Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009

Reviews of American Sāmoa, Hawai‘i, 2008), but promoted restraint among Niue, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and his parliamentary colleagues. Wallis and Futuna are not included in Maoate tabled the hoa Amend- this issue. ment Bill, calling for an apology from ariki who had declared that they did Cook Islands not recognize Queen Elizabeth as the The 2008–2009 year began with country’s head of state (CIN, 3 Dec fallout from a major challenge to the 2008). Queen’s Representative Sir legitimacy of the government from Frederick Goodwin summoned eleven ariki (traditional chiefs). Acting on the ariki in the aftermath of their procla- advice of Bruce Mita, an Australian- mation, and there was some hope that based businessman of New Zealand those ariki who had proclaimed their Māori descent, some ariki openly chal- independence would recant and rejoin lenged the country’s elected govern- the fold (CIN, 13 Dec 2008). Notably, ment. The ariki proclamation was read a few ariki boycotted the government by Vakatini Ariki and Vaeruarangi meeting (CIN, 19 June 2008), and long- Ariki and asserted that, as of 12 June term repercussions are possible. 2008, the traditional chiefs would Political activism by traditional no longer recognize the government chiefs was not restricted to the (CIN, 13 June 2008), nor would they national level. Tuki Tepano, Ariki Nui acknowledge the queen of England as of Rapanui, visited Rarotonga and head of state. Reaction to the decree expressed interest in contributing to was swift and mostly negative. Rongo- an Are Vananga (house of learning), matane Ada Ariki, the president of the which is being proposed as part of a House of Ariki (hoa), retracted her new center for the University of the initial support for the decree, and vari- South Pacific in Rarotonga. Tepano ous other objectors spoke out against also spoke of the Te Puna Ariki Tere it (CIN, 19 June, 13 June 2008). Prime Moana Nui O Hiva, a concept aimed Minister Jim Marurai described the at strengthening links bounded by edict by a small minority of Ui Ariki the Polynesian triangle of Hawai‘i, as nonsensical and lacking credibility Aotearoa, and Rapanui (CIN, 22 May (CIN, 14 June 2008). One hoa mem- 2008). Meanwhile, the assembly of ber, Pa Ariki, also expressed disdain lesser chiefs, known as Koutu Nui, at the actions of her contemporaries worked closely with the govern- and challenged government to abol- ment, anticipating an enhanced role ish the House of Ariki (CIN, 14 June in national customary issues (CIN, 30 2008). Deputy Prime Minister Terepai June 2008). A cultural milestone was Maoate described the proclamation reached as the double-hulled Cook as misguided and wrong (CIN, 17 June Islands traditional voyaging canoe

163 164 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

Te-Au-O-Tonga set sail from Raro- network, involving fifty-two kilo- tonga for American Sāmoa to partici- meters of pipeline; the upgrading of pate in the Festival of Pacific Arts (CIN, the Tereora-Tepuka sewage; and the 17 July 2008). improvement of a Aitutaki power- Observers suggest that a prime house. The Rarotonga ports expansion motivation for the sudden challenge will cost nz$18.2 million, which will to national governance on the part be supported by a nz$15.5 million of some traditional leaders emanated assistance package from Asian Devel- from the expected seabed mineral opment Bank (adb) as well as nz$2.7 wealth of the country. Parliament from the Cook Islands Government has always acknowledged the seabed (CIN, 26 Nov 2008). Another project, resource, and this year, the govern- the Rarotonga International Airport ment lodged a claim with the United upgrade, is set to cost nz$7–8 million Nations, delineating the boundaries (CIN, 18 Nov 2008). In addition, the of its extended continental shelf (CIN, government secured nz$26.9 million 18 April 2009). The Cook Islands is from the Asian Development Bank for claiming 400,000 square kilometers the Avatiu harbor upgrade (CIN, 6 May but awaits more rigorous submissions 2009). to the United Nations and a four-year Dependency on oil-generated waiting period (CIN, 17 April 2009). energy has long been a problem for The Commonwealth Secretariat the island administration. Govern- praised the Cook Islands shelf claim, ment interest in pursuing the purchase describing it as a major achievement of energy facilities from two compa- (CIN, 27 April 2009). Several overseas- nies, Toa Petroleum and Air bp–Juni, based concerns have expressed inter- ignited a firestorm because of secrecy est in the seabed resources of Cook and a perceived lack of accountability Islands waters, with the most recent in use of public funds. The country’s involving the Canadian merchant own audit department alleged corrup- bankers Endeavour Mining Capital, tion in the Ministry of Works (CIN, which offered the government nz$10 2 Sept 2008), and pointed fingers at million for a retention license for man- the Secretary of Works Ata Herman. ganese nodule mining (CIN, 22 Aug Tangata Vavia defended the govern- 2008). (nz$1.00 equals approximately ment’s interest in a fuel farm scheme us$0.70.) The proposition was not (CIN, 19 June 2009), but triad Pacific accepted by the government. Petroleum (a third energy company Infrastructural development added not included in the government’s to the nation’s financial credit liabil- scheme) challenged the nz$5.6 million ity. For the 2009 financial year, the valuation of Toa Petroleum as being total government debt is estimated to overstated by 75 percent (CIN, 11 be nz$65.6 million, or 19.7 percent May 2009). Mike Carr of the kpmg of gross domestic product (CIN, 7 Jan accounting and advisory firm sup- 2009). The four prioritized infra- ported the triad argument that the structure projects for 2009 include government’s valuation was flawed the restructuring of the Mangaia (CIN, 14 May 2009). The country’s harbor (nz$1.83 million); the upgrad- director of audit, Paul Allsworth, ing of the Rarotonga water supply also pointed out that the government pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 165 had breached its own laws in the fuel flights (CIN, 28 March 2009). Mean- farm scheme (CIN, 29 May 2009). A while, Kia Orana Air established itself challenge in the high court stopped as a new low-cost domestic airline the Toa and Air bp–Juhi deal, but the service (CIN, 6 Jan 2009). government continues to pursue other The on-again, off-again Vaima‘anga avenues to complete the Juhi part of Hilton Rarotonga Resort and Spa the arrangement (CIN, 11 June 2009). continued to experience changes in The telecommunications industry strategy. One hundred and five self- saw several developments this year. contained, precut units are now being Irish telecommunications giant Digicel proposed for the site (CIN, 3 Nov initially revealed that it was going 2008). Six weeks of filming in Raro- to buy Telecom but later had second tonga for a UK / New Zealand–pro- thoughts (CIN, 27 Feb, 13 May 2009). duced children’s television series, Para- Meanwhile, KukiCel, a local company, dise Café, gave opportunities for about pushed for changes in policies to allow a hundred locals to get jobs as extras its entry into the telecommunications (CIN, 29 Oct 2008). Acting Secretary market. KukiCel wants to launch a of Health Josephine Aumea Her- new cell phone network and claimed man expressed concern when World it could offer 50 percent cost savings Health Organization (who) offices in in local and international calls (CIN, Sāmoa put out a press release saying 26 Feb, 29 May 2009). the Cook Islands was having a dengue Much of the development this year fever outbreak (CIN, 2 Sept 2008). The focused on the Cook Islands most who office retracted its statement, important industry, tourism. In 2008, but by then it had already had some twenty-eight cruise ships visited Raro- impact on the tourism industry. tonga, some with more than 2,000 The latest effort to attract tour- passengers on board. Apparently, ists was to officially declare the Cook some thirteen ships were unable to Islands as the world’s first “recession- berth during that same period because free oasis,” asserting that the country of ocean swells (CIN, 3 Jan 2009). The was unaffected by the global economic government is looking at constructing crisis (CIN, 18 May 2009). This novel, a berth for cruise ships on the west- government-initiated, tourism-pro- ern side of the island of Rarotonga, motion effort is expected to increase which should alleviate this problem. tourism by 40 percent (CIN, 19 May There was also concerted effort by 2009). Much of that increase, how- the government to allow commercial ever, still depends largely on Air New flights to Aitutaki Island to fly on Zealand. Tourism Minister Wilkie Sunday—a prospect resisted by most Rassmaussen expressed concern over Islanders living on Aitutaki. When an Air New Zealand request for an the government forced the flights to increased subsidy, from nz$3 million take place, protests increased (CIN, 1 to nz$8 million a year, for the weekly July 2008). Some activists complained Los Angeles–Rarotonga flight (CIN, 29 about blacklists and assaults (CIN, 12 Oct 2008). July, 19 July 2008). With the con- A major increase in visitors is troversy unsettled, tension continues expected for the 2009 Pacific Islands on Aitutaki over Sunday commercial Mini Games as well as for the inter- 166 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) national netball competition. To host wind down operations (CIN, 12 Feb the events, the government pursued 2009). wsbd Ltd in particular was major construction projects, with the described as an offshore bank that was nz$15.6 million multi-sports com- ruining the reputation of the country; plex being the largest (CIN, 23 Sept it was ordered to pay nz$125,000 in 2008). The government initiated a costs, stop operations, and leave the 200 percent tax break for Mini Games Cook Islands (CIN, 27 March 2009). sponsors, the idea being that for every The government attempted to dollar contributed to the games, a address consumer complaints about donor could claim two dollars off pricing irregularities by wholesalers taxes owed (CIN, 6 March 2009). and retailers with a newly constituted The government also sought assis- price tribunal. Of particular concern tance from donor countries. Chinese was the high cost of goods despite Ambassador Zhang Yuanyuan visited government removal of levies on basic Rarotonga to sign off on a nz$13 mil- consumer products such as sugar, milk lion soft loan (CIN, 3 July 2008), and powder, eggs, and canned foods (CIN, a further nz$50 million in soft loans 16 June 2008). The government’s was secured to assist the hosting of the other effort to address issues of price Mini Games (CIN, 17 March 2009). gouging, monopolistic behavior, and The country’s developing rela- profiteering came under criticism tionship with China led to the Cook from the Chamber of Commerce. Islands embracing Chinese financiers The proposed Commerce Commis- interested in investment opportunities sion legislation was described by the there (CIN, 11 April 2009). Deputy chamber as an ill-conceived, knee-jerk Prime Minister Maoate sought private reaction (CIN, 31 July 2008). Chamber sector loans from the government- executive member Steve Anderson owned China Eximbank to assist argued that anti-competitive legisla- pearl farmers and local growers (CIN, tion already exists. He suggested that 12 Sept 2008). Cook Islands pearl the government failed to appreciate farmers also bought into a government the difficulties being faced by busi- marketing plan and Cook Islands nesses due to a worldwide global pearls branding efforts that should credit squeeze and rising fuel costs. increase production. Maoate was Anderson also highlighted the chal- hopeful that a recent submission to lenges of “a small island economy, China for funding would be approved increasing internal and external costs, (CIN, 30 March 2009). reduced spending as the population A banking bill to abolish offshore declines, and restrictive immigration banking in the Cook Islands was pro- and development policy that doesn’t posed but placed on hold (CIN, Feb 14 encourage economic growth” (CIN, 31 2009). If taken up, the new approach July 2008). The prospect of uncom- by government would mean that only petitive pricing was further highlighted domestic banks, such as Bank of Cook when the Cook Islands Trading Cor- Islands, Wespac, and anz, would be poration (citc) bought Pacific Dis- allowed to conduct offshore activities. tribution Limited (CIN, 1 Aug 2008), All other banks would be required to whose entities include Foodland, pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 167

Meatco, and Oasis, as well as shares Games (as distinct from the Mini in the shipping operations of Express Games) to remove coral heads from Cook Islands Line. The acquisition the Muri Beach lagoon received much ensures that citc is the dominant public outcry (CIN, 9 April 2009). A company in the Cook Islands, which 100–150 meter course is reportedly creates a monopolistic situation. citc required for the canoe races, but even Chairman Trevor Clarke alluded to a the local canoeing club distanced nz$7.5 million price tag that included itself from the coral-removal proposal nz$3.4 million as a goodwill payment. because of the serious lagoon damage On the fisheries front, the US Coast expected. Local environmentalists and Guard cutter Walnut seized fifteen marine conservation also expressed pounds of shark fins from the San trepidation (CIN, 15 April, 11 April Diego–based fishing vessel Pacific 2009). Horizon within the Cook Islands In diplomatic developments, the Exclusive Economic Zone. The Mag- Cook Islands announced the open- nuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation ing of a consular representative office and Management Act of 1996 made in China in June 2009 (CIN, 3 June it illegal to have shark fins on board, 2009). The Cook Islands also main- and a bilateral agreement between tained its special relationship with the United States and Cook Islands New Zealand and other countries. allows the US Coast Guard to conduct Prime Minister Jim Marurai held searches in Cook Islands waters (CIN, bilateral talks with the prime min- 3 Nov 2008). Additionally, rising ister of Japan (CIN, 26 May 2009), fuel costs and lack of assistance from and received a variety of diplomats partner states caused the Australian throughout the year. government to consider withdrawing On the legal front, Maara Tetava much of its funding for the Pacific was named the new Cook Islands patrol boat program (CIN, 1 Oct police commissioner (CIN, 27 May 2008). The Cook Islands government 2009). Lawyer Tevita Tangaroa revealed a fishing venture, based in Vakalalabure was found guilty of Tongareva, that would allow sixteen driving a vehicle while drunk and Taiwanese long-liners to operate in the causing bodily harm to two people Northern Group (CIN, 24 Nov 2008). (CIN, 28 Nov 2008). Carla Davis, the It was expected that the majority of widow of former Prime Minister Sir the catch would be taken to the can- Thomas Davis, filed a libel lawsuit ning factory in American Sāmoa (CIN, for nz$1.6 million against Cook 18 Feb 2009), although threats that Islands media and some individuals the Chicken of the Sea facility there (CIN, 2 Aug 2008). Convicted African would be closed later in 2009 threw conman Albert Tshabalala tested the these plans into doubt. Cook Islands government’s immigra- In environmental news, the Green- tion policies when the administra- peace vessel Esperanza visited the tion tried to deport him (CIN, 28 Oct Cook Islands during the year (CIN, 22 2008). Eventually, Tshabalala left the June 2009). A proposal by the orga- country but abandoned and burned nizing committee of the Cook Islands his car before disappearing (CIN, 2 Feb 168 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

