The GENERAL’S GOOSE FIJI’S TALE OF CONTEMPORARY MISADVENTURE The GENERAL’S GOOSE FIJI’S TALE OF CONTEMPORARY MISADVENTURE ROBBIE ROBERTSON STATE, SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE IN MELANESIA SERIES Published by ANU Press The Australian National University Acton ACT 2601, Australia Email:
[email protected] This title is also available online at press.anu.edu.au National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Creator: Robertson, Robbie, author. Title: The general’s goose : Fiji’s tale of contemporary misadventure / Robbie Robertson. ISBN: 9781760461270 (paperback) 9781760461287 (ebook) Series: State, society and governance in Melanesia Subjects: Coups d’état--Fiji. Democracy--Fiji. Fiji--Politics and government. Fiji--History--20th century All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cover design and layout by ANU Press This edition © 2017 ANU Press For Fiji’s people Isa lei, na noqu rarawa, Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka. Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa, Mai Suva nanuma tiko ga. Vanua rogo na nomuni vanua, Kena ca ni levu tu na ua Lomaqu voli me’u bau butuka Tovolea ke balavu na bula.* * Isa Lei (Traditional). Contents Preface . ix iTaukei pronunciation . xi Abbreviations . xiii Maps . xvii Introduction . 1 1 . The challenge of inheritance . 11 2 . The great turning . 61 3 . Redux: The season for coups . 129 4 . Plus ça change …? . 207 Conclusion: Playing the politics of respect . 293 Bibliography . 321 Index . 345 Preface In 1979, a young New Zealand graduate, who had just completed a PhD thesis on government responses to the Great Depression in New Zealand, arrived in Suva to teach at the University of the South Pacific.