cecelia Burgman.

The interim Government has suspended their visit. Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the IBA members are welcome in the country but not at the moment because their visit would prejudice court cases before the court.

Fiji Law Society president Isireli Fa did not answer questions yesterday but had said the ban was a sign of weakness by the interim regime.

Mr Fa said detaining Ms Johnston only created a negative image of the country to the international community and that it was unnecessary and a complete over-reaction to the visit.

Australia Pacific Technical College launched in Nadi
21 February 2008 - Source: Fiji Times

The Australia Pacific Technical College was launched in Nadi by Australian High Commissioner, James Batley, yesterday.

The $150million initiative by the Australian Government aims to equip 3000 youths from Pacific Island Forum member countries with the appropriate skills to meet the employment needs of the region.

Mr Batley said APTC will see graduates receiving Australian standard qualifications in tourism and hospitality, automotive, construction, electrical and manufacturing trades along with health and community services.

He said APTC training centres had been co-located with partner institutions in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Samoa.

Mr Batley said Fiji has been chosen as the APTC co-ordination centre because of its central location and good communication links with other Pacific Island countries.

He said classes for students in tourism and hospitality, automotive, construction, electrical and manufacturing trades have already started while courses in health and community services are scheduled to start later this year.

Australia will also provide $10million for APTC scholarships to ensure access to training for students from non-campus countries as well as those from poorer backgrounds and remote locations.

Scholarships have been awarded to 158 students from Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, PNG, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga and Nauru.

New Zealand Pacific worker scheme inspires Australia
19 February 2008 - Source: ABC Radio Australia

The chief of Australia's Pacific policy says New Zealand's experiment with seasonal workers from the islands will have a big influence on Australia's approach to the entry of Pacific workers.

Australia's Parliamentary secretary for the South Pacific, Duncan Kerr, says Canberra is ready to consider a special plan for Pacific workers to do unskilled farm work in Australia.

He says no decision has been made.

Mr Kerr told Radio Australia that the success of the pilot scheme for Pacific workers launched by New Zealand last year will shape Australian thinking.

He says "All the reports I've got back to date is that the scheme is working well."

"The protections built in to make sure that people are wisely selected. That they are paid full entitlement wages, that they are properly accommodated. That they are not taken advantage of and they return - that those things appear to be working well."

Australia and PNG agree on extension of Torres moratorium
17 February 2008 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

Australia and Papua new Guinea have agreed to extend the moratorium on mining and drilling in the Torres Strait for an indefinite period.

Established in 1985 by the Torres Strait Treaty, the moratorium prohibits mining or drilling of the seabed or the subsoil in the Torres Strait Protected Zone (TSPZ).

The agreement was reached at a meeting between Australia’s Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and his Papua new Guinea counterpart Sam Abal in Canberra this week.

Initially in place for ten years, the moratorium has previously been extended on three occasions.

Last month, the Australian Government proposed to the Government of Papua New Guinea that it be extended indefinitely, rather than for a fixed term.

The TSPZ was established by the Treaty to protect the traditional way of life and livelihood of the Torres Strait’s traditional inhabitants, as well as protect and preserve the marine environment and indigenous fauna and flora.

Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa RLWC campaign
15 February 2008 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

Samoa Rugby League has announced the appointment of Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, to be held in Australia starting in October. The arrangement includes marketing, promotion and fundraising, starting as soon as possible and includes all commercial arrangements from now up to and after the Rugby League World Cup. Details of the partnership are yet to be finalised, but the two parties are keen to work together for the betterment of Toa Samoa’s World Cup Campaign and commercial arrangements going forward.

“We are so delighted to be working with Event Polynesia for the World Cup and going forward" said SRL President Mr Peter Paul.

Toa Samoa RLWC Fundraising will kick-off in mid April with corporate fights pitching rugby league legends against those from other sports. It will also include fights between corporate professionals pitching CEO’s of the public and private sector against one another. This will be the first time for corporate Samoa to enjoy corporate fights, including wining and dining and cheering on a professional partner, while at the same time, contributing to and fundraising for Toa Samoa’s Rugby League World Cup campaign.