2009). A woman who gave birth to and high-profile regional-hosting com- the prime minister’s grandson issued mitments disguising the reality of an a complaint when she had to pay a overburdening political structure. hospital fee of nz$1,000 (the rate for Several prominent deaths during tourists and contract workers) instead the year received national attention. of nz$26 (the fee for locals and per- The funeral of Sir Pupuke Robati, manent residents) (CIN, 29 Aug 2008). former prime minister and longtime Deputy Prime Minister Maoate, in his member of Parliament for the island of role as minister of health, promised to Rakahanga, was held on 1 May 2009 look at the issue more closely (CIN, 30 (CIN, 27 April, 1 May 2009). Lawyer Aug 2008). Albert Numanga, former John McFadzien, who served as Cook manager of the Cook Islands Tourism Islands solicitor general from 1983 office in Auckland, faced four charges to 1995, died 13 May 2009 (CIN, 14 of defrauding the Cook Islands gov- May 2009, 1). Sir Tangaroa Tangaroa, ernment of a total of nz$1 million. former queen’s representative and Numanga spent over ten years work- member of Parliament for Tongareva, ing in the Cook Islands tourism sector. was given a state funeral service on Numanga’s former boss, Chris Wong, 29 May 2009 (CIN, 29 May 2009). also faced charges of misusing govern- Professor Ron Crocombe passed away ment funds, including using thousands on 18 June 2009 (CIN, 19 June 2009), of dollars for gambling in the Auck- and the nation paid a special tribute to land Sky casino (CIN, 11 Feb 2009). the great scholar (CIN, “Salute to Papa Members of the Public Expenditure Ron,” 26 June 2009). Review Committee resigned as of 1 The year ended, as it began, with October 2008 because of a perceived public uncertainty in the current lack of support from the govern- administration. The government ment. Deputy Prime Minister Maoate received criticism when it announced declared that the committee was still a new policy of limiting heads of min- needed, despite the fact that much of istries to three terms (CIN, 23 June, 19 its workload had been taken over by June 2009). the audit department (CIN, 26 Sept jon tikivanotau m jonassen 2008). The government’s audit office revealed that over a million dollars of fundraising activity was going on References in public schools, restating the gov- ernment’s concern that there was too CIN, Cook Islands News. Daily. Rarotonga. much fundraising (CIN, 16 July 2008). Such reliance on private initiatives for funding underlines the conflict- ing priorities that continue between French Polynesia politicians, businesses, traditional The chronic political instability that leaders, and citizens. Overall, in the has been plaguing the country since rapidly changing social environment, 2004 continued, with no fewer than the country continued to spiral into an three different governments during the uncertain future, with depopulation period under review. The surprising pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 169 alliance between the two former arch- government had frequently changed enemies Oscar Temaru and Gaston from one of respect and reconciliation Flosse broke apart almost as quickly to one of interference, confrontation, as it had come to be. With short-term and colonial arrogance. coalitions now possible between each In mid-July, new French Secretary and every political party, political for Overseas Territories Yves Jego ideologies seem to be increasingly visited the country and urged the irrelevant, less and less masking the local government to be more account- opportunist ambitions of politicians able. While promising that the annual for power and money. amount of subsidies from Paris for the Many important people passed country government would remain away during the year under review. stable for 2009, he announced that the On 16 August 2008, former Arch- gigantic new hospital under construc- bishop Michel Coppenrath, the first tion in Taaone (begun under Flosse in Tahitian Catholic priest, died at age the early 2000s) will not receive any 84 (TPM, Sept 2008), followed on 4 French funding for its operation. A November by his elder brother Gerald week later, High Commissioner Colrat Coppenrath, an attorney, legal scholar, announced the gradual closing down and politician who had served as of the remaining French army and air French Polynesia’s senator from 1958 force bases during the next few years to 1962 (TPM, Dec 2008). On 4 Janu- (TPM, Aug 2008). ary, entrepreneur and master navigator While these announcements gave Francis Cowan, one of the pioneers of rise to speculations about France’s the revival of traditional navigation decreasing commitment to the country, in Oceania, passed away at age 82 local politics entered another round (TP, 5 Jan 2009). Alexandre Léon- with the upcoming French Senate elec- tieff, economist and former president tions of 21 September. On 10 July, a (1987–1991), and recently appointed common ticket was agreed to by the chairman of the Social Contingency parties of the two historic pro-French Fund (the territorial health insurance), and pro-independence leaders Gaston passed away on 2 March at age 61 Flosse and Oscar Temaru—Tahoeraa after a dazzling political career. On Huiraatira (People’s Rally) and Tavini 13 March, veteran politician Tino- Huiraatira (People’s Servant)/Union mana “Milou” Ebb, former mayor of pour la Democratie (upld)—which Mataiea and president of the assembly were already forming a common from 1994 to 1996, died at age 75 caucus in the assembly under the name (TPM, April 2009). of Union pour le Développement, la The review period began with the Stabilité, et la Paix (udsp) (TPM, Aug arrival of the new French high com- 2008). The two former archenemies missioner, Adolphe Colrat, on 5 July, had reconciled in July 2007 and taking the place of Anne Boquet as the entered into a coalition in order to representative of the French govern- fight Gaston Tong Sang, leader of To ment (TPM, Aug 2008). Boquet’s term Tatou Aia (Our Homeland) coalition had been fraught with controversy, and president of the country since since her attitude toward the local April 2008, whom they both criti- 170 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) cized as being too pro-French. Since The election clearly showed that, Temaru, then Speaker of the assembly, despite massive efforts by the French was not interested in a senate seat, government in support of Tong Sang, attorney Richard Tuheiava was nomi- Temaru and Flosse jointly still rep- nated by Temaru’s party as the second resented the majority. Even though candidate on the common list with Flosse had previously lost most of Flosse (TP, 8 Aug 2008). his ideologically pro-French voters to Since 1999, Flosse had been the Tong Sang, the majority of Tahoeraa country’s only representative in the party officials, particularly mayors French Senate on a nine-year term, in and councilors of rural municipali- addition to his various local offices. ties, were still loyal to their old leader. In a reapportionment of seats, French In Flosse’s case, the strategy of the Polynesia had received a second seat in new generation of French Gaullists the senate due to its increased popu- under President Nicolas Sarkozy to lation for the 2008 elections, while neutralize controversial figures of ex- the term of office for senators was President Jacques Chirac’s old guard reduced to six years. French sena- clearly failed. “Sarkozy succeeded in tors are elected by the so-called grand bringing down Jacques Lafleur and electors (ie, deputies of the National Lucette Michaux-Chevry, but Flosse Assembly, members of regional is his toughest nut to crack,” com- assemblies, and delegates of munici- mented a local observer, referring to pal councils). The electoral campaign parallel figures in New Caledonia was therefore mainly limited to the and Guadeloupe who were recently municipal councilors of the forty-eight removed from all positions of power municipalities of French Polynesia, (Tahiti resident, pers comm, 22 Dec who make up a large majority of the 2008). country’s 697 grand electors. Besides As Flosse was 77 at the time of the Flosse-Tuheiava ticket, President his reelection but Tuheiava only 34, Tong Sang ran as the official candi- French Polynesia’s delegation now date of the French ruling party Union includes not only the oldest but also pour un Mouvement Populaire (ump) the youngest of all 346 French sena- on a ticket with Pirae Mayor Béatrice tors. Not only did the French Gaul- Coppenrath-Vernaudon (TP, 12 Sept list ump party no longer support 2008). Flosse, but it also openly opposed Since the majority of the municipal him; therefore, he refused to rejoin its councils were ruled by either Temaru’s caucus and now sits in the ranks of the Tavini or Flosse’s Tahoeraa parties, few independent senators. Tuheiava, Flosse and Tuheiava won with 372 on the other hand, joined the caucus and 361 votes, respectively. Compet- of the French Socialist party, follow- ing candidates Tong Sang and Cop- ing a partnership agreement between penrath-Vernaudon received only 318 the Socialists and Temaru’s Tavini and 308 votes each. Five other tickets Huiraatira party. As the first openly of splinter parties received only a few pro-independence parliamentarian to or no votes at all (TP, 21 Sept 2008; represent the country in Paris, Tuhe- TPM, Oct 2008). iava promised to raise the issue of pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 171 independence in the French Senate. gradually cancelled by 2015 (TPM, The first initiatives he began work- Dec 2008). ing on were the revision of the still The reform plans provoked vocal legally valid political trial of historic protests by civil servants unions, sup- Tahitian leader Pouvanaa a Oopa ported by local opposition politicians. (sentenced to a long prison term and Senator Flosse accused France of banishment in France on trumped-up preparing its withdrawal from the ter- charges in 1959), as well as the clas- ritory and breaking previously given sification of the historic temple Marae promises. Jégo, on the other hand, Taputapuatea on Raiatea island as a defended his reform plan as a measure unesco world heritage site (TP, 11 of social justice. The pensioners, he and 19 Oct 2008). argued, were a privileged class who During the months following the could handle cuts in their income very senate election, a great controversy well, compared to the majority of the arose about the adjustment of pen- population who work in the private sions, leading to mass protests. Pres- sector, where they have to survive ently, all retired French civil servants on low wages and receive only mini- resident in French Polynesia (regard- mal social services (TPM, Dec 2008). less of where they worked before) Despite a huge protest march of about receive a so-called indexation of 75 5,000 public servants on 9 October, percent on top of their pensions. Con- another one of 1,000 on 27 October, sidering the absence of an income tax and a roadblock in downtown Papeete in French Polynesia, this essentially by 2,000 protestors on 12 November, represents a doubling of the pension the French Senate passed the pension amount they would receive if residing reform law on 18 November (TPM, in metropolitan France. This is one of Dec 2008). the major reasons for French pension- While the bureaucratic elite unsuc- ers to move into the country, thus cessfully fought to preserve their increasing the French settler popula- privileges, the economic situation of tion but at the same time contributing the country continued to deteriorate. to the local economy through their The visitor count of 182,556 in 2008 massive spending. The indexation has represented another record low, 9.2 long been controversial. During a visit percent below the year before, bring- to Tahiti in July 2008, French Secre- ing the number of tourists down to the tary for Overseas Territories Yves Jégo level of twenty years ago. Considering announced that pensions for retired the 2008 world financial crisis, these civil servants whose work was not figures are likely to drop even more related to an overseas territory would in 2009. The economic crisis touched no longer be indexed (TPM, Aug 2008). other sectors as well, with notably During another visit to the country the pearl industry and agriculture in mid-October, Jégo announced in recession. In 2008, the country a detailed reform plan, according imported 35 billion cfp francs (about to which all existing indexations us$350 million) worth of agricultural will remain in place for life, but the products, accounting for 90 percent of indexation of new pensions will be the locally consumed food (TPM, Nov 172 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

2008, Jan 2009). On 11 June 2009, promises concerning the 2009 budget the Ministry of Finance announced (TP, 8 Dec 2008). Without a major- that tax income for the country gov- ity, the government could not pass the ernment would be 30 percent less than budget and was deadlocked. that of the preceding year (TPM, July During the following two months, 2009). Tong Sang met several times with With the country’s economy in opposition leaders Temaru and Flosse serious recession, poverty is an ever- in order to find a way out of the increasing problem. According to a political crisis, but the negotiations census taken by a French researcher, failed each time to bring about sub- there are now 321 houseless persons stantial agreement (DT, 26 Dec 2008). in the city of Papeete alone. The cen- In late January, Tong Sang was able to sus did not cover the adjacent subur- convince Lévy-Agami to vote in favor ban municipalities, so actual figures of the 2009 budget so that it could are probably much higher (TPM, May finally be passed (TP, 27 Jan 2009), 2009). but this was only a temporary move, While the economy kept declin- and she refused to rejoin the ranks of ing, the political instability went into To Tatou Aia in the assembly, leaving another round. On 26 September, a the government without a majority. few days after the senate elections, Multiple negotiations between internal divisions within the gov- assembly members followed until ernment became apparent, as Jean- 31 January, when Temaru, Flosse, Christophe Bouissou—the leader of and Bouissou announced that they Rautahi (“Unity”), the second largest had formed a new governing coali- constituent party within the To Tatou tion. Bouissou stated that Tong Sang Aia coalition, and chairman of the To had failed to pull the country out of Tatou Aia caucus in the assembly— the crisis and had contributed to the publicly criticized the government division of the political landscape for being unstable and advocated an instead of working for unity. Bouis- alliance with the opposition parties in sou supported Temaru’s candidacy order to create a more stable majority, for president, calling Temaru the as To Tatou Aia at that time held only political leader with the greatest a one-seat majority over the combined charisma of all, who solely would be opposition of upld and Tahoeraa (TP, able to overcome the political divi- 28 Sept 2008). Throughout the latter sion of the country (TP, 31 Jan 2009). part of the year, the relations between This sudden change of discourse by Tong Sang and Bouissou deteriorated, Bouissou surprised many observers, as did those with other members of since Bouissou had always identified the governing coalition. On 8 Decem- himself as favorable to France and had ber, To Tatou Aia lost its majority, as denounced Temaru as a divisive, anti- one of its assembly members, Sandra French extremist until a few months