Latest news with #DonWiseman
Scoop
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Bougainville Pins Hopes On Melanesian Agreement For Independence
, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Bougainville and Papua New Guinea have concluded many months of talks on the autonomous province's quest for independence. Most recently, the parties met for ten days at the New Zealand army camp at Burnham - a place dubbed the spiritual home of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, after it featured 28 years ago in the talks that ended the civil war. But there appeared to be few achievements the parties could point to, and there has been little communication from either government with the public. The Minister for the Implementation of the Independence Referendum, Ezekiel Masatt, managed to shed a different light on the matter in this discussion with RNZ Pacific. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.) Don Wiseman: There have been lots of meetings and lots of talks going back, you could say going back 28 years, but since this referendum process began, we've had nearly six years of talks, off and on, and Bougainville hasn't got much to show for it, has it? Ezekiel Masatt: In terms of what? DW: Progress has not been great. EM: Is Bougainville to blame for it? DW: I don't know. What's going on. Why? Why is no progress being made? EM: Progress, specifically in terms of what? DW: In terms of getting close to the tabling of the referendum, the process of getting toward independence by the first of September 2027, which is what the government has said it aims to do. EM: The Bougainville Government, DW: Yes, yes. The Bougainville government said that. EM: Okay. Well, let me, let me put on record the first of September date. While everybody is warming to it, that date was recommended by the Bougainville Leaders Consultative Forum, and it's a recommendation. At the moment, we going through the process of the Bougainville Constituent Assembly, who are debating the independence constitution. That starts today, coincidentally, so today and tomorrow is committed to the Bougainville Constituent Assembly, and once they've concluded their debate on the Constitution, then we'll see what happens. Now, let me make it absolutely clear, Don, that whilst we have embarked on various pathways to independence, I've always made it absolutely clear that our preferred option is to get independence through consensus, and that's through the BPA, [Bougainville Peace Agreement]. We know the history of what has transpired after the conduct of the referendum. There's been a series of consultations. There's been a breach, like I said years ago, that Papua New Guinea lives in a daily breach because there had been an agreement on ratification being a couple of years ago, that hasn't transpired. Now, despite all the hiccups, I think there's a new leash of life with the Melanesian Relationship Agreement. The Melanesian Relationship Agreement, one, allows the two governments to look at what sort of sovereign powers Bougainville can exercise in the interim. It also calls for the immediate consultation between the two Houses, the speakers and the clerk, in terms of the sessional order. And more importantly, it has called for the immediate activation of the Bipartisan Committee, and it's now been agreed that once the report of the Bipartisan Committee goes into the House, the National Parliament, then the referendum result and the consultative outcomes will also go in. We had a commitment from the chairman of the Bipartisan Committee, Dr Marat, in New Zealand, that they would commence work quickly. And I've been advised that as early as this weekend, the Bipartisan was supposed to meet in Rabaul in one of the first engagements to me, there's no delay on our part. There's no delay on our part. It's a process, and therefore, there's been some delays. We're confident in where we're going. DW: Under the Melanesian Agreement, some sovereign powers being handed down earlier. What are we talking about? EM: We haven't worked on the specifics, but my view is that, and the government's view is that, we won't be able to assume all the sovereign powers. Therefore, priority must be given to some economic sovereign powers where we can make some decisive economic decisions. I think that's the start. But despite the elections going on, I am hopeful that the technical teams can continue to meet to craft out some clear agenda in terms of which sovereign powers we can assume in the interim. DW: Okay, so you're quite confident that Port Moresby is fully supportive of the process, or do you think they're delaying the process? EM: Put it this way, does the National Government procrastinate, and they have a history, historical record of procrastinating, whether it's justified or not. We have other options that are open to us. We had this discussion before that the other option to get independence is through the working of the independent constitution, and I have in the original motion setting up the constituent assembly, I was very clear in reaching out to the National Government by making the motion for the adoption of the Constitution and any other resolution to be subject to the consultative outcome and the moderation talk. Now, having reconsidered that the possibility is there of a National Government strategy to procrastinate and to delay, I have since amended that motion - the House has amended that motion yesterday, stating clearly that the resolutions by the Constituent Assembly will no longer be in principle. If the Constituent Assembly goes ahead and adopts the Constitution, then it is within its legal right to set the date for independence. DW: So the Constituent Assembly is now the premier political body? EM: No, it's not the premier political body. It's the body that specifically deals with the amendment, rejection or adoption of the Constitution. And once it's done that, its activities come to an end. DW: We talked about the first of September 2027 and that's a maybe then. But when do you think Bougainville might be independent? How