Monday, February 28, 2011

[pima.nius] FIJI: Social networks' national influence growing fast

9:45 AM |



Title – 7284 FIJI: Social networks' national influence growing fast
Date – 28 February 2011
Byline – Roneel Lal
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Fijivillage.com, 27/2/11
Copyright – FV
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
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SOCIAL NETWORKS HAVE INCREASING INFLUENCE IN FIJI
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=270211abd6ae3159c63b0b7bb7743f

By Roneel Lal

SUVA (Fijivillage.com/Pacific Media Watch): Social networking websites have a growing influence on the population in Fiji and many business houses and organisations are now changing their attitude towards social media and are looking at ways on how to use its influential powers.

The What's on Network based in Nadi specialises in social networking and its commercial implications and is looking into how social networking is changing the mindset of the people of Fiji through Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, YouTube and Skype among others.

Director Ian Collingwood revealed that according to the network's findings, the use of social networking websites is growing at a significant level in Fiji and helping disseminate information very quickly.

Collingwood said the findings showed therte were currently 110,000 Facebook accounts originating in Fiji with an annual growth in 2011 expected to exceed 75 percent.

[Audio file]

Their survey showed that the dominant social media user segments in Fiji was aged between 18-44 years old, representing 80 percent of all social networking, while the fastest growing segment was aged between 45-55 years.

In Fiji, 49 percent of Facebook users are male and 51 percent female. Collingwood said on average, people spent 56 minutes a day on their Facebook accounts.

But those who accessed their accounts through mobiles and hand held devices spent 50 percent more time - up to 84 minutes a day - on Facebook and other social media platforms.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
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For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
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Sunday, February 27, 2011

[pima.nius] New Pacific Events Site

10:41 AM |

Bula vinaka and kia ora tatou,
 

It's festival season and no doubt many of you are organising events to do with the Pacific. I've created a new website called www.pacificevents.co.nz which aims to collect all events relating to Pacific culture in New Zealand. You may find some of your events already on there.

This site is free to add events so please feel free to add anything from three-day festivals to school galas. There are sections on sports, fashion, food, conferences, lectures, politics and art.

 

It's just beginning so it would be much appreciated if you could add any events you may be having or if you can forward it to anyone who is likely to be organising an event this year. It will officially be open to the general public later this week.

 

 Thanks for your help!

 

Dominika


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[pima.nius] PIF 40th Anniversary Leaders' Lecture Series, Port Vila

10:25 AM |



Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
 
MEDIA ADVISORY
Friday, 25 February 2011
 
PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM 40TH ANNIVERSARY LEADERS' LECTURE SERIES
with a focus on the Pacific Plan
 
LECTURE 1:
"Pacific Regionalism: Past, Present and Future"
Port Vila, Vanuatu, Thursday 3rd March 2010
 
The Prime Minister of the Vanuatu Government and current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Honourable Sato Kilman, in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, will be hosting the inaugural lecture of the "Pacific Islands Forum 40th Anniversary Leaders' Lecture Series, with a focus on the Pacific Plan".
 
You are invited to send a reporter and cameraperson/photographer to this event.
 
The milestone occasion is scheduled for Thursday 3rd March, 2011 at the University of the South Pacific Emalus Campus Conference Centre, Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 4.30pm (Vanuatu time).
 
The event will also mark the launch of the Pacific Islands Forum 40th Anniversary (1971-2011), logo and website, and will be the first of a series of public lectures to be held across the region.
 
The theme of the lecture will be "Pacific Regionalism: Past, Present and Future" with the Honourable Prime Minister and Forum Chair giving the keynote address. Four distinguished panelists will also provide commentary on the speech followed by an open discussion and views from the audience.
 
The event will be held in the margins of the High Level Conference on Climate Change being held in Port Vila from 3-4th March 2011.
 
The University of the South Pacific will be broadcasting the lecture to its campuses across the region. Media representatives are invited to attend these live broadcasts at the following campuses:
 
•USP Alafua Campus, Apia, Samoa - 7.30pm March 2nd in Samoa (GMT - 10hrs)
•USP Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs)
•USP Labasa Campus, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs) Contact: Dr.Samuela Bogitini bogitini_s@usp.ac.fj
•USP Cook Islands Campus - 7.30pm March 2nd in the Cook Islands (GMT - 10hrs)
•USP Marshall Islands Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in RMI (GMT + 12 hrs)
•USP Lautoka Campus, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs)
•USP Kiribati Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in Tarawa, Kiribati (GMT + 12 hrs)
•USP Solomon Islands Campus - 4.30pm March 3rd in Solomon Is (GMT +11hrs)
•USP Nauru Campus - 5.30pm March 3 in Nauru (GMT + 12 hrs)
•USP Niue Campus - 6.30pm March 2nd in Niue (GMT -11 hrs)
•USP Tuvalu Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in Tuvalu (GMT + 12 hrs)
•USP Tonga Campus - 6.30pm March 3rd in Tonga (GMT +13 hrs)
•USP Tokelau Campus - 7.30pm March 2nd in Tokalau (GMT - 10hrs )
Please contact the respective Campus Director to confirm your attendance, as seating will be limited and allocated subject to availability on a first-come-first-serve basis. (click here for USP campus contacts)
 
