22 Feb 2020

Tagata o te Moana for 22 February 2020

From Tagata o te Moana, 5:30 pm on 22 February 2020

Papua New Guinea's prime minister James Marape has embarked on a four-day state visit to New Zealand, saying he wants to elevate the relationship between the two countries; the attack on Manus Island refugees by an angry mob in Port Moresby has raised questions about refugee security in Papua New Guinea; two government MPs in Solomon Islands have lost their seats after being found guilty of bribing voters; the Fijian government has been accused of "wrecking the trade union movement" in the country; an Australian aid group says the government's change of focus on Pacific aid is a 'strategic misstep,' rehabilitative programmes top the list for reforms within Kiribati corrections system; Vanuatu's political leaders expect another fragmented parliament to emerge after the upcoming general election. But while Charlot Salwai has notched the rare success of lasting a full term in power, the caretaker prime miniser has the unwelcome distraction of facing a perjury charge; New Zealand Rugby is appointing a Pasifika Engagement Manager who will be tasked with giving the country's Pacific Island community more of a voice in how the sport is run.