Lévy-Agami, resigned from the coali- before. tion to become an independent. The Flosse, on the other hand, was reason given for her resignation was slightly angry at Temaru, whom he Tong Sang’s not respecting electoral accused of violating the 2008 part- pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 173 nership agreement between the two dissidents from To Tatou Aia); while parties, which promised Tahoeraa the Lévy-Agami received her own vote. presidency while upld would hold the For the second round, Lévy-Agami position of Speaker. Consequently, the and Fritch withdrew their candidacies Tahoeraa assembly members dissolved (they had already made very concilia- their common caucus with upld, tory speeches in the first round), and but still agreed to vote for Temaru. Temaru was elected the new president Flosse said he and his party had no with 37 votes (including the 12 votes other choice, since they all wanted to of Tahoeraa and the 1 of Lévy-Agami). remove Tong Sang from office, but the One day later, the same majority new organic law of 2007 no longer elected Edouard Fritch to the posi- allowed motions of no confidence but tion of speaker to take Temaru’s place only so-called motions of defiance, (TP, 11 and 12 Feb 2009). which include the automatic election After long negotiations among the of a new president (TP, 2 Feb 2009). three parties of the new coalition, On 4 February, upld, Tahoeraa, Temaru presented his new cabinet and Rautahi introduced a motion on 16 February, mainly comprising of defiance against Tong Sang with former ministers from previous gov- Temaru as their candidate. How- ernments. Temaru originally wanted ever, Tong Sang circumvented this by to nominate Bouissou to be his vice declaring his resignation on 7 Febru- president, but Flosse refused to accept ary, thereby enabling the election of this. Finally, the coalition agreed on a new president in several rounds upld member Tony Geros, who had with multiple candidates (TPM, March been vice president during Temaru’s 2009). Apparently, this move was an previous presidency from September attempt to gain time and to divide the 2007 to February 2008. The cabinet new majority. consisted of 15 ministers, 7 of whom For the presidential election on 11 were part of upld, 5 of Tahoeraa, and February, Edouard Fritch (Flosse’s 3 of Ia Ora Te Fenua. Flosse himself son-in-law) and Sandra Lévy-Agami did not want any position in the new declared their candidacies as well, in government (TP, 16 Feb 2009). addition to Temaru and Tong Sang. With 37 of 57 seats in the assembly, Previously, Bouissou had formed a the new government held the strongest new caucus in the assembly named Ia majority since 2004. For a short while, Ora Te Fenua (Let The Land Live), hope was rising that the chronic insta- into which several other members bility was finally being overcome. deserted from To Tatou Aia, further Meanwhile, the courts continued weakening Tong Sang’s position. In their inquiries into past wrongdo- the first round, Temaru received 24 ings of leading politicians, who had votes as expected (the 18 assembly previously been virtually immune from members of upld, as well as 6 of Ia justice for decades. On 3 December, Ora Te Fenua); Tong Sang received 20 for his illegal use of public land for a (the remaining members of To Tatou private party house, Mahina Mayor Aia); Fritch gathered 12 votes (those Emile Vernaudon was sentenced to of his own caucus, including some a suspended one-year jail sentence, 174 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) a fine of 3 million cfp francs (about conference on 21 January. Since the us$30,000), and one year of ineli- authenticity of the document has so gibility for public office (TPM, Jan far not been established, Flosse and 2009). Subsequently, on 22 January, his attorneys claimed it to be a forgery Vernaudon was removed from the produced by his political opponents mayoralty of Mahina, a post he had in order to damage his career. His held since 1978 (TPM, Feb 2009). On theory failed to explain, however, how 5 January, Leonard Puputauki, the the document ended up in the drawer former commander of the presidential of his desk, where the police found it security and aid agency gip under (TPM, Jan–Feb 2009). While the inves- Flosse’s presidency before 2004, was tigations concerning the Couraud case sentenced to a three-year prison term continued, local journalist Alex Du and a fine of 5 million cfp francs Prel was sentenced by a Paris court to (about us$50,000) for his responsibil- a fine of €1,000 (about us$1,400) for ity in the death of several sailors on slander, because he had in an earlier the gip ship Tahiti Nui, which had article accused the local judiciary of been wrecked on a reef in September inaction in the case (TPM, July 2009). 2003 (TPM, Feb 2009). The Couraud case was not the Another affair possibly involv- only one possibly implicating Sena- ing the gip, the unresolved death of tor Flosse. In another affair involving French journalist Jean-Pascal Couraud corruption, the former director of in 1997, made its way into the head- the Postal and Telecommunications lines once more in January 2009. Office, Alphonse Teriierooiterai, and Couraud, who had been working on a French businessman Michel Yonker story about a corruption affair poten- were arrested and placed in detention tially involving Flosse and then French on 24 April (TPM, May 2009). A few President Jacques Chirac, disappeared months later, on 12 June, French mil- in December 1997, and his body has lionaire businessman Hubert Haddad, never been found. Initially treated as a a close friend of Gaston Flosse, was suicide, the case was reopened in 2004 arrested during a visit to Tahiti and when Vetea Guilloux, a former gip jailed as well (TPM, July 2009). member, gave controversial testimony It was coalition politics, however, in which he claimed that his col- that filled the headlines again, as the leagues, under orders from their supe- allegedly stable governing coalition of riors, had kidnapped, tortured, and upld, Tahoeraa, and Rautahi broke killed Couraud on a ship and dumped apart after barely two months of exis- his body into the sea. During a search tence. The new political crisis began in of Flosse’s house in Pirae in September mid-March, when President Temaru 2008, police found a written state- returned from a working trip to Paris. ment by Vetea Cadousteau, another While Temaru and his ministers pre- former gip agent who had died under sented their negotiations with French unclear circumstances in 2004, which government officials as successful, confirms Guilloux’s testimony. The Flosse claimed the trip was redundant presentation of this document to the and that it had brought no substantial public on 29 December (NT, 30 Dec results (TP, 8 and 16 March 2009). 2008) caused Flosse to give a press In the following weeks, Flosse made pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 175 similar comments, criticizing the coalition partners was not uncontested government’s lack of action facing the within Temaru’s own ranks. Several ongoing economic crisis (TP, 27 March leading members of upld voiced their 2009). While divisions within the gov- concern and declared their opposition erning coalition thus became increas- to Tong Sang, whom they, like Flosse, ingly obvious, opposition assembly accused of being a French puppet. members under their leader Tong Sang Two upld members thus voted for behaved suspiciously uncritical toward Fritch, and two more abstained (TP, Temaru. On 31 March, Tong Sang 9 April 2009). publicly declared to be ready to work During the following days, Temaru together with the president. tried hard to form a unitary govern- Temaru at first attempted to ignore ment that included all parties. Unsur- Tong Sang’s declaration and down- prisingly, however, Flosse refused to played Flosse’s critical comments, participate and insisted on remain- but in early April, he began to make ing in the opposition. On 17 April, serious efforts to hold his coalition Temaru presented his new cabinet; together. Since the annual reelection of besides the incumbent 7 upld minis- the assembly Speaker was coming up, ters and 2 of the 3 incumbents of Bou- Temaru gave Flosse an ultimatum to issou’s Ia Ora Te Fenua, it included 5 stop his comments and submit himself new ministers of To Tatou Aia, most to the majority, or resign from his of them ministers in Tong Sang’s pre- mandate as an assembly member; oth- vious cabinets (TPM, May 2009). erwise, upld would not reelect Fritch Two Tahoeraa incumbents, Teva as assembly Speaker (TPM, May 2009). Rohfritsch and Fréderic Riveta, At the same time, the president started refused to follow the directions of negotiating with Tong Sang about the their party and retained their minis- possible formation of a unitary gov- tries. This act of defiance led to the ernment including To Tatou Aia. suspension of their party member- Flosse reacted to these moves with ship by order of a special Tahoeraa outrage and called a special board board meeting on 20 April. This time, meeting of his Tahoeraa party on 7 however, the authoritarian handling April, at which they decided to leave of their case backfired on Flosse, as Temaru’s government and join the one of his closest followers, Bruno opposition. At the same time, Flosse Sandras, the mayor of Papara and one heavily criticized Tong Sang, whom of the country’s two deputies in the he accused of undermining the Flosse- French National Assembly, resigned Temaru coalition by order of the his party membership in protest and French government (TP, 7 April 2009). solidarity with Rohfritsch and Riveta Temaru nevertheless went ahead in (TP, 20 April 2009). On 24 April, even his negotiations with Tong Sang, and Flosse’s hitherto most loyal lieutenant, they agreed on the formation of a new Edouard Fritch, asked his father-in- majority. On 9 April, Philip Schyle law Flosse to retire from politics in of To Tatou Aia was elected the new order to let the party modernize itself Speaker with an overwhelming major- and become less authoritarian (TP, 24 ity of forty votes, against only fourteen April 2009). for Fritch. However, this change of This most recent episode in the 176 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) political drama of French Polynesia e Tatou (MeT, in French Polynesia) was quite significant, as it showed had mixed reactions to the bill. While how irrelevant political ideologies aven generally approved of the initia- have become, since by now, all politi- tive, the organization questioned cal parties have at one time been in whether the bill would really help a coalition with one another, even all the victims, since according to its if their purported ideologies are as estimates, only a few hundred among different as French Gaullist–affiliated the thousands of nuclear-test veterans (To Tatou Aia) and pro-independence would qualify for compensation. MeT Tahitian nationalist (upld) (TPM, May was even more critical. Its chairman, 2009). Since opportunism might soon Roland Oldham, lauded the French become the only measurement of poli- government’s finally acknowledging ticians’ maneuvering, it seems unlikely health damage due to radiation, but he that a recipe to create political stabil- expressed his doubts about its hav- ity will emerge anytime soon. ing a serious commitment to helping Another unresolved issue that the victims. Nuclear-testing expert entered the headlines concerned the Bruno Barillot, a collaborator of MeT, consequences of French nuclear test- mentioned that the amount of money ing, which had taken place between provided for compensation in the bill, 1966 and 1996, on the health of the divided by the number of potential country’s inhabitants. On 23 March, victims, was far less than the amounts French Minister of Defense Hervé of compensation received by test Morin announced the introduction victims who had recently won indi- of a bill to grant compensation to all vidual lawsuits. Barillot furthermore former test-site workers suffering from expressed doubt that the compensa- a number of specific radiation-caused tion commission could act indepen- diseases. This would represent a great dently if it was operating under the step forward, as until a few years ago Ministry of Defense, which, he said, the French government denied that would be “as if one asks a torturer to any health damage had been caused compensate his victims” (TPM, April by its tests. In the few lawsuits that 2009). In a communiqué of 5 April, had been won by test victims in the MeT denounced the bill as “disgrace- last few years, the burden of proof ful” and “fraudulent” because of its of suffering from a radiation-caused lack of transparency, and asked the disease was on the plaintiff. The draft government of French Polynesia to bill stated that all former test-site employ all means to achieve a substan- workers would have a claim to receive tial revision before the bill’s introduc- compensation if they suffered from tion into the French Parliament (TP, one of the diseases defined in the bill. 5 April 2009). After meeting with the For the verification of each case, a leaders of MeT, President Temaru’s commission of physicians and lawyers cabinet council unanimously rejected would be created within the Ministry the bill (TP, 29 April 2009). of Defense. At the same time, on 27 April, the The nuclear test victims associa- litigation of a historic case began in tions aven (in France) and Moruroa the Papeete court, in which eight mem- pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 177 bers of MeT had sued the territorial before their departure to the other health insurance cep as well as their world, making it one of the most former employer, the French Nuclear important sacred places of the entire Energy Commission, because the two island. Similar beliefs are held all over institutions refused to recognize their Polynesia. For example, Fatuosofia radiation-related health problems Point on Upolu (Sāmoa), Ka‘ena Point as occupational diseases. While the on O‘ahu (Hawai‘i), or Cape Reinga plaintiffs’ attorneys were optimistic on the North Island (Aotearoa / New about their chances to win, President Zealand) have a comparable function. Temaru was rather skeptical, stating Whereas these places are protected as that only an international court would natural parks or historic sites, the land have the necessary neutrality to make of Tataa Point was recently bought a fair decision (TPM, May 2009). The by a hotel company, which has been litigation took several months until operating a luxury hotel in immediate the decision was made on 25 June. proximity to the sacred place for many Only one of the plaintiffs won, with years and is now planning to extend the French Nuclear Energy Commis- the hotel complex onto the Tataa sion sentenced to pay him compensa- property. In the course of a general tion, whereas the lawsuits of the seven renaissance of traditional Polynesian other plaintiffs were dismissed (TPM, religion, an association was formed July 09). the previous year in order to protect The Morin bill was further dis- the sacred site. The participants of the cussed, and the Assembly of French ceremony reiterated their demands Polynesia, when asked for advice, and asked the government to declare gave a “reserved” (ie, neither for nor Tataa Point a protected site immedi- against) opinion on 14 May (TPM, ately in order to prevent its desecra- June 2009). A Tahitian delegation tion and stop the construction plans met with Minister Morin in mid-June (TP, 21 March 2009). to urge improvements (TPM, July While this and many similar initia- 2009), but on 25 June, the Morin bill tives to protect and perpetuate the was adopted by the French National country’s cultural heritage are con- Assembly without