For further information on the lecture in Port Vila, please contact the Forum Secretariat's Communications Officer, Mue Bentley Fisher, via email: mueb@forumsec.org.fj or mobile: +679 9998677 or +679 7758613.
 
(Ends)
 

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[pima.nius] NZ: New graduate journalist dies in CTV quake ruins

10:24 AM |



Title – 7282 NZ: New graduate journalist dies in CTV quake ruins
Date – 26 February 2011
Byline – None
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – The New Zealand Herald, 26/2/11
Copyright – NZH
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
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NEW GRADUATE JOURNALIST DIES IN CTV QUAKE RUINS
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

CHRISTCHURCH (The New Zealand Herald/Pacific Media Watch): Fresh journalism graduate Rhys Brookbanks was in his first weeks of work when this week's devastating earthquake struck Christchurch on Tuesday, reports The New Zealand Herald.

Brookbanks, 25, is one of the scores of people believed to have been in the Canterbury Television building, which collapsed and caught fire.

Officials have said the collapse was not survivable.

Associate Professor Jim Tully, head of the Canterbury University journalism school, said the CTV reporter was "a really loveable, gentle young man" who had everyone's admiration and respect.

He had been living overseas with his fiancee, Esther Jones, before he shifted to Christchurch to study journalism at Canterbury University last year, Tully said.

"He was a poet and he had such a flair for writing. I'm absolutely gutted. I hate to see young people with enormous potential cut off well before they were even able to show the world what they are made of. I'm really struggling to come to terms with this."

The Herald reported that the confirmed death toll from the earthquake had reached 123 with police saying they expected the figure to rise further today.

An estimated 200 people are still missing, including people from 20 countries.

One media worker died in the Christchurch Press daily newspaper building and several other journalists and media people are believed to have perished in the CTV building.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
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Thursday, February 24, 2011

[pima.nius] Pacific islanders missing in Christchurch earthquake

10:37 AM |

Pacific islanders missing in Christchurch earthquake

Updated February 23, 2011 18:37:47

Some members of Christchurch's Pacific community remain unaccounted for following Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

At least one hundred Tongans spent the night sheltering in their church compound, after fleeing their homes because of power and water outages.

Presenter: Stephanie March
Speakers: Pauliasi Fakahau, General Manager of the Tonga Canterbury Community Trust; Abraham Wilson, head elder of the Fijian Seventh Day Adventist Church in Christchurch; Reverend Peni Tikoinaka, superintendent of Methodist Fijian congregations in New Zealand, based in Christchurch

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[pima.nius] NZ: Rescuers resume work among CTV ruins

10:28 AM |

Title – 7277 NZ: Rescuers resume work among CTV  ruins
Date – 24 February 2011
Byline – Catherine Masters/Amelia Wade
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – The New Zealand Herald, 24/2/11
Copyright –NZH
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
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WORK RESUMES AT CTV SITE
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708402

By Catherine Masters and Amelia Wade

CHRISTCHURCH (The New Zealand Herald/Pacific Media Watch): Rescuers last night returned to the site of the Canterbury Television (CTV)  building to sift through the rubble despite police previously saying they were "100 per cent sure" there were no survivors after Tuesday's earthquake, the New Zealand Herald reports.

The site had been deemed too dangerous for rescuers with fears more of the building could collapse and they pulled out to focus on another building around 1.30pm yesterday.

However, police issued a release early this morning saying work at the site had resumed and Civil Defence Minister John Carter later told media that Urban Search and Rescue crew had been able to return with equipment to secure the building.

Police stressed the work was a recovery operation as more survivors were not expected, but said the teams always remained hopeful.

More than 100 people were believed to be still in the building, which housed the regional television station, a nursing school and a language school, although Carter said authorities did not have a figure for how many people could be inside.

"We don't know what is in the CTV building until we investigate," he said.

Overnight no more survivors have been found at the site, however "a few more bodies" had been pulled from the rubble, Superintendent Russell Gibson said.

Last night, diggers were moving into the site in what appeared to be initial attempts to clear the rubble.

On a Facebook page for people associated with CTV, police were heavily criticised for giving up on the recovery and announcing there was no hope of finding more people alive.

Nancy Wu, whose husband Paul is among those caught in the building, said the news was devastating.

