Shakes

Eruption

Forum . . .

From Adishwar Padarath

in Suva South Pacific leaders obviously feel an annual summit conference insufficient. The sixth South Pacific Forum meeting which took place in Tonga early in July decided to ex periment with informal discussions in between.

It all began when Nauru’s Presi dent Hammer Deßoburt spoke during opening ceremonies on behalf of all delegates.

“We have a full agenda and we are going to be put on our mettle to get through it”, he said. “I wonder whether as activities develop and new problems challenge the Forum, an annual meeting is sufficient to enable itself to consider fully and in depth the weighty matters requiring our attention.

“We should not lose sight of our priorities. We have work on hand,

work which is not only necessary and challenging to do but which must be worth our while as heads and representatives of our respective governments”.

Later, New Zealand’s Prime Minis ter Wallace Rowling issued invita tions to leaders and their wives to be guests at the next South Pacific Festival of Arts at Rotorua in March.

Leaders decided to hold an informal “mini Forum” while there.

New Zealand will meet all internal costs.

The formal Forum will be at Nauru next August.

The Tonga Forum began with the admission of Niue as a full member and ended with an almighty upheaval involving Fiji and Australia.

By then Mr Rowling had left for home.

Australia’s Senator Don Willesee managed to get himself offside with all Island leaders who threw in their lot with the Prime Minister of Fiji.

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

The row was over regional ship ping.

Ratu Sir Kamisese launched a blistering attack on Australian and New Zealand maritime trade unions and their attitudes towards Island flagged vessels.

Mr Willesee wanted Ratu Sir Kamisese’s observations struck out of the official communique.

At some stage he asked Ratu Sit Kamisese to “prove his point”.

The Fiji Prime Minister then erupted.

He said he was accused of lying and angrily threw on the Forum table a letter about an Australian trade union demand relating to a Fiji-crewed ship.

PNG’s Michael Somare supported Ratu Sir Kamisese saying whal Willesee wanted deleted was an “accurate report of discussions”.

Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara . . . said he was accused of lying.

Members agreed to retain the item i the communique.

The “offending” paragraph reads: The Forum recognised that a vital ictor in the viability of a regional lipping line was a co-operative atti ide by the maritime trade unions of ustralia and New Zealand towards le Pacific Island Line”.

Mr Willesee was the official Forum )okesman.

A solid battery of about half a izen New Zealand journalists and iree from Fiji travelled to Tonga »r the Forum but surprisingly no ic from Australia, A Wellington-based ABC reporter rived late on the Tuesday night ter the Forum had been going for day. Mr Willesee, at times, adopted flippant attitude during press con rences.

For instance he told us that the EIC Chief Minister, Naboua atieta, and Solomons leader Solo on Mamaloni, would be speaking.

Willesee added that the “lads” luld talk about developments in sir respective countries.

At other times he was vague and ways bent upon getting through a ess session in the bare minimum time.

The Forum agreed unanimously to k- the Tongan Government for an tension of the term of SPEC’s ector, Mr Mahe Tupouniua, whose -sent term expires in November.

New Zealand made two grandstand stures during the meeting. It an unced a SNZSOOO gift for Tonga’s icen Salote Memorial Hall and an tra payment of SNZI per case of jmium quality bananas.

Fiji offered its brown sugar to and members of the Forum, Ratu Kamisese saying his country *uld be willing to conclude long m sugar agreements with each of :m.

SPEC is to co-ordinate arrange nts.

Australian white sugar sells in ngan shops at 44c a lb, Fiji brown jar, when available there, sells at : a lb.

Footnote: The Solomons Islands i.ef Minister, Mr Solomon Mama li, on his return home, said that less the Forum defined its aims ire clearly, the Solomons would become a member. The Forum, a sort of UN of the South Pacific, >uld have been dealing with itical matters, he said. Instead, affairs of its economic arm, the ith Pacific Bureau of Economic -operation, took up most of the nda.