major modifications tinuing, the related issue of custom- (TP, 25 June 2009). ary leadership came up again in late Meanwhile, an issue of cultural May. Joinville Pomare, heir of the preservation and spiritual heritage royal family that ruled Tahiti until the attracted attention. On 21 March, French annexation in 1880, was pro- 1,500 activists gathered at Tataa Point claimed king of Tahiti under the style (the northwestern cape of Tahiti Island of Pomare XI in a ceremony attended at the boundary between Faaa and by about a hundred of his followers Punaauia municipalities) in order to in Pirae. In addition, high chiefs were hold a traditional religious ceremony appointed for Tahiti’s districts as well and thereby confirm the sacredness as some of the outer islands. The coro- of the place. In traditional Tahitian nation was part of a campaign for the religion, Tataa Point is the gather- recognition of traditional chiefly titles ing point for the souls of the dead that Pomare has been leading for sev- 178 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) eral years. In a communiqué, Pomare and announced that it would sup- stated that France broke its promise port the ump ticket (TP, 2 June 2009). to respect the king, the district chiefs, Following this most recent return of and the traditional land tenure system Tahoeraa to its former pro-French in the treaty of annexation signed with Gaullist stance, rumors spread about his great-great-granduncle Pomare V the formation of a new “autonomist in 1880, and that the restoration of alliance” of all anti-independence these institutions was the first step to parties (“autonomist” meaning pro- ensure the respect of the treaty (TP, 28 French, in local political discourse) May 2009; TPM, May 2009). in order to topple Temaru. Flosse While Pomare’s coronation and clarified that the alliance was for the related initiatives represent an inter- European elections only, making the esting alternative to party politics, rumors seem to be unfounded, at least the latter were once again filling the for the time being. headlines as the European elections The elections on 6 June had the approached. French Polynesia is repre- usual low turnout (a little more than sented in the European Parliament as 20 percent). Despite the supposed part of the three-seat French Overseas rallying of all “autonomist” par- constituency, but voting turnouts are ties behind the ump ticket, the latter usually very low. Nevertheless, the scored second with only 32.7 percent, preparation of the elections had some slightly behind the upld-supported impact on the political life of the Socialist ticket, which won the major- country. In late May, five candidates ity with 33.25 percent of the votes. from French Polynesia presented them- The MoDem list scored third with selves on various French party lists, 17.83 percent. Since neither Maamaa- including former Temaru government tuaiahutapu nor Alpha were on minister and independence supporter leading positions on their respective Keitapu Maamaatuaiahutapu on the lists, neither of them won a seat in the Socialist party list supported by upld; European Parliament (results from equipment minister Tearii Alpha of French Ministry of the Interior Web To Tatou Aia on the list of ump, who site). was also supported by Jean-Chris- The European elections were tophe Bouissou’s Rautahi party and not the only occasion for political ex-Tahoeraa deputy Bruno Sandras ideologies to create divisions within (TP, 22 and 25 May 2009); as well as the Temaru–Tong Sang coalition. Nicole Bouteau on the list of French Shortly thereafter, tensions arose centrist party Mouvement Démocrate again, this time around the issue of (MoDem). Most striking was the independence. At the opening of the absence of a Tahoeraa candidate. The “Etats Généraux de l’Outre-Mer,” party had overcome its latest internal a workshop on the future of French divisions when Edouard Fritch had overseas territories initiated by the retracted his criticism and once more French government, Temaru used the supported Flosse as the unquestioned term Maohi Nui (Greater Maohi) party leader (TP, 5 May 2009). To instead of French Polynesia and stated everyone’s surprise, Tahoeraa then that independence should be where invited Alpha to a party convention the country is heading (TP, 11 and 16 pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 179

June 2009). The following day, Tong pir, Pacific Islands Report. Daily Internet Sang insisted that the French presence news. Honolulu. http://pidp.eastwestcenter was beneficial for the country and .org/pireport should be maintained (TP, 17 June TP, Tahitipresse. Daily Internet news. 2009). A few days later, Tong Sang Tahiti. http://www.tahitipresse.pf signed an agreement in Paris, mak- TPM, Tahiti Pacifique Magazine. Monthly. ing his To Tatou Aia party the offi- Tahiti. http://www.tahiti-pacifique.com cial French Polynesia chapter of the ump (TP, 18 June 2009). During an assembly session the following week, Flosse severely criticized Temaru’s pro- Māori Issues independence position, which he had previously tolerated if not encouraged For the first time since I began writing (TP, 26 June 2009). these reviews on Māori issues in 1994, At the annual “autonomy holiday” I can provide a report that in total has of 29 June, commemorating both the more positive aspects than negative. signing of the 1880 annexation docu- The highlight has been the influence ment and the enactment of a 1984 the Māori Party has been able to have statute of internal autonomy for the on the new National-led government. territory, one could see Flosse once There were also the benefits that more together with Tong Sang and are finally starting to flow to Māori Bouissou celebrating autonomy within after the Labour government, in its the French Republic. As usual, Presi- dying days, set out to win back Māori dent Temaru boycotted the festivities support through Treaty of Waitangi while honoring Tahitian resistance to claims settlements. New Zealand colonization at a monument in Faaa still has a very long way to go before (TPM, July 2009). The previous year, Māori are accorded the respect owed Flosse had participated in Temaru’s us as the country’s first nation. That ceremony for the first time, but this includes recognizing and upholding year, he was absent again. The politi- our sovereignty as guaranteed by the cal leaders thus symbolically reaf- Treaty of Waitangi and reversing the firmed their respective ideologies, shocking statistical trends in all socio- while those ideologies have become economic areas. Nevertheless, this past virtually meaningless in their actions. year looked like a good start in that lorenz gonschor direction. The November 2008 election resulted in a landslide victory for the References conservative National Party, which won 58 seats in the 120-seat Parlia- DT, La Depêche de Tahiti. Daily. Tahiti. ment. With support of the right-wing French Ministry of the Interior Web site. act Party’s 5 seats, the National Party Results of the European Elections for had sufficient numbers to form a French Polynesia. http://www.interieur government. However, the new prime .gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats minister, John Key, announced that -elections/ER2009/08/COM/987/987.html he would lead a National minority NT, Les Nouvelles de Tahiti. Daily. Tahiti. government with confidence-and- 180 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) supply support from the act, United had sought to abolish the Māori seats Future, and Māori parties. Although in Parliament, under this agreement, both major parties had been courting it could not do so without the consent the Māori Party in the lead-up to the of the Māori people. Māori have long elections, it came as a surprise that sought to embed the Treaty of Wai- National sought to include them when tangi in a written constitution for the there was no need to do so. It was country. Under the new agreement, a also in marked contrast to the Labour group will be set up by early 2010 to Party treatment of the Māori Party consider constitutional issues, includ- after the 2005 election when former ing Māori representation. The Māori Prime Minister Helen Clarke referred Party was initially created to fight to them as “the last cab off the rank” the confiscation of the foreshore and (NZH, 2 April 2008). The Māori Party seabed by the Crown, and has a clear won 5 of the 7 Māori seats in the mandate to repeal the Foreshore and 2009 elections, with Labour’s minis- Seabed Act of 2004. Under the agree- ters of Māori affairs and local govern- ment, a review of the act was to be ment each retaining their Tairāwhiti conducted before December 2009 and and Hauraki-Waikato seats (nzmj in the event that its repeal becomes 2008). The election delivered 6 mem- necessary, protection would be put bers of Parliament who acknowledge in place to ensure all New Zealand- their Māori descent to each of the ers have access to the foreshore and Labour and National parties, and 1 seabed. In reality, the review was to the Green Party, making a total of completed in June 2009, six months 18 members of Māori descent in the early, and did recommend that the House. However, the only parliamen- act be repealed (Durie, O’Regan, and tarians who represent Māori are those Boast 2009). A government decision in the Māori seats. The rest represent on how to proceed with the matter is their parties. now being awaited. Within days of the election, the The most important outcomes of Māori Party announced that it was the agreement were the ministerial prepared to consider John Key’s invi- roles assigned to the leaders of the tation to become part of his govern- Māori Party. The consultation hui ment, but that it would only do so had indicated that maintaining Māori after consulting Māori throughout the independence in Parliament remained country. Forty hui (gatherings) were paramount, and that the Māori Party convened, and within the week, the must continue to hold the government party reported overwhelming sup- accountable even though it was now port for its entering into an agreement part of that government. Thus, Dr Pita with the National Party (Māori Party Sharples and Tariana Turia became 2008a). The agreement covered many ministers outside the cabinet. Dr issues raised by the Māori Party in Sharples is minister of Māori affairs, the previous Parliament (Māori Party associate minister of education, and 2008b), and calls for both parties to associate minister of corrections. Mrs act in accordance with the Treaty of Turia is minister for the community Waitangi. Although the National Party and voluntary sector, associate minis- pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 181 ter of health, and associate minister of Dr Michael Cullen, was maintained social development and employment. until the elections. The National Within two months, the Māori government has promised to maintain Party was challenging the govern- this momentum. Iwi (tribal groupings) ment to allow the flying of a Māori throughout the country, who had suf- flag on the Auckland Harbour Bridge fered interminable delays over several on Waitangi Day, a request that had decades at the hands of government been denied repeatedly by the previ- officials, found themselves thrown ous government. John Key answered into intense negotiations, with the that he was happy to see the flag not pace becoming very demanding in only on the Harbour Bridge but also the last days of the Labour govern- at Parliament, provided Māori could ment. In its Four Monthly Report agree which flag was to be flown for July to October 2008, the Office (NZH, 15 Jan 2009). As soon as the of Treaty Settlements reported an Foreshore and Seabed hearings were unprecedented level of activity with completed in June 2009, the minister respect to processing the settlement of of Māori affairs started conducting historical Treaty of Waitangi claims a series of hui around the country (ots 2008a). Legislation settling the to ascertain what Māori wanted. long-running Te Rōroa claim passed The Māori Party also challenged the through Parliament. Deeds of Settle- government when it announced in ment were signed with the Welling- April 2009 that it would not follow ton-based iwi Taranaki Whānui ki Te the recommendations of the Royal Upoko o Te Ika, with Waikato-Tainui Commission on Auckland Governance in respect of the Waikato River, and to reserve three seats for Māori on with Ngāti Apa. Agreements in prin- the proposed Auckland Super City ciple were reached with Ngāti Kahu, Council. The Māori Party organized Ngāti Manawa, Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, a protest march against the govern- Ngāti Pahauwera, Ngāti Makino / ment decision that tied up the inner- Waitaha, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti city area for several hours (NZH, 25 Raukawa, and Te Pūmautanga o Te May 2009). It also kept needling the Arawa (ots 2008b). government to agree to the United In June 2008, Taranaki Whānui Nations Declaration on the Rights of ki Te Upoko o Te Ika of Wellington Indigenous Peoples (UN 2007), when signed a deed of settlement for the signs appeared indicating that the return of several small pieces of land United States and Canada were mov- including three islands in Wellington ing closer to doing so. In the event of Harbour, nz$25 million with which to those two nations agreeing to the dec- buy more of their own lands still held laration, New Zealand would be the by the Crown, and a nz$5 million only country to remain opposed to the contribution toward their costs in pur- international recognition of the human suing the settlement (Bennion 2008, rights of indigenous peoples. Aug, 4). (nz$1.00 equals approxi- On the Treaty of Waitangi claims mately us$0.70.) settlements, the pace set by the deputy In July 2008, Ātihau-Whanganui prime minister in the last government, Incorporation signed an agreement 182 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) with the Crown for a nz$24.6 million will also pay nz$20 million to the cash payment to settle a claim for the Sir Robert Mahuta Endowment (ots misuse of its lands in the central North 2008b). The Office of Treaty Settle- Island. In 1902, 40,894 hectares of its ments Web site does not indicate that lands had come under the control of the Crown recognizes that Māori own the Aotea District Land Board. Pākehā the river, although a quote from the (non-Māori of European descent) late Sir Robert Mahuta is included, managed to take control of the board stating, “The River belongs to us and and leased the lands to Pākehā at rates we belong to the River. The Waikato and under conditions severely detri- tribe and the River are inseparable. It mental to its Māori owners, result- is a gift left to us by our ancestors and ing in their having to pay substantial we believe we have a duty to protect amounts to those Pākehā once the that gift for future generations.” Even leases expired. Financial arrangements so, the settlement appears to give to resume as many leases as possible Waikato-Tainui only a limited say in when they come up for renewal have the management of the river. cost the incorporation over nz$30 In September 2008, Ngāti Kahu in million, and the settlement will be the Far North signed an agreement used mostly to service the incorpora- in principle for the return of 5,095 tion’s debts (Bennion 2008, July, 4). hectares of their lands and control In August 2008, Waikato-Tainui over a further 5,000 hectares through signed a deed of settlement for the a statutory board made up of equal country’s largest, badly polluted river, Ngāti Kahu / Crown membership, the Waikato River. The settlement chaired by Ngāti Kahu, and with all aims to enhance the relationship and its business conducted according to partnership between the Crown and Ngāti Kahu customary law. A cash Waikato-Tainui regarding the manage- contribution of nz$7.5 million to ment and use of the river. The main rebuild and repair fifteen marae and features of the settlement are focused their associated housing has also been on the co-management and collabora- included in the agreement. In 2007, tive protection of the river. A body Ngāti Kahu had been forced to repos- made up of iwi and Crown members sess parts of its lands when the Crown will have oversight of the cleanup of tried to sell them off. All these lands the river, with the Crown contributing are now being returned to Ngāti Kahu nz$7 million annually for thirty years. (Mutu 2009, 166). A Waikato River Statutory Board In October 2008, the Crown signed made up of iwi and district council an agreement in principle with iwi of appointees will support the iwi and Hauraki and the South Island over their relationship with the river (Ben- resolution of their aquaculture inter- nion 2008, Aug, 5–6), with the Crown ests. A one-off nz$97 million cash contributing nz$50 million for river payment is to be made to settle the initiatives, and a further nz$1 mil- Crown’s obligations to Māori under lion per year for thirty years to fund the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Waikato-Tainui participation in the Claims Settlement Act 2004. The act co-management process. The Crown obliged the Crown to provide the pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 183 equivalent of 20 percent of existing own Ngāti Kahu iwi, where their past aquaculture space for Māori. record of extensive voluntary work Two days before the elections, on for kaumātua meant their service 6 November 2008, the government was completed in record time (Te announced that it had reached agree- Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu 2009). ment with Ngāti Porou to pay a cash margaret mutu sum of nz$90 million plus interest for up to two years to settle its historical grievances, to gift five properties and References possibly a sixth, and to afford Ngāti Porou the right to purchase Crown Bennion, Tom, editor. 