Cindy Gibb, whose CTV journalist husband Sam was also in the building, said: "I know the chances are really slim, but they are giving up too soon".

The search was called off after rescue operations head Inspector Dave Lawry said police were 100 per cent sure the building was unsurvivable.

* According to another New Zealand Herald report, 24 people had been rescued, seven bodies recovered and more than 100 people were missing. The Herald today profiled four journalists believed to be among the earthquake victims: CTV managing director Murray Wood, TV presenter Jo Giles, reporter Samuel Gibb and presenter-producer Donna Manning.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
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Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
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For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
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Email:
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

[pima.nius] Fellowship Opportunities: ABC

10:47 AM |



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lisa Williams-Lahari <lisa.lahari@gmail.com>
Date: 23 February 2011 10:15
Subject: [pacific-journos] Fellowship Opportunities: ABC
To: Pacific Islands Journos Online <pacificmedia@googlegroups.com>, Pacific Freedom Forum <mediafreedom@googlegroups.com>, Pacific WAVE Media Network <pacificwave@googlegroups.com>
Cc: Matai Akaoula <pina@connect.com.fj>, Moses Stevens <mo.stevens@yahoo.com>, Nimo Walter Kama <nwkama@mediacouncil.org.pg>, PasiMA Admin <acurrie@hawaii.rr.com>, PIMA Pres <ileilua@ihug.co.nz>


via Ernesto Bautista, UNDP.

FYI and sharing, sorry do not have word document version.


lis

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mob: (64) 0210642704
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr.  *

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

[pima.nius] TONGA: Critical challenges facing the news media

10:30 AM |



Title – 7271 TONGA: Critical challenges facing the news media
Date – 22 February 2011
Byline – Josephine Latu
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Taimi Online, 14/2/11
Copyright – TO
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
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www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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INTERVIEW WITH DR SIONE VIKILANI
http://www.taimionline.com/articles/2195

In the path towards democracy, the media becomes increasingly relevant in Tonga's political and social development.  The Tonga Chronicle/TMN caught up with Parliament's public awareness and education officer Dr Sione Vikilani, a former broadcaster who earned his doctorate in media and journalism from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, to talk about Tongan media and the challenges they face today. Interview by Josephine Latu

NUKU'ALOFA (Taimi Online/Pacific Media Watch): Dr Sione F. Vikilani talks about promoting public awareness about Tonga's Legislative Assembly and its functions, roles and activities and the media.

Tonga Chronicle: Why you think it is important to have a Fourth Estate in Tonga given our current [political] situation right now?

Dr Sione Vikilani: I think right now we are in a transition stage… In this transition, there is no other place where I could put more emphasis on than the media. The reason is that it's the only medium that connects the people to the government and other branches of the executive. How they make their decisions will depend on what they hear on the radio, what they read in the papers, what they see on TV…

Now we have more news outlets. I think it's a very good move but at the same time it can be very dangerous because people tend to take sides, to prefer one media over the other. For instance, even though they might listen to the radio, they still prefer to read a certain newspaper. They may be listening to the radio but they're not really hearing what comes out from the radio because it's not the same as their belief – they don't really trust that information. They would rather read the paper because that reinforces their beliefs.

Tonga Chronicle: So you're saying that media takes sides and people read the ones that are the same as their side or beliefs?

Dr Vikilani: Well, you don't have to call it "taking sides". You can see in Tonga you usually have [a certain] media organisation that promotes [a certain] type of ideas. For example, you have the pro-democracy movement. From the beginning they had the Kele'a [newspaper] promoting their ideas, doing what they believed in, which was human rights and all that. On the other hand you have the Tonga Chronicle for example, which in the past was the government's major news outlet. When the Kele'a first came, people saw it as an alternative news source. Then came the Taimi 'o Tonga and Talaki, so people started to – not really take sides – but take preference of the type of media they like. People have preference of the type of information they want and the types of beliefs they have.

Tonga Chronicle: So how does media preference affect people's minds or politics – is there a connection there at all?

Dr Vikilani: Well I think the only real evidence here is the elections… As in the case of the 2008 [elections] for example, some newspapers and TV and radio stations and were bombarding the pro-democracy movement. At the end of the day they still won. So you see that even though some people were listening to the radio and TV and what they were putting out, it still didn't change their views. It all comes down to the audience preference and how they view what comes from a particular medium.

Tonga Chronicle: Do you think the Tongan audience is very media literate? Can people look at a story and say: "I like this story, but I know it's a lie"?

Dr Vikilani: Well, I think with for some at the grassroots it's very difficult. People may or may not know if a story is right or not, but they can say "this is where my beliefs are". They don't look at it critically saying "this is wrong" – they just read the paper.

