Comments

simply Fiji lacks strategic planners who can positively move progressively ahead with a positive vision.

Bainimarama was not involved in the 2000 coup, except to squash it and install a temporary government under laisenia qarase. it was only after Qarase proved to be a hard nationalist excluding or ignoring minorities that he was removed and Bainimarama enacted his coup. I lived this

Good questions. The only answers I would venture are: (a) after Australia-NZ flights are opened; and (b) whatever these two countries agree on as regulatory safeguards will then apply to the Pacific.

Clearly, each country will make its own decision. If a country wants to take part in the bubble, they have to lobby for it, which Fiji is doing. But they also have to convince Australia that it has the COVID-19 situation under control. So, for those countries who want to take part, the domestic and international incentives are aligned on the health front.

Shirleyanne, you're the best role model for young rural girls and the true definition of the word "perseverance". All the best for the remainder of your final year of studies.

Please don't forget Timor-Leste, one hour's flying time from Darwin. Its last COVID=19 cases have recovered, all were from outside the country. No community transmission so far. Northern Territory also has very few cases, it would assist Timor-Leste's economy hugely to open before Indonesia. Many Australians will want to go somewhere new and different when the lockdown is over!

Gentlemen, we need advise with solutions. Your sentiment is just a piece of your mind that do not provide constructive criticism. However, we have some national experts who knows that cause have provided support for the government.

The article failed to note in any way that because of the covid19 border controls it was the private sector who were e first responders in Vanuatu after TC Pam. As the sector owning the telecoms, the shipping and distribution channels and having the most people resource it was organisations such as The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council that had boots on the ground undertaking rapid assessments. What TC Harold highlighted was the complete failure of the aid programmes to build the people capacity in Vanuatu and in particular key government personnel To have the skills to respond. “Capacity building” are aid buzz words But what TC Harold showed us as that aid delivery by international Consultants has failed to truely provide the internal skills required when a response is needed within government. It was left almost entirely to organisations like the VBRC to respond along with the international NGOs in country. This created issues of conflict due to government staff not wanting to be shown up leaving a response that was truely an abject failure of coordination. and communication. All of this was watch from afar by the key humanitarian donor partners who did not want to be seen to interfere in the country response in case they were seen as overstepping the mark. True diplomatic friends will speak out and work to assist in tear matters as good friends do. This did not happen here.

Thanks Leda and Leisa for this article. I find it very practical and specific.

For NZ, tourists from Australia generate a very large share of the country’s tourism industry revenues. So its economic incentives are strong. For Australia, NZ travelers represented a much smaller share of the industry’s revenue, so the incentives are weaker but still non negligible. This being said, between both countries there are close ties at all levels - professional, family bonds, etc. justifying the creation of the bubble. With other countries the risk/benefit ratio is less obvious.

The greatest risk with an extended bubble is to the health of Pacific islanders themselves. Like Cook Islands, there is a good chance that many Pacific states will be able to declare themselves to be free of COVID-19. This is an issue that needs to be discussed with the same care as this labour mobility and tourism conversation. Worth noting Dame Meg Taylor's comment this morning in the Asia Society webinar with Ralph Regenvanu & Kevin Rudd: "We just don't have strong health systems, health services and health infrastructure. Our first priority is to maintain health in our countries."

Mobile phones have been used to commit very serious crimes around the country. For instance, the Tari and Porgera massacres. Those who are not registering are intentionally doing so. We cannot continue to loose lives and properties by extending. We have to stick to the timing. Any and everyone willing to register must from up to any registration post to do so.