The Month

• 22nd SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE Malcolm Salmon sets the scene and Richard Herr writes on the action at the 1982 South Pacific Conference in Pago Pago, American Samoa 13

• French Polynesia’S Political Merry-Go-Round Marie-Therese

and Bengt Danielsson tell the fast-moving story of the formation and break-up of political coalitions since the May Territorial Assembly elections 48 • CHOGRM IN SUVA An Asia-Pacific Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting was held in Suva in October. Robert Keith-Reid reports that Pacific Island countries succeeded in winning a new degree of recognition from larger regional partners 24 • QUEEN ELIZABETH II IN THE ISLANDS PIM writers give an overview of the Queen’s recent visits to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Nauru and Solomon Islands: New politics and old associations each made news ... 21 • NEW CALEDONIA: DRAMA AT SLN Helen Fraser reports on the battle by the territory’s nickel workers to have a say in designing the austerity measures needed to ease the plight of their crisis-ridden industry 21 • YESTERDAY —A chance to admire the work of Charles John Orr, electrical engineer and amateur photographer in the goldfields of New Guinea, 1930 s 31 • NEW ZEALAND BUILDS A “HURRICANE HOUSE” Reacting directly to Tonga’s Cyclone Isaac disaster early this year, an Auckland company has set out to design and build a cyclone-proof house. Recent tests suggest the experiment is “looking good” 55

Books 41 Caroline Islands 29

Chogrm 24

Deaths 73 Fiji 31 Guinea Gold 33 Hawaii 9, 43 Islands Press 23 Letters 9 New Caledonia 27, 30 New Zealand in the Pacific 29 Pacific Report 5 Papua New Guinea 21, 31, 41, 45

People 35 Political Currents 24 Postmark Papeete 48 Ship Services 69 Solomon Islands 29, 44 South Pacific Conference 13 Regional Pacific 13, 24 Tradewinds 55 Tonga 33 Tropicalities 29 Vanuatu 31 Yachts 67 Yesterday 51