I was once told by one of the top journalists in Tonga that one of the problems in Tonga is that the media has gone far ahead of the readers. What he meant was that the media here is developed but the readers have yet to follow the same steps in going forward.

There's also the theory of personal satisfaction. People only want what they want, they don't want other people's views. I had an uncle who disliked one newspaper and liked another newspaper and I asked him why. He said it was because he liked the people who were promoting it and I said, what if the story is wrong? He just said: "It's not wrong, it's right. Everything they say is right." So there you go. It's hard to change people's perceptions.

Tonga Chronicle: What do you think is challenging the media today in Tonga?

Dr Vikilani: I think the major challenge is working together. If you have a media council where all media outlets come together and make sure they follow certain rules – because it is very influential what media put out, it affects the lives of people… So if they come together and form this organisation make sure they stick to the media ethics, always present the facts and have no sensationalism – well I think sensationalism will always be there, but at least you have somewhere to start from… I know we have a [Tonga Media Council], but it's like a media council with no teeth. You need to have something where you make sure that they have to abide by rules.

It's not so much as a punishment, but at least to make the public feel safe. I knew some political candidates who were afraid of saying things because they might be on the front cover of a newspaper. Part of the solution is to have a well-trained media. I know most of them are trained on the job.

I think the Freedom of Information Act is important also. We should have one so that everyone gets to get the same information from the same source without having to say "oh we tried to contact them but they didn't respond", so they run the story one-sided.  

Also, for the government to be very transparent – like having a weekly press conference with the Information Ministry or the PM's press secretary so the media will have access to the right information. Once they get access to the information, the people will get the right facts, so they make their decisions based on facts and not on hearsay or whatever – our coconut wireless is very active and very fast nowadays now that you have Twitter, Bebo, Facebook, telephone, email…

Tonga Chronicle: You've said the media is like the new fala or "mat" in the Tongan proverb "Fofola e fala kae alea e kainga" (Roll out the mat so the kainga can confer). What do you mean by that?  

Dr Vikilani: Well, the media is like the political space. You have the political triangle – or the "love-hate" triangle as I call it – people depend on the media to get the information from government, government depend on the media to get information to the people. The media depend on the people to buy the news. So I'm suggesting that the media is like the new mat. Because when we say "roll out the mat so the kainga can do the talking" – you have the media as a forum to discuss and clear out issues, so that people can make decisions based on facts. There are no secrets anymore in government. I emphasise here that we're talking about facts, not just talkback shows where some may get wrong information. It's always the onus of the media to get the right facts so people get the right information to make the right decisions.

Tonga Chronicle: Anything else you want to add?

Dr Vikilani: I just hope all the media can come together [under one council] and work together. I think once they understand what's at stake then they can really work together.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
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For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
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[pima.nius] FIJI: Media authority checks Fijilive ownership

10:29 AM |


Title – 7270 FIJI: Media authority checks Fijilive ownership
Date – 21 February 2011
Byline – Roneel Lal
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Fijivillage.com, 21/2/11
Copyright – FV
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:
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* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

AUTHORITY CHECKS WEBSITE OWNERSHIP
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=21021178f50364d8aac1c95ddf49ee

By Roneel Lal

SUVA (Fijivillage.com/Pacific Media Watch): The Fiji Media Industry Development Authority is now looking into the ownership of the Fijilive news website to ascertain if it is in breach of the Media Decree, reports a rival news website.

Fijivillage.com has received confirmation that the registered owner and founder of the website, Yashwant Goundar, has been overseas for more than a year now and under the Media Decree 2010 [imposed by the military-backed regime in September 2010], it is a mandatory requirement that the owner or owners of any media outlet lives in Fiji for at least six months of the year.

The chairman of the authority, Professor Subramani, confirmed to Fijivillage that MIDA was now trying to make enquiries into the ownership issue of the news website and was gathering all necessary information.

Professor Subramani said a meeting was scheduled for this Saturday with media stakeholders when the issue of Fijilive's ownership is also expected to be brought up for discussion.

Senior management of Fijilive could not be reached for a comment.

[PMW editor's comment: This report about Fijilive by Fijivillage.com is focused on the chief web rival of Fijivillage.com's owners, Communications Fiji Ltd., the largest radio broadcaster in Fiji.]

