Tagata o te Moana is a weekly Pacific programme, broadcast on Radio New Zealand National (Saturdays at 5.30pm). It features news, interviews, and discussion of issues. Presented by Don Wiseman.
The programme for 7 April 2007 includes the following:
- As aid agencies work to help the victims of Monday’s destructive earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, there are growing fears of disease among people who have sought safety on high ground away from the coast. Many hundreds have been living in makeshift shelters in the hills since Monday, amid ongoing fears of more destructive tremors or waves. The Premier of Western Province, Alex Lokopio, says they’re grateful for the aid already received, but the concern now is of cholera and typhoid outbreaks in the hills.
While aid is flowing into the areas affected, there are still significant difficulties with distribution. A government spokesman told Philippa Tolley that there has also been a struggle to find smaller items, such as cooking equipment.
- The Oceania Football Confederation has proposed a charity match to raise funds for those affected by the disaster. The Confederation’s President, Reynald Temarii, has made the proposal to FIFA President, Sepp Blatter. Elma Maua speaks to Mr Temarii about the proposal.
- Fiji’s unions and the Fijian government are stepping up their war of words over a proposed five per cent pay cut, and a reduction in the retirement age. As Janine Sudbury reports, it comes as the unions continue to ballot their members over possible strike action. There are comments from Kuini Lutua, the General Secretary of the Fiji Nursing Association; and comments also from the General Secretary of the Fiji Teacher’s Association.
- Officials from Fiji and nine other Pacific Islands Forum countries met during the week to discuss a way out of the Fiji political crisis. The “Pacific Islands Forum - Fiji Joint Working Group on the Situation in Fiji”, as it’s called, is holding a series of meetings to discuss the restoration of civilian rule; the upholding of the 1997 Constitution; and the cessation of human rights abuses. It follows the Forum sending an Eminent Persons Group to Fiji in February; while two weeks ago regional Foreign Ministers gave the military regime three months to consider a plan for elections within two years. The Ministers endorsed the EPG report, but Fiji has said it would be impossible to hold democratic elections before 2010. Don Wiseman speaks to Greg Urwin, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum.
- The Cook Islands is to ask New Zealand and Australia for further assistance for infrastructure on the outer islands. This comes as an opposition politician claims that aid from New Zealand is not enough, nor is it going where it should. Linda Skates reports. There are comments from the opposition leader, Tom Marsters; and from the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Terepai Maoate.
- A report on the sexual and reproductive health of New Zealand youth will be presented to Pacific representatives to the Parliamentarians Forum in Samoa later this year. The report was compiled by the cross-party ‘New Zealand Parliamentarians Group on Population and Development’. It urges the government to act to lower teenage pregnancies. Elma Maua reports.
- The political scene in French Polynesia continues to be increasingly fractured, as France is to elect both a new President and a new National Assembly. The so-called ‘Outer Island Assembly’ members have held the first congress of their party, as the French election campaign is heating up. Walter Zweifel reports.
- At the beginning of June Papua New Guineans will go to the polls, where they’ll vote under a new voting system called ‘Limited Preferential Voting’ or LPV. This change is one of a series of attempts to stabilise the political environment in Papua New Guinea, which until this current parliamentary term, has never seen a government last the full five years. Several bi-elections already conducted under LPV have been audited by a team headed by Dr Andrew Ladley from Victoria University’s Institute of Policy Studies. Dr Ladley says there were lessons from these bi-elections, and the Electoral Commission has been endeavouring to absorb them.
Don Wiseman interviews Dr Ladley.