“It is such a relief for us to bring in a professional event company to take care of marketing and commercial matters whilst we concentrate on the administration side of things for the World Cup” said SRL Secretary General Fritz Tuiavii.

The local Samoa Rugby League competition kicks-off in early April, with trials set for July and the World Cup squad to be finalised in August. With the high interest and participation of our premier Samoan professional rugby league stars from all over the world, Toa Samoa stands a very positive chance to make the Semi Finals of the World Cup.

Australia to Increase Troop Numbers in East Timor
13 February 2007 - Source: VOA News

Australia is sending additional police officers and soldiers to East Timor following an assassination attempt on the country's president and prime minister. President Jose Ramos Horta has been flown to Darwin in northern Australia for treatment. Doctors say he is in serious condition after surgery. From Darwin, Phil Mercer reports.

Australia is sending 150 extra soldiers and police officers to its troubled neighbor to try to smother unrest after the shooting of the president.

The arrival of the Australian navy vessel HMAS Perth in the East Timorese capital, Dili, is a further indication of Australia's intent.

East Timor has declared a two-day state of emergency. Under the decree, police have additional powers, public gatherings are banned and a nighttime curfew is in place.

Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith held a news conference in Darwin with his East Timorese counterpart. Smith said he was 'deeply disturbed' by the attempted assassination and has called for the United Nations mandate in East Timor to be extended.

"I have indicated personally to the foreign minister on behalf of the Australian government the commitment that we announced yesterday, the contribution of additional troops and the contribution of additional police officers to ensure peace and stability and security in East Timor," said Smith. "The Australian government regards this as essential, just as we do the ongoing presence of the United Nations and a renewal of the United Nations mandate to see a continuing presence of the United Nations in East Timor."

East Timor's foreign minister, Zacarias de Costa, said the situation in Dili is calm, but he stressed that his country is in an extremely fragile position.

De Costa said he is confident that those responsible for the attack on President Ramos Horta will be caught.

The president has had two hours of surgery at the Royal Darwin Hospital to repair damage to a lung and to remove bullet fragments and shrapnel from his chest.

He is expected to undergo more operations this week. His doctors say he is very lucky to be alive and described his condition as serious. They are, though, optimistic that he will eventually make a good recovery.

The assassination attempt is a massive blow to East Timor. Six years after independence from Indonesia, it remains one of the world's poorest nations.

The East Timorese voted to secede from Indonesian control in a referendum in 1999 - a vote that will be remembered for the brutality of militiamen who tried to disrupt the process.

There was further unrest in 2006, which prompted the intervention of peacekeepers from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes during the fighting and many are still too afraid to return.

The road from independence has been a painful one for East Timor and analysts predict that foreign peacekeepers are likely to stay in the troubled country for years to come.
 

Aust, Pacific working on damaged relationship
11 February 2007 - Source: ABC News

Australia's new Federal Government has embarked on its first major engagement with the Pacific, with a visit to three countries in the region by Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob McMullan.

Senator McMullan has just returned from a visit to Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati, a visit that he described as the beginning of a fresh approach to the Pacific.

Australia's relations with the region have plummeted in recent years with the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji accusing Canberra of bullying and interference.

Senator McMullan says the idea is to approach the new relationship as a team effort and to promote positive communication between the nations.

"Broadly, the approach is one of much more partnership and engagement on the basis of mutual respect," he said.

"We're not going to be lecturing or hectoring, we're going to try and work together with them and I think we set a pretty good standard with the way we started. The relationships we've established with ministers and leaders in those countries is very positive.

"Particularly from a development assistance point of view, we're working towards the implementation of the Prime Minister's commitment before the election to a Pacific partnership for security and development, and that's a top priority for us."
 

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