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
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of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
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Email:
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[pima.nius] ADVISORY - Join the Pacific Media Centre RSS niusfeed

10:24 AM |



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pacific Media Watch nius <pacific_media_watch@lists.apc.org.au>
Date: 23 February 2011 02:12
Subject: [Pacific_media_watch] ADVISORY - Join the Pacific Media Centre RSS niusfeed
To: Pacific Media Watch <pacific_media_watch@lists.apc.org.au>


Title – Reminder - Join the Pacific Media Centre RSS niusfeed
Date – 23 February 2011
Byline – None
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Pacific Media Watch, 23/2/11
Copyright – PMW
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:
www.pacificmediacentre.blogspot.com
pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

REMINDER: The Pacific Media Centre/Watch elist will be ending some time in March when the Association of Progressive Communications (APC) server is discontinued. Make sure you add the Pacific Media Centre RSS niusfeeds to your Google Live Bookmarks:

Full PMC niusfeed: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/rss.xml

Pacific Media Watch only: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/feeds/pmw_article/rss.xml

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not  wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views
of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch?apc.org.au

Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT
University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
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[pima.nius] http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2011/02/papuan-prisoners-flee-after-tearing-down-indonesian-jail-gate/

10:23 AM |

Papuan prisoners flee after tearing down Indonesian jail gate

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Banjir Ambarita in Jayapura

Almost 20 inmates have escaped from Manokwari Prison in the Indonesian province of West Papua  in what was described by the warden as a carefully planned jailbreak.

Of the 128 convicts being held at the penitentiary, 19 managed to flee after wounding a prison guard and pulling down the main gate, leaving the rest of the guards too stunned to respond.

Some political prisoners are held there.

According to the warden, Wiliam Kmuor, the escapees appeared to have studied the weaknesses and holes in the prison's security system.

The dramatic escape was staged soon after a religious service.

Wiliam said the prisoners attended the Mass in the prison yard as usual and that there was no suspicious behavior to indicate an escape was in the works.

"After Sunday Mass, all of the inmates went back inside the prison building," he said.

"But at about 1:30 p.m., some of the prisoners began approaching the main gate, and they suddenly attacked the guard there and then quickly fled."

Severely beaten
The guard at the main gate was severely beaten, the warden added.

Soon after receiving a report from Wiliam, police arrived at the scene to carry out an investigation.

Both police and prison officials said they have started to track down the escapees.

Among those who escaped were four defendants being held by the Manokwari Prosecutor's Office while their trials were ongoing. No details were given on the charges they were facing.

The rest of the escapees were serving time for crimes ranging from robbery to murder. At least one of them was due to be released this year, while others were to be locked up until 2019.

This was not the first escape at the prison.

Former police officer Swiling Mandacan, sentenced to four years in jail for rape, escaped in September but was rearrested. He
was among those who escaped again on Sunday. He was due to be released in 2013.

Jailed for 'treason'
William Rumbiak, who was jailed for treason, also escaped in September and is still at large.

Another Papua prison is notorious for jailbreaks, the Abepura Penitentiary in Jayapura. Last year alone, three breakouts there were reported.

In May, 18 prisoners took advantage of an ongoing riot by correctional guards to make good their getaway. Two were recaptured.

A month later, 26 inmates escaped after guards failed to show up for work over a labor dispute. In October, two more prisoners broke out.

Banjir Ambaritais a reporter for ther Jakarta Globe.

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Monday, February 21, 2011

[pima.nius] FIJI: Media authority checks Fijilive ownership

11:11 AM |


Title – 7270 FIJI: Media authority checks Fijilive ownership
Date – 21 February 2011
Byline – Roneel Lal
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Fijivillage.com, 21/2/11
Copyright – FV
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:
www.pacificmediacentre.blogspot.com
pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

AUTHORITY CHECKS WEBSITE OWNERSHIP
http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=21021178f50364d8aac1c95ddf49ee

By Roneel Lal

SUVA (Fijivillage.com/Pacific Media Watch): The Fiji Media Industry Development Authority is now looking into the ownership of the Fijilive news website to ascertain if it is in breach of the Media Decree, reports a rival news website.

Fijivillage.com has received confirmation that the registered owner and founder of the website, Yashwant Goundar, has been overseas for more than a year now and under the Media Decree 2010 [imposed by the military-backed regime in September 2010], it is a mandatory requirement that the owner or owners of any media outlet lives in Fiji for at least six months of the year.

The chairman of the authority, Professor Subramani, confirmed to Fijivillage that MIDA was now trying to make enquiries into the ownership issue of the news website and was gathering all necessary information.

Professor Subramani said a meeting was scheduled for this Saturday with media stakeholders when the issue of Fijilive's ownership is also expected to be brought up for discussion.

Senior management of Fijilive could not be reached for a comment.

[PMW editor's comment: This report about Fijilive by Fijivillage.com is focused on the chief web rival of Fijivillage.com's owners, Communications Fiji Ltd., the largest radio broadcaster in Fiji.]