2008. The Māori forest lands and land under schools. Law Review: A Monthly Review of Law Affecting Māori. Wellington. The agreement also includes consider- ing Crown support for retention and Durie, Edward, Hana O’Regan, and development of Ngāti Porou language, Richard Boast. 2009. Pākia ki Uta, Pākia knowledge, and customary practices; ki Tai: Ministerial Review of the Foreshore marae development grants; and the and Seabed Act 2004. Three volumes. use of conservation land to protect Wellington: Department of Justice. Avail- able online via the New Zealand Govern- and develop Ngāti Porou culture (Te ment Web site: http://www.beehive.govt Haeata 2008). .nz/release/foreshore+and+seabed+act Despite the pace of the settlements, +review+received they remain neither just nor fair, deliv- ering only a small fraction of what Harawira, Hone. 2009. Ae Mārika! was stolen from each iwi and pro- Northland Age [newspaper, Kaitāia, Far North], 17 March. Online at http://www viding little or no compensation for .scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0903/S00248.htm the extensive damage done to Māori [accessed 15 September 2009] throughout the country since 1840. Two young Ngāti Kahu men reminded Mana. Bi-monthly Māori news magazine. the country of this on Waitangi Day at Auckland. Waitangi when they jostled the prime Māori Party. 2008a. Reflections from the minister and warned him that the vast Relationship Signing - Turia. Press Release, majority of the injustices perpetrated 16 November. http://www.scoop.co.nz/ against Māori remain unaddressed, stories/PA0811/S00181.htm [accessed and Māori grievances remained 1 August 2009] unresolved. They were arrested but ———. 2008b. Relationship and Confi- in court had overwhelming support dence and Supply Agreement between the from their whānau (extended family) National Party and the Māori Party. and iwi, with numerous kaumātua http://www.maoriparty.org/index.php (elders), including their local mem- ?pag=cms&id=153&p=national-party ber of Parliament, speaking in their -and-the-maori-party-agreement.html defense (Harawira 2009). It was [accessed 1 August 2009] clear that what the young men had Mutu, Margaret. 2009. Polynesia in said to the prime minister was cor- Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2007 to rect. The community service sentence 30 June 2008: Māori Issues. The Contem- they received was served among their porary Pacific 21:162–169. 184 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

NZH, New Zealand Herald. Daily. Auck- The organic law bill to transform land. the island from a province within nzmj, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, the Chilean continental region of Chief Electoral Office. 2008. Official Valparaíso to a territory with special Count Results—Overall Status. political status was introduced in Con- http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/ gress on 2 July 2008 (subdere, 2 July electionresults_2008/partystatus.html 2008; for detailed discussion of the bill [accessed 1 August 2009] see Gonschor 2009) and was set on ots, Office of Treaty Settlements. 2008a. the agenda for debate on the congress Four Monthly Report July–October 2008. floor in mid-July (subdere, 14 July http://www.ots.govt.nz/frameset- 2008). In late August, a Chilean gov- settlementdocs.html [accessed 1 August ernment delegation visited the island 2009] and met with Governor Carolina Hotu ———. 2008b. Waikato River Settlement to discuss amendments, including Summary. 22 August 2008. http://www possible measures to control Chilean .ots.govt.nz/ [accessed 1 August 2009] immigration (gip, 29 Aug 2008). In Te Haeata. 2008. Settling Ngāti Porou November, Governor Hotu traveled Historical Treaty Claims. 30 October. to Santiago to discuss the bill directly http://www.ngatiporou.com/myfiles/ with the legislators (gip, 3 Nov 2009). F1_Latest_news_Te_Haeata_Panui At the end of the review period, how- _-_High_Level_Agreement_Summary ever, the bill was still in the first stage _05112008.pdf [accessed 1 August 2009] of parliamentary procedure and had Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu. 2009. not yet left the Chamber of Deputies Minutes of the Taumata Kaumātua for the Senate (Congress of the Repub- o Ngāti Kahu, 23 February. Kaitāia, lic of Chile Web site, accessed 5 Aug Northland New Zealand (Aotearoa). 2009). The entire process of legislation UN, United Nations General Assembly. will probably take at least two years. 2007. United Nations Declaration on the The preceding constitutional amend- Rights of Indigenous Peoples. http://www ment bill, which enables the currently .un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html pending legislation, took from 2005 to [accessed 15 August 2008] 2007 to pass. From 19 to 30 July 2008, a Rapanui delegation consisting of the internationally famed band Matato‘a Rapa Nui and several dancers participated The principal event on Rapa Nui dur- in the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts ing the period under review was the in American Sāmoa. As with other end of the fourteen-year “reign” of such festivals, the event provided an Mayor Petero Edmunds, and the elec- opportunity for Rapanui to meet other tion of Luz Zasso as his successor. The Pacific Islanders and thereby to rein- reform of the island’s political status tegrate into Oceania, from which they is still waiting to be completed, while had been alienated due to more than the tourism industry is booming more a century of Chilean colonialism (gip, than ever, leading to serious debates 17 July 2008; RNJ, Oct 2008). How- on sustainability. ever, for the time being, this reintegra- pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 185 tion seems to be limited to the cultural ethnomusicologists, and often went field. Unfortunately, even under the abroad with his ensemble to share upcoming new political status of Rapanui music with people of other “special territory,” there appears to parts of the Pacific (gip, 16 Oct 2008; be no prospect of a political reintegra- RNJ, May 2009). tion, such as membership in the Pacific By far the most important event on Community and the Pacific Islands the island, however, was the municipal Forum, in the near future. election in late October, in which the On 9 September, the 120th anni- succession of incumbent Mayor Petero versary of the island’s annexation by Edmunds Paoa was to be determined. Chile, Rapa Nui received a high-level Edmunds, who had headed the munic- visit by Chilean Minister of the Inte- ipality since 1994, had earlier in 2008 rior Edmundo Pérez Yoma and Sub- decided not to run for office again, secretary for Regional Development a decision possibly influenced by his Claudia Serrano. The commemoration decreasing popularity. During the last included a large gathering, featuring a few years, Edmunds’s style of political cultural show by local schoolchildren. leadership had become more and more In an attempt to mitigate what was controversial, not the least because clearly an act of colonialism, Pérez some of his statements had come stated that “more than a territorial across as erratic and contradictory. annexation of the island to continen- Edmunds deserves credit for his efforts tal Chile,” the event commemorated during his long years of local leader- “an encounter between two peoples, ship to help his community progress one ancestral, the other nascent.” economically, as well as his advocacy The minister furthermore promised for more political autonomy and rec- that Chile would grant the islanders ognition of Rapanui culture. However, more self-government and provide he was at times criticized by the local them with the technical means for it, opposition for being too close to the citing the administrative reforms and Chilean political elite, while others infrastructural investments currently pointed out that he sometimes seemed underway (gip, 9 Sept 2008; sub- to lack initiative and tended to blame dere, 9 Sept 2008). all of the island’s problems on the On 11 October, Rapa Nui lost Chilean government. another of its most revered koro After Edmunds decided not to (elders), when singer and cultural run for mayor again, the Christian expert Luis Avaka Pate Paoa passed Democratic Party of Chile, of which away at age eighty-two. Known as Edmunds used to be the local candi- “Papa Kiko,” Pate was famous for date, nominated Luz Zasso Paoa, a his knowledge of ancient Rapanui municipal employee and one of the traditions as well as for his talented newly elected members of the Easter voice. Throughout his long life, he Island Development Commission performed and recorded countless (codeipa, a representative organiza- ancient songs and chants as well as tion with responsibilities separate from more contemporary church-influenced the municipality). During the cam- hymns, collaborated with various paign, opposing candidates attempted 186 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) to present Zasso as Edmunds’s San Juan (udi). Newly elected were handpicked successor and to carry Ximena Trengove Vallejos and Marta over their critique of Edmunds to her. Hotu Tuki for pdc, Carlos Mardones However, Zasso succeeded in creating Riroroko for ppd, and Julio Araki her own image by advocating reforms Tepano for udi. The four incumbent of the municipal services and promis- councilors Marcelo Ika Paoa (pdc), ing to employ all available municipal Marcelo Pont Hill (ppd), Hipólito Ika resources for the resolution of local Nahoe (Humanist Party), and Nicolas issues. Haoa Cardinali (independent in alli- In the 26 October election, Zasso ance with udi) failed in their reelec- won a relative majority of 46.0 tion bids. Pro-independence opposi- percent, and thus became Edmunds’s tion leader Mario Tuki Hey, who had successor as mayor of the “Illustrious been elected into the codeipa in 2007 Municipality of Easter Island,” as the with the largest majority of all candi- office is officially called. Her main dates, was another candidate for the opponent, schoolteacher Akahanga municipal council who was not elected Rapu Tuki—himself without party (Te Rapa Nui Press, 30 Oct 2008). affiliation but running for Alianza, Following the law on regional the alliance of Chilean right-wing administration, the newly constituted opposition parties—received 37.1 municipal council then confirmed the percent. Two other candidates, Pascual two representatives of Easter Island Pakarati Gonzales (independent) Province in the Regional Council of and Hugo Edmunds Paoa (Human- Valparaíso: incumbents Maria Cristina ist Party) lagged significantly behind, Pizarro Velásquez of pdc and Enzo with 11.4 percent and 3.4 percent, Muñoz Farías of udi (Te Rapa Nui, respectively. Jan–Feb 2005; Regional Council of Concurrently with the mayor, the Valparaíso Web site, accessed 8 Aug members of the municipal council 2009). Since their offices will become were elected as well, in a complex obsolete as soon as the special status system counting both party and indi- bill is passed and the island’s ties to vidual votes. Of the six elected munici- the Valparaíso Region will be dis- pal councilors, two each belong to the solved, the two representatives have Christian Democratic Party (pdc) and received little attention during recent the Party for Democracy (ppd), both times. part of Concertación, the center-left A striking feature was the election Chilean governing coalition, and two of two Chilean settlers as councilors are members of the Independent Dem- (Trengove and Olivares), compared to ocratic Union (udi), a party within the only one (Olivares) in the last elec- right-wing opposition Alianza. Alberto tion in 2004. This reflects the mas- Hotus Teave (ppd)—the incumbent sive increase in the Chilean settler long-serving municipal councilor, population over the past few years, former mayor (1992–1994), and con- during which time they have come to tested president of the Rapanui Coun- outnumber the native Rapanui on the cil of Elders—was reelected, as was island (RNJ, June 2006); their numbers opposition councilor Amelia Olivares are increasing annually by 7 percent pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 187