far away is it, this independence? EM: We have the recommended date. Everybody's warming to that date. The question of independence readiness, that's being addressed throughout the constituencies in Bougainville. The Autonomous Bougainville Government is working through the issues in terms of all the other economic big projects, so that we're in a position where we can sustain the economy and move forward. DW: In terms of the economy, you've still got a lot of work to do to have any degree of economic viability, don't you? EM: That's a justifiable argument. I have made it absolutely clear that the work on the economy of Bougainville must now also take some precedence. My argument is that to make the economy subject to political independence is something that I wouldn't agree to. We must obtain political independence in order to have some sovereign powers in order to make strategic economic decisions. Now, given the Melanesian Agreement where Bougainville can assume some sovereign powers, I think that's a great start in the right direction, and therefore I look forward to continued engagement by the technical officials and we can address some of these economic issues now. Having said that, it's not like we're sitting around doing nothing in Bougainville,. There are very major economic initiatives that have been taken on by the government. Another issue is, as you know, there's been the transfer of the BCL [Bougainville Copper Ltd] shares. That's an issue on its own. I'm not going to dive into that issue. And I think even on the economic issues, I have very much left it to the economic ministers to come in. But overall, to demand that Bougainville should meet some economic threshold or be economically independent before political independence, is a foolish argument. Australia never demanded that Papua New Guinea be economically independent. When Papua New Guinea got its independence, it had nothing except the Panguna Mine to deal with. I don't know why everybody's imposing on that economy. Whilst it's a genuine call, I think it's an internal matter for Bougainville to work on its economy. We're not shying away from that responsibility.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
Article – RNZ Experts will gather in Auckland to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa – the Centre for Pacific and Global Health – involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands – and heat is a 'silent killer.' She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji – Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally – around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings – where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia – are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done – I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks – things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
Experts will gather in Auckland to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa – the Centre for Pacific and Global Health – involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands – and heat is a 'silent killer.' She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji – Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally – around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings – where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia – are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done – I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks – things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Climate-Affected Health In The Pacific To Be Discussed At Auckland Conference
, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist Experts will gather in Auckland next week to discuss how to cope with the health impacts in the Pacific that are due to climate change. A symposium is being held at the University of Auckland by Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa - the Centre for Pacific and Global Health - involving knowledgable people from around the Pacific. A director of Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa, Roannie Ng Shiu says climate change is driving up temperatures in the islands - and heat is a "silent killer." She told Don Wiseman they'll look at the health impacts of climate change in the Pacific, and share potential solutions. (This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity). Roannie Ng Shiu: So our conference theme around climate health in the Pacific region sort of speaks to trying to think about the Pacific region and Pacific researchers providing important contributions to unlocking not just Pacific health solutions, but also global solutions related to climate change. We see this as an important aspect of the work that we do, as a centre, to amplify and uplift the research and the learnings that are coming out of the Pacific region, that also can be of use to other countries and other regions around the world. Don Wiseman: We've known for years about the environmental impacts from climate change, but your group would say that there have been very significant health effects already. What sort of things? RNS: We can see that climate related impacts include NCD [non-communicable diseases]. So when we think about the Pacific region, we think about two crises. One is climate change, but the other is NCDs, and this is a result of over-reliance on ultra-processed imported food, and the impact that global warming and climate change is having on sustainable agricultural practices and also in the ability to provide nutritious food by Pacific people for the region. The other thing is dengue fever. So we can see that as a result of climate change, that there's been an increase in vector-borne infectious diseases. Dengue is the current example that we have, and this is because the climate is producing more breeding grounds and warmer weather longer; we can also see that there's been intense cyclones that are happening quite often, and this actually is a real problem, because it affects the development gains that Pacific communities and countries have made. So