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
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of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
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Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
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University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
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[pima.nius] FIJI: Strong response to FNU journalism course

11:09 AM |


Title – 7269 FIJI: Strong response to FNU journalism course
Date – 21 February 2011
Byline – Samisoni Nabilivalu
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – The Fiji Times, 21/2/11
Copyright – FT
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:
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* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

MEDIA PROGRAM INTEREST REMAINS
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=166542

By Samisoni Nabilivalu

SUVA (The Fiji Times/Pacific Media Watch):  Twenty five enthusiastic students have enrolled for the Certificate in Media and Journalism course offered at the Fiji National University (FNU) this year.

A majority of the students have completed Form Seven while others already work in the media industry.

Course coordinator Elia Vesikula said the institution was excited and pleased by the number of interested students this year.

"With the media decree, we thought it might cause anxiety to the public but you see students are still very interested in the industry," Vesikula said.

The minimum qualification for the course is a Seventh Form pass with a pass of at least 75 per cent in English.

Vesikula said working in the media industry was of interest to young people because of the prospect of working in radio or television stations and even for the newspaper industry.

"It's also interesting to see that some students have no experience at all but are enrolling out of interest and a genuine passion for the media industry," he added.

Vesikula said students could pursue a diploma. There were also plans in the pipeline to introduce a Bachelor of Mass Media course.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not  wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views
of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch?apc.org.au

Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT
University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
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Sunday, February 20, 2011

[pima.nius] US budget cuts program funding for Pacific Islands

11:36 AM |

US budget cuts program funding for Pacific Islands

Updated February 18, 2011 09:55:55

The United States' Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas says there have been no cuts to funding for programs that the territories rely on and expect to receive funding for. Insular Areas and Freely Associated States have been allocated just over US$474 million in the 2012 budget. Reactions across the Pacific have been mixed. A statement from the Office of Insular Affairs announcing the budget request says the President's budget reflects many difficult budget choices, cutting worthy programs in order to fund the highest priority requirements.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Tony Babauta, US Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas

BABAUTA: There's been small cuts to a technical assistance account, which I kind of have some broad authority over. But it's not anything that we can't live with. There have been no cuts to programs of the territories rely on as a stable and expected source of funding.

COUTTS: Ok well I'm still not really sure what your priorities are or where the cuts are, so can we just try to find what your priorities are and where the cuts actually are and what they are?

BABAUTA: I think our priorities continue to remain the same, which is to try strengthen the governments in the territories to try to continue our initiative for renewable energy and also to try to place as much as money towards education and being able to train the new workforces in all the different territories for emerging industries like renewable energy for the ability of governments to be able to further diversify their economy. And you're right, we don't have a lot of money to do much more than we would want to, but I think we're pretty stable in being able to carry out the priorities that we've already identified and have been working on for the past year and a half.

COUTTS: Well in this program over 12 months or more, and I mean more, we've talked about the Guam military buildup and its many facets. How will it be funded, because locally in Guam they're now saying that the funding that's going to be given by the federal government isn't sufficient?

BABAUTA: There's a request for an appropriation for Guam for the military buildup of about I think 340 or 376 million dollars, which will largely be the US's commitment to the buildup itself on the military side. There's some funding that's been available within DOD, and then transferred from DOD to my office to be able to address some of the civilian needs that Guam has raised in the past years. I don't believe that there's a level of funding that Guam has expected or wants to see at this point in time. It's not to say that it won't happen in the future, it's just a matter of being able to prioritise and anticipate the activity and all the activities that need to occur during the buildup. Last year in July we made a commitment on Guam to rebuild the northern waste water treatment system, which is going to be about 735 million dollar investment, which the federal government has committed to doing in order for the buildup to move forward.

COUTTS: And the Commonwealth and the Northern Marianas aren't pleased because they're getting something like a $500,000 cut or less in the 2012 budget as distinct from the 2011 one for capital expenses and projects there. What will they be missing out on with this cut?

BABAUTA: Well the reason why they're getting the cut is because their expenditure level is below a formula that we use in-house to be able to kind of grade each territory on how they've spent money in the previous fiscal year, and if you fall below the threshold number, which both the Northern Marianas and the Virgin Islands have done so, then you get a small reduction in the amount of CIP money for that year. On the other hand Guam and American Samoa have spent above that expenditure level and have maintained them, so they will get a slight increase. As far as how it affects the CNMI and how it moves forwards with its various CIP projects, there might have to be a readjustment of some of their priorities. But 500,000 in the overall large scheme of projects that they have to do I don't believe it will impact them too much, they still have 50 million dollars that has been unspent to date.

COUTTS: And Mr Babauta will any of this money go to healthcare and a provision of health services? We've seen this week headlines saying that American Samoa have had to stop sending cancer patients for radiation therapy to Hawaii. We've also seen that from other Pacific Island nations as well because there just isn't enough money either in the American Samoan budget or in this case, in Hawaii, so is any money being directed to health and health services?