(gip, 19 Feb 2009). One of the reasons in 2000 with a thesis on reforming why Rapanui nationalist leaders like local planning on her home island. She Mario Tuki only have a chance at subsequently worked in different posi- running for codeipa but not for the tions on Rapa Nui or in relation with municipal council might lie in the fact the island. Prior to the election, she that the codeipa elections are limited had been the director of the municipal to ethnic Rapanui, while the munici- construction office for several years pal elections are open to any Chilean (subdere, 12 Nov 2008). citizens living on the island. Earlier in Zasso is the first elected female 2008, Erity Teave and Santi Hitorangi, mayor of Rapa Nui, but not the first representatives of the Rapanui Parlia- woman to serve in that office. The ment, a forum of pro-independence first female mayor of the island was Rapanui leaders, had delivered a paper Lucia Tuki, who served from 1985 to at the Permanent Forum on Indig- 1989 during the military dictatorship enous Issues at the United Nations in of General Augusto Pinochet, but like New York, urging a stop to Chilean all public officials at that time, she had immigration to their island (Teave and not been elected but was appointed Hitorangi 2008). by the junta (RNJ, Spring 1988). With Besides Zasso’s obvious popularity, Zasso’s election, however, not only the election results also showed that half the municipal councilors and the the current local power structures are mayor, but also the officials above her very well established, and clearly not are now female, including Governor dependent on Edmunds’s personal Hotu, Subsecretary Serrano, and Chil- charisma. Given Rapa Nui’s present ean President Michelle Bachelet. dependency on monetary subsidies Shortly after the election, the new from the Chilean government, a vote mayor traveled to Santiago, together for those affiliated with the ruling par- with her predecessor Edmunds, to ties in Santiago was the logical choice meet with Subsecretary Serrano and for most voters. Since the Concer- Natalia Piergentili, chairwoman of tación coalition had held power con- the Interministerial Committee for the tinuously since 1990, it is hard to pre- Development of Extremely Remote dict how the island community would Zones, to discuss the collaboration react to a change of government in the between her municipal administration metropole. For the time being, both and the authorities of the central gov- the local politicians affiliated with ernment (subdere, 12 Nov 2008). the Alianza and the pro-independence With the elections over, the rest of Rapanui nationalists allied with them the review period was rather calm as in a somewhat awkward way seem to far as politics were concerned, and be far from any prospect of winning a the news concerned mainly economic municipal election. data, cultural events, and day-to-day The newly elected Mayor Zasso administrative business. was born in 1972 of a Chilean father In spite of the world financial crisis, and a Rapanui mother. She studied Rapa Nui’s tourism industry contin- civil engineering at the University of ued to boom. There were more than Viña del Mar, obtaining her degree 50,000 visitors in 2007, 20 percent 188 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) more than in the previous year. If this ence on organic waste residue treat- annual increase in rate goes on, the ments, and propositions were made to number of visitors is expected to rise restructure the island’s waste man- to 200,000 by 2020. Due to tourism, agement system (gip, 23 Oct 2008). the local economy is in full expan- Even more problematic than organic sion, with an astonishing number waste are environmentally hazard- of new hotels, car rentals, souvenir ous materials like used car batteries, stores, and similar facilities being built given that there are now almost 2,000 all over Hanga Roa, the capital and automobiles on the island. In May, the only settlement. In 2007, 3.85 billion government unveiled a plan to ship pesos (us$7 million) were invested in this type of waste off the island (gip, the tourism sector, which accounted 15 May 2009). for about 90 percent of the island’s Another aspect of the island’s economic activity. Urged by the local changing economy was raised when government and Chilean tourism the Chilean minister of agriculture officials, Chilean national airline lan visited the island in February. Issues agreed to increase the frequency of discussed included the mass immigra- its flights from Santiago to the island, tion, spread of invasive species from and the government plans to rebuild Chile, and the lack of infrastructure in the airport runway and terminal by rural areas of the island, all contribut- 2012. While the boom provides locals ing to making the agricultural sector with an opportunity for a prosperous insufficient (gip, 19 Feb 2009). In a future, questions of ecological sustain- pattern that parallels Hawai‘i and ability are becoming more and more French Polynesia, most locally con- evident. Edgard Hereveri, president sumed food on Rapa Nui is currently of the local Chamber of Tourism, being imported from outside, primar- expressed his concerns and thinks that ily from Chile. it is questionable whether a small and The impact of the tourism boom fragile island with only about 4,000 is not limited to the economic field inhabitants can sustain hundreds of alone. In early November, the Day of thousands of tourists (Santiago Times, the Rapanui Language was celebrated 23 Sept 2008; gip, 11 June 2009). with large open-air performances (gip, In order to keep up with the 7 Nov 2008). In spite of this and other increasing population, the Chilean initiatives, the language is in decline, government is massively investing in and most of the younger generation public services and infrastructure. tend to converse in Spanish rather A new hospital is currently under than Rapanui, a trend that mirrors construction, financed by the govern- the spread of French at the expense of ment with more than 5.5 billion pesos Tahitian in French Polynesia. (us$10 million) (Santiago Times, 23 Language loss, however, is not the Sept 2008), and there are plans to only social problem the island commu- build new port facilities (gip, 15 Dec nity is facing. Mass tourism, immigra- 2008). tion, and economic growth are also In late October, Rapa Nui hosted beginning to show other downsides, an international scientific confer- including increasing problems of pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 189 alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic Koichiro Matsura visited the island, violence, and street crime. In order to inspecting the restoration of some tackle these problems, in mid-Novem- of the monuments, especially Ahu ber 2008, the governor’s office held Tongariki, which was restored with a conference on public security and Japanese funds. created a task force against crime (gip, Economic growth has also 13 Nov 2008). increased the need of the Islanders for The tourism boom is also creating a good education. On 2 March, the increasingly visible class divisions on governor’s office and the municipality the island, with some families profit- signed an agreement with the Uni- ing enormously while others continue versity of Santiago and the Pontifical to live in poverty. Prices on the island Catholic University of Chile, in order have reportedly doubled within the to facilitate access of Rapanui students past year (RNJ, Oct 2008), and while to those universities. Currently, there this might have the positive effect of are more than 200 Rapanui attend- keeping the numbers of tourists and ing various educational institutions in settlers in check by dissuading the less Chile (gip, 2 March 2009). affluent from coming, it also hardens Rapa Nui received two distin- life for the Islanders. guished foreign visits during the In January, new Chilean social leg- review period, each of them referring islation came into effect on the island, to the island’s historical connections providing a method of identifying the across the Pacific. In February, the neediest families and making welfare French ambassador to Chile visited the programs available for them (gip, 14 island and met with the local authori- Jan 2009). By early June, there were ties (gip, 12 Feb 2009), and it was 350 persons qualifying for one of the later announced that France would programs (gip, 3 June 2009). establish a branch of the Alliance Another problem, more directly Française, an organization promoting related to mass tourism, is its impact French language and culture abroad, on Rapa Nui’s historic monuments— in Hanga Roa (French Embassy in the very reason most tourists come to Chile Web site, 1 July 2009). To the island in the first place. During this day, many Rapanui have ties to previous years, various acts of irre- France, due to strong connections of sponsibility or even outright vandal- the island to Tahiti, Mangareva, and ism by individual tourists significantly other islands of French Oceania in damaged some sites. In January, the the late nineteenth century, prior to local authorities unveiled a new strat- the Chilean annexation of 1888. The egy of educating all visitors prior to ambassador’s visit also represents their landing about the fragility of the an improvement in Franco-Chilean monuments and their responsibility in relations. Until the 1990s, the relation- their protection (gip, 16 Jan 2009). ship between the two Pacific colonial In 1995, the island had been powers concerning Rapa Nui was declared a unesco world heritage rather antagonistic, as Chile had often site (gip, 11 Feb 2009). In mid-Febru- accused France of laying claims of sov- ary 2009, unesco Director General ereignty or property on the island. 190 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

On 20 April, the island received one Congress, the coming year will most of its highest-ranking visitors in recent likely be eventful as well. history, when the king of Malaysia, lorenz gonschor Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, and his wife, Raja Nur Zahirah, visited the island and met with the governor and References the mayor (gip, 20 April 2009). The visit provided a rare instant for the Congress of the Republic of Chile Web Islanders to encounter what a local site. http://sil.congreso.cl/pags/index.html news editor called the “Ariki o te French Embassy in Chile Web site. henua roa roa,” that is, king of the http://www.france.cl/ very distant land (trn, undated arti- gip, Gobernación de la Isla de Pascua cle), who was nevertheless a relative, (Governor’s office of Easter Island Prov- coming from the other end of the geo- ince). Various monthly news items. http:// graphically most extended language www.gobernacionisladepascua.gov.cl/ group in the world (Austronesian). Gonschor, Lorenz. 2009. Rapa Nui. Poly- During the last months of the nesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July review period, the island community 2007 to 30 June 2008. The Contemporary worried about the health of the eighty- Pacific 21:169–175. year-old community leader Alberto Regional Council of Valparaíso Web site, Hotus, municipal councilor and one of http://www.corevalparaiso.cl/sitio/ the claimants to the presidency of the consejeros.php Rapanui Council of Elders, a key and controversial political figure. Suffer- RNJ, Rapa Nui Journal. Bi-annual academic ing from a heart attack, Hotus was and news journal. Los Osos, California. http://www.islandheritage.org/ flown to Santiago where he underwent rnj.html bypass surgery. Fortunately, he recov- ered and was seen once more actively Santiago Times. Daily. http://www involved in local politics a few weeks .santiagotimes.cl/santiagotimes later (trn, undated article) subdere, Subsecretariá de Desarrollo Anticipating the expiration of Regional y Administrativo (Under-sec- her term in early 2010 following the retariat for Regional Development and upcoming election of a new Chilean Administration): Various online news president in December 2009, Gover- items. http://www.subdere.gov.cl/ nor Hotu presented a report on her Teave, Erity, and Santi Hitorangi. 2008. administration’s activities in July, reca- Rapanui Parliament Statement. Seventh pitulating her initiatives to increase Session of the United Nations Permanent citizen’s participation in government, Forum on Indigenous Issues. April 2008. achievements in the fields of environ- Copy received by the author through Arnie ment, education, culture, public secu- Saiki. rity, health, infrastructure, land issues, trn, Te Rapa Nui. Sporadically updated social welfare, and various events her Internet news site. Hanga Roa. http:// office had been involved in (trn, July www.rapanui.co.cl/ 2009). With the Chilean presidential Te Rapanui Press. Internet blog on the and congressional elections upcoming 2008 municipal elections. Hanga Roa. and the special status bill pending in http://rapanuipress.blogspot.com/ pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 191

court on 6 July 2009 to determine Sāmoa the date for the hearing (Sioa 2009a). The opposition to the Road Transport The groundswell of opposition to the Reform Act 2008 continued during reforms spawned a new political party, the current review period. In July the People’s Party, which was officially 2008, Minister of Works, Transport launched in October 2008. Those and Infrastructure Tuisugaletaua involved in pass were influential in Sofara Aveau announced that sections its creation, and the pass chairman, 4 to 7 of the act would come into Maposua Toleafoa Punafelutu R S force on 7 September 2009. Currently, Toailoa, was elected the party presi- vehicles are driven on the right-hand dent (Ah Mu 2008e). side of the road. Sections 4 to 7 pro- The opposition to the Land Titles vide for changing the driving side of Registration Act 2008 also continued the road to the left, including prohibit- in the current review period. In July ing the use of left-hand drive vehicles 2008, the leader of the Samoa Demo- unless they were in Sāmoa before the cratic United Party (sdup), Asiata law stopping their importation was Sale‘imoa Va‘ai, vowed to challenge brought into effect. The government the law on the grounds that it was also declared 7 and 8 September 2009 unconstitutional (Samoa Observer, 3 as public holidays in order to “allow July 2008). By the end of the cur- for familiarization with the change” rent review period, the case had not (Ah Mu and Lesa 2008). reached the courts. A number of The protest movement People nongovernment organizations (ngos): Against Switching Sides (pass) took O Le Siosiomaga Society (olssi), and court action against the government, Samoa Umbrella for Non-government filing a claim against the prime minis- Organisations (sungo), continued ter, cabinet, and the Transport Con- to publicly voice their opposition trol Board arguing that the act was to the act. olssi went even further constitutionally invalid. pass’s state- and held consultations with villages ment of claim was later discontinued in Savai‘i who wanted to oppose by consent, and its motion withdrawn. the implementation of the act (Rose However, pass was granted leave to 2008). The letters to the editor section file a second amended motion by 19 of the Samoa Observer continued to January 2009 (Samoa Observer, 20 carry letters of opposition to the act, Dec 2008). pass has thus far achieved from people in both Sāmoa and New some measure of success with its court Zealand. Despite the opposition, the case against the government. On 26 government announced that the new June 2009, Judge Vui Clarence Nelson act and new registration system would ruled in the supreme court that the come into force on 2 March 2009. constitutionality of the act deserves to The government’s decision to pro- be examined in court. He overruled ceed with the act is significant given a submission by the attorney general, the sensitive nature of land issues, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, that there which was evident in a number of land was no case for the government to disputes that took place during the answer. The two sides, pass and the current review period. In September government, are set to reappear in 2008, the court of appeal dismissed 192 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) an appeal by the matai (traditional Tensions also mounted in the leaders) of the village of Vailoa in village of Lepea at the beginning of Palauli against a supreme court ruling 2009. A standoff ensued when Min- that denied them ownership of an ister of Women, Community and area of land in their village. Despite Social Development Fiame Naomi the fact that the land under question Mata‘afa dismissed Lepea’s pulenu‘u was customary, the supreme court (mayor), Ai‘i [or A‘i] Vavao, because ruled that ownership of the land had the village refused to give up some of been legally transferred to various its malae (sacred ground) for the same other parties, including the current road-widening project (Lesa 2009e). owner, O F Nelson Properties Ltd of The village refused to recognize the Apia (Sia‘aga v O F Nelson Properties dismissal, arguing that the pulenu‘u is Ltd [2008] wsca 14, 19 Sept 2008). elected by them although paid by the Vailoa respected the court’s ruling in