Opinion: Another nonsensical decision as Rugby Championship application by Fiji, Japan but rejected by Sanzaar
Sanzaar is proving itself to be the Goldilocks of world rugby, except perhaps that it may never come up with a plan that is just right. For too long its vision was too ambitious – it wanted Super Rugby to expand
Opinion: Uncharted waters II: an update on politics in Tonga
Tonga’s Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala recently led a government delegation to the second Japan-Pacific Islands Defence Dialogue. Members of his delegation included the current Prime Minister’s defence
Opinion: How to enter the Pacific Engagement Visa ballot
Australia is about to launch a new visa that will for the first time create a Pacific quota in Australia’s permanent migration regime. 3,000 visas will be issued every year for the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste.
Opinion: Squaring a vicious circle: political party laws in Vanuatu
Vanuatu will witness a referendum on two constitutional amendments designed to strengthen the party system on 29 May 2024. The proposed reforms, passed by parliament in December 2023, seek to tie MPs to political
Opinion: Where did that Chinese police video come from?
Last night’s 60 Minutes broadcast in Australia featured extraordinary footage of 2017 Chinese police raids in Fiji, followed by the extraction of 77 People’s Republic of China citizens, hooded
Opinion: Yes, there are Chinese police in Fiji. But that’s none of Australia’s business
Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes revealed a fascinating tension within the Fijian government about whether to embrace a 2011 agreement signed with the Chinese government that allows Fijian police officers to receive
Opinion: Communities worry anew as PNG revives seabed mining plans
Chris Malgan sits in his outrigger canoe, singing and shaking a ring of coconut shells in the water next to the boat. The inky skies backdropping the reef portend a late-morning storm that will bring a deluge of rain
Opinion: Tonga MP Piukaka’s rhetoric about the King hand picking Noble MPs is a serious threat to our half-cooked democracy
Member of Parliament Piveni Piukala’s proposal to revoke Tonga’s current nobility electoral system to allow the king to hand pick them for Parliament would be a fatal blow to Tonga’s fragile democracy. It flies in
Opinion: The Rabuka government: a first-third assessment
Ice hockey is, almost uniquely, a game played over three thirds. You won’t find much ice hockey in tropical Fiji, but its speed and brutality certainly find parallels in the world of Fijian politics. The Sitiveni
Opinion: Micronesia in the Headlines
The rise of China and its role in the region is driving U.S. “re-engagement” with the island Pacific. In the case of those Micronesian states who have Compacts of Free Association with the United States (COFA), the
Opinion: Question for PNG foreign minister Tkatchenko – what does the defence pact mean for West Papua?
Papua New Guinea and Indonesia have formally ratified a defence agreement a decade after its initial signing. PNG’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko and the Indonesian ambassador to the Pacific nation,
Opinion: What can the Pacific learn from the EU Parliament vote against Norway’s decision to advance deep-sea mining
On February the 7th, the European Union (EU) Parliament voted against Norway’s recent decision to advance deep-sea mining in the Arctic by reaffirming its moratorium position and called for the European Commission and
Opinion: The politics of riots in Melanesia
The riots that erupted in the Papua New Guinea capital, Port Moresby, on January 10 have left a trail of destruction likely to have severe political ramifications. Such disturbances in Melanesia’s major cities are not
Opinion: Science says Tuvalu will drown within decades; the reality is worse
Tuvalu, a picturesque island nation nestled in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, is currently grappling with a relentless onslaught of storm surges and towering waves, wreaking havoc on coastal communities. While
Opinion: Behind the shine of the Pacific Games lurks poor governance and corruption
Running with the baton as part of the relay in the lead-up to the Pacific Games, I felt so proud of my country. Proud of the young people who volunteered in whatever way they could to make the event successful.
Opinion: Health service coverage: Asia and the Pacific swap places
According to the World Health Organization, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires that all people receive the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services they need and can afford.
Opinion: One year down, a mixed bag of results for Fiji’s coalition
When Sitiveni Rabuka narrowly won the parliamentary vote to become Fiji Prime Minister a year ago on Christmas Eve 2022, his position looked extremely precarious. With only a one-seat majority, the new coalition
Opinion: COP28 marks the end of business as usual for the Blue Pacific
The United Nations climate talks (COP28) concluded in Dubai delivered a mixed bag of outcomes for the Pacific. An early highlight during these annual talks was the agreement to operationalise a loss and damage
COP28: Celebrating the Crumbs
After 28 years of international climate negotiations, the COP summit finally reached an agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. The mention of fossil fuels is in itself a breakthrough. But it is low-hanging
Opinion: The Fiji Military and the 2013 Constitution
The view that the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) plays an important and necessary role as the guardian of the 2013 Constitution and as a keeper of the peace within Fiji has recently been expressed by several
Opinion: A PNG-Australia security framework: not a treaty but solid nonetheless
On 7 December 2023, the prime ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea signed an historic security agreement in Canberra. It has taken approximately three years to conclude since both countries signed the
Opinion: Can the Commonwealth save paradise?
As Foreign Minister of Ghana, I do get around a fair bit. Often, I’m immersed in briefing papers on flights, with little to no time for looking out the window to take in the aerial sights on the approach to
Opinion: Australia-Tuvalu ‘Falepili’
The Australia-Tuvalu ‘Falepili’ strategy is bullish and most alarming. The initiative was never consulted with the people of Tuvalu, nor was it ever raised in Parliament. It is not a climate change response. It is