BABAUTA: I don't believe I have the direct authority to be able to help them out in the way that they need help. I think in large measure I think the leadership of those governments; American Samoa and other Pacific Islands will have to readjust their budgets to be able to deal with the difficulties that they're facing. The entire nation and the entire federal government is having to do that as well, states across the nation the Governors are having to cut budgets, put tax on different commodities. I think everyone's going through a phase of prioritization, as are we, and as much as we would like to help and as much as we can help we will.

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[pima.nius] PNG: Story telling doco helps HIV cultural awareness campaign

11:35 AM |


Title – 7267 PNG: Story telling doco helps HIV cultural awareness campaign
Date – 18 February 2011
Byline – Joys Eggins
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Komuniti Tok Piksa, 18/2/11
Copyright – KTP
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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STORY TELLING DOCO HELPS HIV CULTURAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-02-18/png-story-telling-docos-help-hiv-cultural-awareness-campaign

By Joys Eggins

GOROKA: (Komuniti Tok Piksa/Pacific Media Watch):  Awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea lack engagement with people and there is little regard for local cultural context.

Komuniti Tok Piksa research assistant Melvin Kualawi says awareness strategies adopted from other countries are not working in PNG.

"Cultural and linguistic diversity found elsewhere, like Africa, is different from Papua New Guinea but perhaps the problem is with importing models without being aware of PNG's cultural context and undue focus on risk groups," says Kualawi.

He was speaking at the Pacific Research Colloquium in Canberra organised by the State Society and Governance in Melanesia programme at the Australian National University.

Kualawi also screened a short film called Stori Bilong Siparo (Siparo's Story), which he describes as an alternative means of awareness whereby communities are engaged in dialogue, using films as a means for awareness.

"The most significant moment for me was the emotional response and dialogue from the audience when I screened papa Siparo's story and it shows what kind of effect the visual can have on an audience, whether local or not, " he says.

Stori Bilong Siparo is a documentary telling the story of Siparo with HIV and his family moving on with support from their community.

The film is part of a visual and community action research project, Komuniti Tok Piksa, based at the University of Goroka.

Kualawi says communities and academics alike are showing an interest in local, culturally appropriate films because of its potential to create awareness on HIV in rural communities.

Local characters
"Tok Pisin is widely spoken in PNG communities and having local characters in the film telling their story shows how people are dealing with HIV and AIDS," says Kualawi.

Komuniti Tok Piksa project coordinator Verena Thomas says the team has just completed shooting in Aiyura, where Siparo comes from, to fully capture his story and will be produced as the Eastern Highlands story among a series of five Highlands films under way.

Thomas says cultural sensitivity around open discussions about sexuality and reproductive health in Papua New Guinea has made awareness difficult in the country and it will continue until communication systems familiar to communities such as story-telling and visual representations.

"Inviting people to share stories around the issue, using their knowledge of cultural appropriateness, local language and films is what Komuniti Tok Piksa is piloting in the Highlands for 18 months," she says.

The project has facilitated several documentaries, dramatic films, a music project and photo-narrative workshops with more than 10 communities and schools involved in the Highlands since June 2010.

Thomas says the project is set to complete five films in July that will be distributed by the communities themselves, using a process of screening and dialogue toward a social change that they can manage themselves.

Joys Eggins is a research associate of the Komuniti Tok Piksa project.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not  wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views
of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch?apc.org.au

Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

[pima.nius] SAMOA: Savali newspaper launches new website

10:34 AM |




Title – 7265 SAMOA: Savali newspaper launches new website
Date – 16 February 2011
Byline – None
Origin – Pacific Media Watch
Source – Savali Online/Pacific Media Centre, 16/2/11
Copyright – SO/PMC
Status – Unabridged
----------------------------
* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

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SAVALI NEWSPAPER LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-02-16/samoa-savali-newspaper-launches-new-website

APIA (Savali Online/Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch):  Savali newspaper has launched a new website. It will provide daily updated news, images, video streams and public forums creating a bridge between the Samoan people and international community.

"It's a service we should have provided a long time ago," said Savali editor Tupuola Terry Tavita. "We have had a page link with the official government website for some years now but that is no longer viable. We need our own website to present the government's views on the issues, national events and news of public interest."

With the growth of web communities, many Samoans overseas turn to the internet for information about what's happening at home. The Savali site will provide a reliable view of Samoan current events and help keep people informed. The web site will be professional and easily accessible from anywhere in the world at any time.

Savalinews.com will deliver fair and balanced information in an interactive format providing access Samoans can't obtain anywhere else. Features include a Prime Minister's forum - where you can ask questions directly to the Prime Minister, a subscription page including our Lands and Titles monthly publication online - the largest circulation in the country - and links and features for other government ministries and corporations. This website will be the front door for news and information about Samoa.