government. However, the village did this case. try to compromise by offering the gov- A number of land disputes involve ernment an area of land in a different customary lands that the government part of the village (Samoa Observer, wants to utilize. For example, tensions 11 Feb 2009). brewed between the government and The village of Satapuala’s land dis- the Manuleleua family of Vaimoso pute with the government, which has over the failure of the government to been ongoing for many years, contin- respect the family’s customary land ues. In early 2009, they held talks with practices. The problems occurred the government in relation to land when the Ministry of Natural near the Faleolo airport, over which Resources and Environment failed to both parties claim ownership. Part of appropriate land compensation pay- the dispute involves the government’s ments to all relevant members of the plans to relocate graves from land it family. Members of the family claimed intends to use. People in Satapuala are that the payments for land that the strongly opposed to this. Currently, government wanted to use for a road- both sides have agreed not to use the widening project were made to only disputed areas until a suitable arrange- one branch of the family, and the rest ment is reached (Ilalio 2009f). were not consulted (Ah Mu 2009c). Government plans to use land in A spokesperson for the family high- the Savalalo area to build a multimil- lighted the customary principles that lion-dollar government complex were the government ignored: “These lands halted by opposition from a local are not owned by an individual. . . . business, the Laumei Faiaga nightclub. It’s owned by whoever the extended The nightclub is only into its third family decides to be the sa‘o [the head year of a twenty-year lease of the site, matai of a family]” (Lesa 2009b). At but the government is keen on evicting the time, the family had not selected a the business in order to proceed with sa‘o. The government made little effort its project (Ah Mu and Ilalio 2009). to address the problem and argued Despite holding the lease, the night- that the redistribution of payments club reportedly received a threatening was not its concern but the responsi- letter from the government stating bility of the family (Ilalio 2009a). that the club’s occupation of the area pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 193 in question was “unlawful” (Ah Mu traditional village hierarchy, it does 2009h). The project manager for the not command significant influence new complex reportedly stated that over village decisions. The position is the government assured him that the a product of colonialism and is cur- Laumei Faiaga would be removed rently government funded; the incum- shortly after construction began (Ilalio bent acts as a go-between in govern- 2009d). The nightclub owners’ failed ment-village relations. The decision attempts to negotiate with various to punish the pulenu‘u might be an ministers and government departments indication that the government views have forced them to take matters to it as an institution to do its bidding court, but the case has yet to be heard. and through which it can influence These land cases provide a number the village. The attempted eviction of of important insights into government the Laumei Faiaga nightclub raises conduct in relation to customary land. the question of what will happen to The government’s apparent failure to landowners or lessees who get in the recognize the Manuleleua family hier- way of government plans. Despite the archy in both its consultation process fact that the nightclub’s lease with the and compensation payments raises government is official, the government the question of whether it will respect has shown little reluctance to renege customary ownership principles and on their agreement. traditional governance institutions The passing of the Road Transport in its land transactions. The govern- Reform Act 2008 and the Land Titles ment’s failure to acknowledge its role Registration Act 2008 amid consider- in creating division within the family, able public opposition and contro- through its selective allocation of pay- versy raises questions about the state ments, indicates a measure of insen- of political accountability. The two sitivity to these matters. It was sur- pass protest movements, the petition prising given that all members of the it submitted opposing the change, government are themselves matai and and the numerous public meetings it should know what custom requires. organized to rally opposition against Whether its actions or lack thereof the reform appear to have had little were results of oversight or deliber- impact on government policy. Protest ate disregard is uncertain. Regardless, against the Land Titles Registra- the government’s failure to properly tion Act 2008 might have influenced account for the Manuleleua family the government in some respects, as hierarchy, in both consultations and additional provisions were incorpo- compensation payments, complicated rated into the act shortly before it its own plans. was passed (Tait 2008). However, the Both the Lepea and the Laumei provisions that had been the focus of Faiaga nightclub cases raise the ques- criticism were left unchanged. tion of how far the government will go Whatever the state of political in the pursuit of its land-related proj- accountability is, the demise of a ects. To dismiss a pulenu‘u over his parliamentary political opposition village’s reluctance to play ball seems over the last several years, including harsh and unfair. The pulenu‘u is not a the current review period, has not traditional institution, and, within the helped. Under the Westminster style 194 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) of democracy, Parliament is a key has struggled to unite the opposition institution for achieving accountabil- (Lesa 2009a). In fact, it has struggled ity. It is where irregularities in govern- to keep itself united. One of its dilem- ment policies and behavior can be mas is that if it is officially registered made public through discussions and in Parliament, its members must stand debates. The presence of an organized in by-elections (Parliamentary Stand- political opposition in Parliament is an ing Orders, No 20). tsp has wanted to important part of this process. Under avoid this and has even considered the section 20 of Parliament’s Standing possibility of registering as a nongov- Orders, political parties must have a ernmental organization as a means to minimum of eight members of Parlia- organize without having to formally ment in order to be officially recog- register (Ah Mu 2008b). nized in Parliament. Currently, no The issue of registration, and in political party meets this qualification particular pressure by the Speaker of except the ruling Human Rights Politi- the House for tsp to register, con- cal Party (hrpp). Since the number of tributed significantly to its partial members of the Samoa Development disintegration. tsp began with twelve United Party (sudp) fell below this members. Several months after its threshold in 2007, there has been no formation, one of its members, Tuia official opposition in the legislative Logoiai Pu‘a Leota, resigned, citing assembly. The absence of an official his desire to follow the wishes of his opposition party in the assembly can constituency, and the lure of obtain- undermine its ability to hold the gov- ing benefits by supporting the hrpp ernment accountable. as key factors for his decision (Ah Mu The decline of parliamentary oppo- 2008g). One month after this resigna- sition is likely to be related to some of tion, Muagututi‘a Siaosi Meredith also the difficulties that opposition political resigned, and in June 2009, Toluono parties face in Parliament. Some of Feti resigned. Although it is not a these were evident in the experience of requirement under Samoan law for a the Tautua Samoa Party (tsp), which party that forms outside of Parliament formed outside of Parliament in April to formally register itself, the Speaker 2008. This party, which was formed has consistently put pressure on tsp to by independent members of Parlia- clarify its status. This pressure osten- ment and some former sdup and hrpp sibly played a role in Meredith’s and members, was officially launched in Feti’s resignations. Meredith stated December 2008 (Netzler 2008c). tsp that his resignation was done out of was formed out of discontentment respect for the wishes of his constitu- over the enactment of a number of ency; however, it came a day after controversial acts (the Road Trans- the Speaker of the House ordered port Reform Act 2008, the Water tsp to formally declare its status (Ah Resources Management Act 2008, Mu 2009g, 2009l). Similarly, Feti’s and the Land Titles Registration Act resignation occurred shortly after 2008), and one of its primary objec- the Speaker annulled the seats of tsp tives is the strengthening of political members and called for by-elections opposition (Netzler 2008c). So far, it (Ah Mu 2009m). tsp has begun court pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 195 proceedings against the Speaker over Parliament in order to give the govern- his decision to annul its members’ ment authority to borrow from the seats and call for by-elections in their Bank of China. Malielegaoi reportedly constituencies. By the end of the cur- stated that the loan was for the build- rent review period, this case has yet to ing of a conference center (Ah Mu be decided. 2008c), most likely the one planned In 2005, the leader of the sdup, for the land leased by the Laumei Asiata Sale‘imoa Va‘ai, was suspended Faiaga nightclub. While Sāmoa-China from Parliament without pay for four relations strengthened, Sāmoa-Fiji months. In April 2008, Asiata began relations weakened. In August 2008, court proceedings against the current Malielegaoi launched a verbal attack Speaker of the House, Tolofuaivalelei against Fiji’s Commodore Frank Falemoe Leiataua, and his predeces- Bainimarama for boycotting the sor, Toleafoa Apulu Fa‘afisi, over the Pacific Islands Forum summit (Samoa legality and fairness of his suspension Observer, 24 Aug 2008). Initially, (Ah Mu 2009i). An attempt to strike Bainimarama did not respond to the out Va‘ai’s legal action was dismissed comments, but after repeated attacks in the supreme court by Justice by Malielegaoi, expressed his disap- Murray Bryon Kellam, who ruled that pointment at what he perceived as the case should proceed to a hearing conduct that was “unpacific” (Samoa (Ah Mu 2009k). In January, a heated Observer, 25 Feb 2009). This senti- argument between Prime Minister ment resonated with former Solomon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and Va‘ai Islands Prime Minister Manasseh resulted in the latter being ordered out Sogavare, who publicly condemned of Parliament (Ah Mu 2009a). When Malielegaoi’s criticism and argued tsp’s treatment is considered alongside that it did not reflect the feeling of these events, it raises questions about other Pacific Islands Forum mem- whether opposition members receive bers (Samoa Observer, 28 Feb 2009). fair treatment in Parliament. Malielegaoi’s hard-line approach was In other political matters, Associ- also criticized at home by the tsp, ate Minister of Trade Hans Joachim who argued that Fiji’s internal matters Keil was arrested and detained in should remain as such (Ah Mu 2009j). the United States in September 2008. The government was also involved He was charged with “false claim of in a controversial legal matter dur- citizenship.” In December, all charges ing the current review period. In against him were dropped (Weber September 2008, the government 2008). China and Sāmoa continued became embroiled in a controversial to strengthen their relationship along gun-smuggling case involving Police social and economic lines. In Sep- Commissioner Papali‘i Lorenese Neru. tember 2008, China’s ambassador to Again, there were issues of account- Sāmoa, Yan Jungi, was bestowed the ability. Neru was alleged to have Samoan chiefly title of Salamasina received an illegal shipment of fire- (Netzler 2008e). In the following arms from former American Sāmoa month, the Export-Import Bank of Police Captain Papali‘i Marion Fitise- China Bill 2008 was rushed through manu. A commission of inquiry was 196 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) subsequently formed to investigate assumed they were not police because the matter. The case was controversial they were in plain clothes and did not in a number of ways. The commis- have a search warrant. During her sion issued an order that restricted arrest, Sapolu claimed that she was the media from reporting on matters verbally abused, forced to ride in a discussed in the hearing other than prison van with male prisoners, and the material provided in a daily press told to strip in the presence of male release from the council assisting the police officers (Fairfax Media 2008a). commission (Lesa 2008). At the con- Sapolu was released after twenty-four clusion of the inquiry, Neru and the hours and was found guilty of one captain of the ship that brought the count of obstructing police and one cargo, Logoitino Filipo, were found count of using insulting and abusive to be in breach of duty. The commis- words (rnzi 2009b). She was later sion recommended that the attorney discharged without conviction (rnzi general oversee a criminal investiga- 2009a). tion against both men. However, after A week after Iuni Sapolu was their report was submitted to the arrested, another New Zealand–based cabinet, Malielegaoi only announced lawyer, Leulua‘iali‘i Olinda Wood- that Logoitino would be demoted and roffe, was threatened with arrest by Neru censured (Polu 2009). The police the police while in Sāmoa. Woodroffe commissioner is appointed by the allegedly used insulting language cabinet, but whether this played any against an employee of the Ministry of role in the cabinet’s decision is unclear. Justice and Courts Administration (Ah The police commissioner’s case tops Mu 2008f). Woodroffe claimed that a number of what might be consid- five men, in plain clothes but claiming ered “sensational cases” involving to be policemen, entered her property the police. In September 2008, New on 3 October 2008 and requested Zealand–based lawyer Iuni Sapolu that she accompany them. She also was arrested after her family became claimed that they did not produce any involved in a dispute with police over identification or arrest warrant, and allegedly cultivating illegal drugs only later found out they were in fact on their property. The saga, which policemen (Fairfax Media 2008b). unfolded in the village of Vaiala, Woodroffe, fearing that she would was intertwined with a land dispute be treated like Sapolu, took refuge at between the village and the Sapolu the New Zealand High Commission, family, who are residents there. Both which later helped her leave the coun- parties claim ownership over an area try. Later, the police issued a summons of land in the village. When mari- for Woodroffe, which they intend to juana plants were found on Sapolu serve her when she returns to Sāmoa family property, police were called (Ah Mu 2008d). The Ministry of Jus- in, and Iuni Sapolu was arrested for tice and Courts Administration (mjca) obstruction when she intervened to also filed a complaint against Wood- stop the police investigation (Netzler roffe with the Samoa Law Society. At 2008b). Sapolu claimed that she did the time of the incident, Woodroffe not knowingly obstruct police; she was involved with a supreme court pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 197 case, which had to be adjourned as a about insufficient staff numbers, poor result (Fairfax Media 2008b). service (Ilalio 2009i), and substandard In economic matters, the 2009– hygiene and health care issues at the 2010 national budget raised some Tupua Tamasese Meaole National eyebrows. The overall budget deficit Hospital (Samoa Observer, 6 Oct is sat$189,432,048 (Government of 2009). The government, however, has Samoa 2009), which represents an confirmed plans to build a new hospi- sat$85,258,702 increase from the tal in 2010 (Salei 2009). previous year’s overall budget deficit The downturn of the Samoan of sat$104,173,346 (Government of economy over the last several years Samoa 2008). Perhaps more concern- continues. According to the Minis- ing is the fact that the 2009–2010 try of Finance Quarterly Economic overall deficit has increased more Review for October–December 2008, than sixfold since the 2007–2008 real gross domestic product declined budget, which had an overall deficit by 7.3 percent from the same 2007 of sat$30,302,010 (Government of period, and employment dropped Samoa 2007). (Currently, one Samoan by 5.4 percent from the comparable tala [sat$] equals approximately period in 2007. However, the major us$.39.) The government plans to problems appear to be in the area of finance the deficit largely through trade, where exports earnings declined “highly concessional borrowings by 28.7 percent from the correspond- and grant funding” from develop- ing 2007 quarter, while imports ment partners (Government of Samoa increased by 29.6 percent. The trade 2009). This might also be worrying, deficit expanded by 33.8 percent from given that in the minister of finance’s the same period in 2007. 