for example, I think from our last analysis, the cyclones that happened in Fiji - Cyclone Winston that was estimated to cost around US$480 billion. So with so many frequent cyclones that are more intense, Pacific communities can't necessarily catch up to rebuilding or building better, particularly around their water, sanitation, hygiene facilities. So we can see the significant effects too of climate on wash utilities and outcomes. The Pacific region has the lowest levels of access to clean water as a result. There's quite a number of impacts. We need to be researching into these areas a lot better to understand how communities themselves are dealing and adapting and mitigating these factors as a place of strength and resilience. But at the same time, we also need to be part of that conversation globally - around how do we get big countries who are emitting the most greenhouse gasses to do their bit in terms of global climate. So things around climate justice inequity are really, really important, but it's a conversation that needs to be had with everyone globally, and not just people from the region. DW: Yes, one remarkable thing that I've seen is the number of people in the Pacific dying of heatstroke in the last 20 years, and this is quite a significant number. RNS: So I think as part of the symposium, we are launching the inaugural landscape countdown small island developing states report. And this is one of the key findings - where mortality attributed to heat has increased. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the fact that those deaths are happening mostly with babies, so children under the age of one, and then those who are a little bit elderly, or wisdom holders, as we like to say, who are 65 years and older. We have the Pacific that is seen as vulnerable, and then the most vulnerable, which are our children and our elderly, are at the highest risk of climate impacts. DW: Countries like New Zealand and Australia - are they doing enough in terms of preparing the region for this threat that's already here? RNS: I would say no, I think more could be done - I'm speaking about New Zealand. Australia does put a lot of money into development assistance for the Pacific region, but at the moment that is going towards more geopolitics and security programs. I think we could always be doing better. We could always be doing more. There is also the sense that climate change is going to increase the numbers of people claiming environmental refugee status. But other research we've conducted actually shows that Pacific people want to stay where they are. They just need support and helping them to live in the environments that they currently live in, and dealing with climate impacts that they really haven't contributed to. So, for example, the Pacific region only contributes 0.03 percent of greenhouse gasses, but are impacted the most. DW: The centre wants to look at bringing health closer together with the MetService so that there can be more information readily available to deal with extremes. RNS: One of the things that we are also looking at, and we've seen from our research, is the need to have better surveillance in order to be prepared for climate health risks - things around infectious diseases, as well as vector-borne diseases like dengue and waterborne diseases. So that if we have a better idea of extreme weather events that are likely to happen, and then layer that on top of health metrics, then we have a better understanding of where we need to be focusing our health intervention and prevention services, particularly for Pacific countries which don't have the same sort of resources that New Zealand or Australia has, for example, in preparing for disasters and extreme weather events.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
David Lambourne Saga In Kiribati Heading Back To Court
Article – RNZ A years' long legal wrangle in Kiribati that is keeping the Australian judge separated from his family remains unresolved. Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist A years' long legal wrangle in Kiribati that is keeping a judge separated from his family remains unresolved. Australian expatriate David Lambourne was a High Court judge in Kiribati but was suspended by the government in 2022. The government of Taneti Maamau claimed Lambourne had deliberately withheld judgement in a case it had brought. They also claim he was motivated, at least partly, because his wife, Tessie Lambourne, had just become the leader of the opposition in Kiribati. Lambourne has been living in Australia, separated from his family, for the past year, after leaving knowing the government was about to deport him. Four years of legal to-and-fro have also seen the departure of a number of eminent New Zealand judges from Kiribati. They included Chief Justice Bill Hastings, who lasted less than a year in the post before he was suspended for ruling in Lambourne's favour. Three Court of Appeal judges – Sir Peter Blanchard, Rodney Hansen, and Paul Heath – who had upheld Chief Justice Hastings' ruling, were also suspended. They were collectively accused of misdemeanours and a Tribunal was set up to investigate three years ago but no report has ever been tabled in parliament. Lambourne was formally removed from his puisne judge post in April 2024, after being suspended two years earlier. His salary has been withheld since. He finally got another Court of Appeal hearing last December, and its judgement, released just this week, allows him to seek further redress in the High Court. The appeal judges upheld that the government's establishment of a Tribunal, which had recommended his suspension, was valid. However, it also allowed Lambourne's appeal against the Tribunal Commissioner's refusal to grant leave to challenge the validity of its report, and has sent the matter back to the High Court, where the issue can be fully heard. The Court also dismissed the government's appeal against the Commissioner's finding that it had acted unlawfully by ordering that Lambourne's salary be withheld during the suspension period.