"We're also setting up a small camera unit where videos of national events - openings and such - will be streamed online," Tupuola said.

"Radio streams from 2AP are also another option we're considering at the moment."

* Savali Online: www.savalinews.com

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE
www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

(c)1996-2010 Creative Commons
http://creativecommons.org

Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original  producers as indicated in the header. Recipients should seek permission
from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not  wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views
of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

For further information or joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, visit:
http://lists.apc.org.au/listinfo.cgi/pacific_media_watch?apc.org.au

Email:
pmc@aut.ac.nz
Fax: (+649) 921 9987
SnailMail: Pacific Media Centre, School of Communication Studies, AUT
University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Website: www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz
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[pima.nius] Tapu Misa: Maori Party never going to please all

10:33 AM |

Tapu Misa: Maori Party never going to please all

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10706014


Every election, there's talk in the Pacific community about how great it would be to have our very own party to represent "our" interests in Parliament.

I can never work up any enthusiasm for the idea.

Though I'm all for having strong Pacific voices in Parliament, a political party predicated on the assumption that people of the same ethnicity think alike seems doomed to failure.

I have enough trouble agreeing with my own family, let alone a group of people with whom I may have nothing but ethnicity in common.

Similarly, I've never thought it fair or realistic to expect one or two Pacific MPs to somehow represent all Pacific interests, assuming we could agree on what those were.

So I'm not surprised by the current ructions in the Maori Party.

The partnership between the Maori Party and National was supposed to herald a new, mana-enhancing era for Maori political representation.

Article continues be

But no one expected that it would be easy. Everyone knew the minor partner would have to swallow a few dead rats. The only questions were: how many and how big, whether all that compromising and polite disagreement would pay off, and how long it would take the Maori Party's most outspoken MP to become restless.

Longer than most expected, I suspect.

Hone Harawira's very public discomfort may be an irritant too many for his parliamentary colleagues, but it is entirely predictable.

It reflects not only the realities of a minor coalition partner in government, and the personalities of the players, but also the impossibility of being all things to all Maori.

As Pita Sharples says, Maori are many things (including conservative and well-heeled). Thus the Maori Party necessarily serves a very broad church, some of whom feel right at home in the coalition and some of whom would rather stick hot needles in their eyes.

When Harawira says the party needs to be clear about who its constituency is, he means it needs to side more strongly with poor, working class Maori who are bearing the brunt of the coalition's policies.

Harawira says the party has been too muted in its opposition to "the anti-worker, anti-beneficiary and anti-environment (and therefore anti-Maori) legislation that comes as a natural consequence of having a right-wing government".

But while urging his party to be bolder in defence of its struggling constituents may be consistent with the promise in its constitution to "promote a fair and just society" and "work for the elimination of poverty and injustice", it has understandably riled his colleagues, who have been at pains to point out that they care just as much about the plight of poor Maori.

At Waitangi last week, Sharples defended his party's efforts; it had lobbied for a minimum wage of $15, and for GST to be taken off healthy food. It had also fought losing battles over the Auckland seats, Tuhoe, the rise in GST, and the three strikes law, to name a few.

"Each time Tariana and I went to Cabinet, and fought hard against these policies. And each time we were unsuccessful."

Yet he insisted the party had achieved much "in our first term of government".

Among the gains, the review of the Foreshore and Seabed Act; recognition of the Maori flag; qualified approval of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the tobacco inquiry and the two tobacco bills; and Whanau Ora.

But are they enough? Supporters are divided.

Even the issue which unified Maoridom and gave birth to the Maori Party - Labour's hated 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act - is now splitting voters.

A recent Digipoll survey by Te Karere found that while a majority of Maori voters are against the new Marine and Coastal Area Bill that repeals the 2004 law, they were more evenly split on whether the Maori Party should vote for it: 30 per cent say yes, 32 per cent no.

Sharples has conceded that the bill isn't "all that we hoped for", but the party supports it "because it is simply better than the current law - it abolishes Crown title and it restores the right of Maori to take their claims to court. This was our promise to the people".

Despite the grumbles, the bill is a significant achievement. But it may not count against more pressing concerns at the flaxroots level - concerns which aren't confined to Maori, though they affect Maori disproportionately.

As Tai Tokerau voters told the Weekend Herald last week, they're more worried about high unemployment and the rising cost of living fuelled by the GST rise, both of which have gone up under the coalition's watch.

"I think the foreshore is irrelevant," said Natasha Kake-Harrison, of Hihi. "Everything is going up. Rent, power, gas. I feel it when I go shopping, you spend all your money on food."

Tapu.Misa@gmail.com


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