2006 budget address, he noted that Beyond the official figures, the the UN Committee on Development increasing cost of living also signals Policy had decided to graduate Sāmoa problems in the economy. People com- from the category of least developed plained that prices for basic goods and countries by 2010, and that this would services, such as bread, tinned fish, have significant implications on the bus and ferry tickets, were increasing cost of future borrowing and debt while their wages remained unchanged servicing in particular (Government of (Jackson 2009; Ilalio 2009g). There Samoa 2006). was an increasing presence of children Education and health faired poorly selling goods on the streets of Apia in the budget. The allocations for edu- during school hours, eking a living cation and health are reduced by 11.0 for their families (Ilalio 2009c). Fuel percent and 14.9 percent, respectively. prices increased again in May 2009, The large reduction in the health although the government was quick to budget is somewhat untimely, coincid- argue that they were lower than other ing with the swine flu epidemic and countries (Samoa Observer, 3 May the September change of the driving 2009). What the government did not side of the road, which many predict point out was that it had converted will lead to more accidents. It is also the overseas currencies to Samoan tala a little surprising given complaints before making the comparison. One 198 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) observer astutely pointed out that the to have one (Sioa 2009b). It even price per liter of fuel is higher than suggested a non-financial stimulus the minimum wage per hour in Sāmoa package. Malielegaoi reportedly (Samoa Observer, 6 May, 9 May stated, “The stimulus package then 2009). is to re-awaken people to go and Compounding people’s hardships work, and not live as dependents.” were a number of infrastructural He acknowledged the challenging cost problems. Between September and of living but noted that the cure was December 2008, the island of Upolu for people to “get up in the morning suffered from a protracted series of and go grow talo and grow bananas” power cuts (Radio Australia 2008). (Ah Mu 2009d). Critics did not share This coincided with a government the government’s enthusiasm for row with the village of Magiagi, who economic recovery, or its proposed rejected the Electric Power Corpora- stimulus package. Va‘ai accused the tion’s (epc) plans to install cash power government of killing the economy. meters in their homes. Magiagi signed Malielegaoi’s “don’t be lazy, go and an agreement with the government grow a banana tree” philosophy was in the 1980s, which grants them free also slammed as being insensitive to electricity in return for the government hardworking farmers who simply using the river that flows through could not find markets for their prod- their lands to fuel a hydropower plant ucts (Lesa 2009c). (Ilalio 2009e). The issue remains unre- These economic challenges reig- solved. Poor water supply was also a nited an old debate concerning the problem throughout the country, with government’s scrapping of agricultural people complaining of intermittent boards. There was no disagreement and often dirty water supplies (Ilalio from Va‘ai that the foundation for 2008, 2009j), and no running water Sāmoa’s road to recovery lies in agri- supply for periods of up to several cultural production. However, he criti- months (Samoa Observer, 23 May cized the government for eliminating 2009) and in some cases several years copra, cocoa, coconut, and marketing (Ilalio 2009h). There might be some boards, which he considered pivotal in relief in the near future. In November selling Sāmoa’s agricultural products 2008, the Samoa Water Authority abroad. In his estimation, farmers announced an increase in water rates, are now growing mainly for personal reportedly to fund the maintenance of consumption because there is little infrastructural developments designed incentive to produce for commercial to supply quality water (Netzler purposes (Lesa 2009c). Malielegaoi 2008f; Samoa Observer, 17 April reportedly responded to Va‘ai’s claims 2009). by stating that the boards “were of no Despite the statistics and obvi- use.” Staying with his banana theme, ous signs of hardships, the govern- he stated, “Why continue the banana ment remained optimistic about the board when there were no bananas, country’s economic future. It touted they were all sick.” Malielegaoi the possibility of a stimulus package, strongly asserted that if the boards but noted that there was no urgency had been useful, the government pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 199 would have retained them. Addition- Negotiations under the Pacific ally, he noted that there was too much Agreement for Closer Economic Rela- focus on overseas markets, when “the tions (pacer) progressed during the local market is big” (Ah Mu 2009b). current review period with negotia- The debate continues. tions for the pacer-Plus trade agree- Sāmoa’s economic problems, osten- ment. pacer-Plus is likely to promote sibly, were not helped by some dubi- regional economic integration, includ- ous government financial management ing Australia and New Zealand for and spending. In September 2008, the first time in a regional free-trade sat$2,634,620 of Samoa National agreement. Despite the possibility Provident Fund (snpf) money was that Sāmoa’s local industries would unaccounted for. When opposition be threatened by a free flow of goods member Levaopolo Talatonu ques- from larger and more developed coun- tioned Minister of Finance Niko tries, the government threw its support Lee Hang about this discrepancy, behind New Zealand and Australia’s Hang reportedly said that he would efforts to promote pacer-Plus (Ah explain outside of Parliament. Despite Mu 2009f). Although the specifics of Talatonu’s appeal for transparency in pacer-Plus are unclear, Deputy Prime Parliament, and by default, in public, Minister Misa Telefoni did clarify that Hang did not reveal why the snpf consumers would continue to pay tar- report lists this figure simply as “other iffs while merchants would be exempt expenses” whereas other expendi- from these (Ah Mu 2009e). ture items were explained (Ah Mu Finally, in traditional political mat- 2008a). Also of concern was the fact ters, there were several village ban- that there were some other anomalies ishments, for a variety of reasons. A in the report but it had already been woman and all her descendants were approved by Parliament’s finance com- banished from the village of Vaiusu mittee (Malifa 2008). In a separate for allegedly selling marijuana (Netzler incident, a government ceo report- 2008d). The family of a fifteen-year- edly attended two overseas meetings, old boy, who was charged with the one in Vietnam and another in Dubai murder of a missing ten-year-old girl, during March 2009, with a combined was banished for life from the village expense budget of sat$65,000. When of Tafua tai. In addition, the family contacted for a response, the ceo was ordered to provide one hundred reportedly did not dispute the amounts sows (Ripine and Netzler 2009). In the involved, but argued that the person village of Safua, the family of a lady who leaked the information did not involved in a title dispute was ostra- appreciate the importance of attending cized (Ilalio 2009b). The continued use conferences and “sharing of knowl- of this form of punishment, despite the edge and skills and best practices” constitutional guarantee of freedom (Lesa 2009d). Apart from the fact that of movement and residence, indicates these trips took place in the middle of that villages have not fully accepted Sāmoa’s economic downturn, what is the constitution, or at least some parts concerning is that this kind of spend- of it, as having superior authority to ing is unlikely to be atypical. their own. It is an issue that remains 200 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010) unresolved. In July 2008, the Land Stimulate the Economy, pm Says. Samoa and Titles Court overturned an earlier Observer, 7 February. decision by the village of Apolima uta ———. 2009e. Merchants Don’t Pay to banish a resident matai and former Tariffs, Misa Responds. Samoa Observer, member of Parliament, Leva‘a Sau- 19 June. aso (Netzler 2008a). Whether Sauaso ———. 2009f. Misa Defends Aussies and returned to the village is uncertain. NZ in pacer-Plus. Samoa Observer, 18 In the village of Leauva‘a, the village May. council overturned an earlier decision ———. 2009g. Muagututi‘a Quits Tautua. to banish families of four men charged Samoa Observer, 23 January. by police for murder (rnzi 2008). ———. 2009h. Owners of Laumei Faiaga iati iati Speak Out. Samoa Observer, 22 May. ———. 2009i. Parliament Sued. Samoa Observer, 24 April. References ———. 2009j. pm’s Hard Line Approach Ah Mu, Alan. 2008a. $2.6m Spent, No Not Working: Lealailepule. Samoa Explanation: mp. Samoa Observer, 20 Observer, 4 March. September. ———. 2009k. Strike Out Motion against ———. 2008b. Asia Not in Tautua Party. Asiata Fails. Samoa Observer, 8 May. Samoa Observer, 16 July. ———. 2009l. Tautua Has 21 Days to ———. 2008c. Bill to Loan from China Answer. Samoa Observer, 23 January. Rushed to Law. Samoa Observer, 18 ———. 2009m. Tautua Surprised by November. Toluono Resignation. Samoa Observer, 11 ———. 2008d. Justice Files Complaint, June. Minister Slams Lawyer. Samoa Observer, Ah Mu, Alan, and Marieta Heidi Ilalio. 12 October. 2009. Club Lease Holds Up $150m Proj- ———. 2008e. People’s Party Predicts ect. Samoa Observer, 4 May. Change. Samoa Observer, 25 November. Ah Mu, Alan, and Mata‘afa Keni Lesa. 2008. rhd Date Final. Samoa Observer, ———. 2008f. Top Lawyer Charged 25 July. with Insulting Words. Samoa Observer, 4 October. Fairfax Media. 2008a. Auckland Lawyer Jailed in Samoa. Stuff.co.nz, 28 September. ———. 2008g. Tuia Supports hrpp. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/648853 Samoa Observer, 6 December. ———. 2008b. Harassed Lawyer Calls for ———. 2009a. Asiata Out Again. Samoa Inquiry in Samoa. Stuff.co.nz, 10 October. Observer, 23 January. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/667435 ———. 2009b. Boards Useless, pm Hits Government of Samoa. 2006. 2006/2007 Back. Samoa Observer, 25 February. Budget Speech, 6 June. ———. 2009c. Compensation Wrangle ———. 2007. 2007/2008 Budget Address, Family Matter: aceo. Samoa Observer, 3 31 May. March. ———. 2008. 2008/2009 Budget Address, ———. 2009d. Grow Bananas to 30 May. pol i t ical reviews • polynesia 201

———. 2009. 2009/2010 Budget Address, ———. 2009d. Time to Cut Down on 29 May. Costly Trips. Samoa Observer, 4 March. Ilalio, Marieta Heidi. 2008. Paying Bill ———. 2009e. Time to Exercise Caution. “For Nothing” Unfair. Samoa Observer, Samoa Observer, 2 February. 21 December. Malifa, Savea Sano. 2008. “Other ———. 2009a. Compensation Causes Expenses” and a Thought for Joe Keil. Clash. Samoa Observer, 24 May. Samoa Observer, 21 September. ———. 2009b. Family Ostracised over Netzler, Jasmine. 2008a. Court Rules for Title Dispute. Samoa Observer, 11 January. Leva‘a Return. Samoa Observer, 16 July. ———. 2009c. Kids Sell on Streets to ———. 2008b. Mayor Denies Set Up Make a Living. Samoa Observer, 3 May. Claim. Samoa Observer, 29 September. ———. 2009d. Lease Argument Con- ———. 2008c. New Party Named Tautua fuses Convention Centre Builders. Samoa Samoa. Samoa Observer, 8 July. Observer, 24 May. ———. 2008d. Samoan Family Banished ———. 2009e. Magiagi Rejects Cash for Selling Marijuana. Samoa Observer, 7 Power Plan. Samoa Observer, 12 January. July. ———. 2008e. Top Chinese Official To ———. 2009f. Satapuala Land Talks Be Bestowed Salamasina Title. Samoa Resume. Samoa Observer, 7 March. Observer, 19 September. ———. 2009g. Savai‘i High Cost of Liv- ———. 2008f. Why Water Rates Have ing “Unbelievable.” Samoa Observer, 1 Increased. Samoa Observer, 30 November. February. Polu, Lance. 2009. Cabinet Clears Police ———. 2009h. Six Years Without Water. Commissioner of Criminal Investigations. Samoa Observer, 12 May. Talamua Live Online News, 5 March. ———. 2009i. Three Hours for Medica- Apia. http://www.talamua.com/ tion. Samoa Observer, 5 May. Radio Australia. 2008. Power Cuts ———. 2009j. Vailele Water Woes. Samoa Disrupt Samoa’s Main Island. 7 Novem- Observer, 13 January. ber. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/ programguide/stories/200811/s2413622 Jackson, Cherelle. 2009. Success in .htm Samoa’s Economy Is Just an Illusion. Pacific Islands Report, 26 February. Ripine, Sarai, and Jasmine Netzler. 2009. Family Banished. Samoa Observer, Lesa, Mata‘afa Keni. 2008. Media Gagged 9 January. in Gun Inquiry. Samoa Observer, 17 October. rnzi, Radio New Zealand International. 2008. Samoa Chiefs Overturn Banishment ———. 2009a. Asiata Tells Why He in Leauva‘a. 25 August. http://www.rnzi Joined Tautua. Samoa Observer, 14 Febru- .com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=41633 ary. ———. 2009a. New Zealand–based ———. 2009b. Be Careful Samoa, You’re Samoan Lawyer Escapes Samoa Jail Treading on Dangerous Grounds. Samoa Sentence. 19 May. http://www.rnzi.com/ Observer, 3 March. pages/news.php?op=read&id=46642 ———. 2009c. Govt Accused of “Killing” ———. 2009b. Samoa Court Defers Sen- Economy. Samoa Observer, 15 February. tencing Decision over NZ Based Lawyer. 202 the contemporary pacific • 22:1 (2010)

3 May. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news ———. 2009b. Stimulus Package Not .php?op=read&id=46334 Needed by Samoa. Samoalive News, 29 March. Rose, Fasavalu Europa. 2008. ngo Works in Savai‘i to Counter Land Bill. Samoa Tait, Marie. 2008. Customary Land Observer, 2 December. Excluded from Samoa Bill. The New Zealand Herald, 12 May. http://www Salei, Lua. 2009. Modern Hospital Set for .nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm Next Year. Samoalive News, 16 February. ?c_id=2&objectid=10509553 http://samoalivenews.com/ Weber, Linsey. 2008. Charges Dropped against Samoan Diplomat, Citizenship Samoa Observer. Daily. Apia. Reinstated. Kansas City Infozine, 18 Sioa, Pio. 2009a. Road Switch Delay December. http://www.infozine.com/ Possible. Samoalive News, 30 June. news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/32618/