The very fact that the bridge was even considered is mind boggling,  when a fraction of the cost of the bridge could have built a network of essential roads throughout the country.

This is totally indicative of how inane an administration can become.

PLANS for the construction of a bridge to connect Vanua Levu to Viti Levu have been cancelled.

Divisional planning officer north Alipate Bolalevu confirmed the plans had been dropped after considering a number of factors surrounding the project.

The initial plan was to build a bridge from Viti Levu to Vanua Levu from the end of Bua to one part of Ra.

“A few things that made the project unsuccessful was the depth of the sea along the proposed stretch for the construction — which is very deep indeed,” Mr Bolalevu said.

“On the other hand we also considered the vast effect that the construction of such a bridge would have on the maritime islands and the shipping businesses taking into mind the small businesses that survive on transportation by sea.

“The proposed 60-kilometre bridge was also seen to be a very expensive project.”

Mr Bolalevu said a team from China which was in Vanua Levu to look into the proposed project and its location had returned to their country.

“They were supposed to return this year but so far we have not heard anything from them,” he said.

FIJI TIMES

The following letter was released to the public via Coup 4.5 web site. The question is, could it be true.

The good Colonel concerned reports directly to the Attorney General who is the Minister responsible for anti corruption efforts in Fiji. Why has the AG not made a statement, or taken any action ?, could it be that corruption is acceptable at certain levels of the administration, that is FICAC and above, or is it something much more sinister ??

Dear C4.5

The observance of the recent International Anti-Corruption by the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption is something to be proud of and appreciated especially when its head, the demure Deputy Commissioner Colonel George Langman is the one leading the way in highlighting, investigating and actively pursuing those alleged to have committed corrupt practices within the civil service.

Now what about the $25,000.00 taken by Deputy Commissioner Colonel George Langman from the FICAC kit for his personal use when he travelled to Hong Kong in the not-too-distant past for a Conference organized by FICAC’s counterpart? Did he not use the $25,000.00 for personal expenses incurred before, during and after attending the Hong Kong 7’s tournament? And did he not hide the use of State monies thereafter so much so that not a whiff of this misdemeanor has ever gone out of the FICAC offices? And did not the Honorable Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama know about this misuse of public funds and yet kept the facts all under wraps?

The brave young lad who raised the issue with Deputy Commissioner Colonel George Langman of the blatant misuse of State funds was sacked on the spot but he was not to be out-done and reported the matter personally to the Honorable Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama who, in trying to protect his appointee at the FICAC, instead transferred the brave young whistle blower to the Ministry of Information where he now works quietly with the secret of what happened in FICAC firmly tucked away and forgotten.

Perhaps beginning in Jerusalem is relevant after all.

A concerned citizen.

 

YASH GHAI RESPONDS TO A REGIME THAT IS CONTROLLED BY ITS ATTORNEY GENERAL

This short note is in response to allegations by senior members of the Fiji Government and the RFMF that the Constitution Commission violated the law when it ordered the printing of 600 copies of the Draft Constitution.

The process for the making of the constitution was negotiated largely between the Attorney-General, Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and me. I insisted on a legal framework for the process, so the Commission would have a clear guidance on its responsibilities and the protection of its independence, and the public would have an understanding of the process and their participation in it (contrary to the view of the AG that there should be no law on the process).

Originally there was to be one Decree covering the whole process, the first draft of which I wrote. The AG divided the draft into two Decrees, one covering the Commission and the other the Constituent Assembly. I insisted that the Decree on the Commission should be as I had drafted it (with the exception of the provision on immunity of those involved in previous coups, excluding the 2000 one). But significant changes were made as regards the Constituent Assembly which I was opposed to (which were set out in a joint statement by the Commissioners when the Decree was published).

It was agreed throughout that the process would be highly participatory (the PM has said that every Fijian must have a voice) and that the Commission would be completely independent. Both Decrees guarantee that the process would be “inclusive, participatory and transparent”. The process was defined to include public consultation on the draft constitution by the Commission, and the submission of public views to the President for transmission to the Constituent Assembly.  The Commission was to ensure that all the people were able to participate in the process, and to show “manifest respect for people’s participation” and of their rights. The Commission had to inform the people the progress of the process so that they understand the issues under discussion. The participation of people was also reiterated in an important objective of the process: “true and sustained democracy”.

The Commission also had to publish an Explanatory Report summarising as concisely as possible and in a way that the people understood the recommendations embodied in the draft constitution and the reasons for those recommendations.

It was within this framework that the Commission decided on its engagement with the people including publishing the draft constitution and consulting the people. However on 31 October when the Commission had already made some decisions on the draft constitutions and were planning public consultations, that a Decree was published without any consultation with or advance notice to the Commission that there would be no public consultation. 

There was no mention whatsoever that the Commission could not publish the Draft Constitution and the Explanatory Report to the public. Indeed even after the October Decree, both the original Decree retained statements about the consultation and the duty of the Constituent Assembly to take public views into consideration (for example sec. 8 (1) (c) of the Decree mentions the function of the Assembly to “debate the Draft Constitution, Explanatory Report and the view of the people expressed on the Draft Constitution”).

It is not unusual for important reports to be presented to the Head of the State. This in no way precludes distribution of the report to the public.

If the overall objective of the process: participation of the people and the responsiveness of the Commission and the Assembly to their views, is to be respected, it is imperative that the Draft Constitution and the Explanatory Report should be available to the public immediately after they have been presented to His Excellency the President. It is on this assumption that we ordered the printing of a sizeable number of copies and were about to publish other material to assist the public when the Commission was told that it was not to publish any material relating to the Draft Constitution.

The position of the Attorney General is extraordinary, and hard to understand. The Decrees make clear that the Draft Constitution that the Assembly has to consider is that produced by the Commission—none other.

It therefore makes no sense to say that that Draft cannot be released to the public.  In none of the nearly 20 constitution making process in which I have been involved, or others that I have studied, has the commission been told not to publish the draft constitution. What happens to the Government’s objective of a “true and sustainable democracy” if the people are not allowed to read and discuss the Draft Constitution?

The Assembly has been given a maximum of 9 weeks to consider the Draft and adopt the constitution. Inevitably a week or more will be taken up to swear in and induct the members, adopt the rules of procedure, assemble a secretariat.

The documents that the Assembly members have to read, understand and debate are long and complex. When are they going to have the time to explain the documents to the people and seek their views?

Under what moral authority has the Government changed the process more than half through the period given to it? The Commission and even more the people have the right to expect that the rules and procedure governing the process as set out at its start will be respected and observed. It is on this basis that they engaged in the process.The change of rules has also seriously interfered with the independence of the Commission.

The dissemination of its work is surely a matter for the Commission, especially given the emphasis on the participation of the people. And is the printing of a decree any different from the phone call from the PM or the AG to the Commission to desist from their legitimate activities? Would the latter not be a clear instance of the violation of the independence of the Commission?

The illegal ban on the publication of the Draft Constitution and the Explanatory Report has led to circulation of legal texts purportedly as the Commission’s documents. This has resulted in considerable misunderstandings and confusion. The authentic, and the only valid, documents are those that I presented to the President on 21 December 2012. I have therefore decided on my own responsibility to release copies of the authentic documents to the public.

The Draft Constitution Ghai says he presented to Nailatikau by Courtesy of Coup 4.5

KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A GOVERNMENT THAT HAS CONDEMNED AND BOYCOTTED FIJI

(1)  Admission that political advisers to the government have botched decisions resulting in a cost something in the order of $20 billion.

(2)  Boat refugees that have chosen to skip Nauru and go home again given $3000 each by the government as “compensation”.

(3)  The pursuit of a temporary seat for Oz on the UN Security Council has, to date, cost a reported $40 million.

(4)  1000 new cotton/rice farms have been permitted to open in the Eastern States during the last 12 months.

(5)  A revenue shortfall tipped this year of $25 billion whilst the country’s borrowings exceeds $240 billion and continues to rise.

(6)  Gillard announces a $6.5 billion School Education Funding plan but is unable to say how it will be funded

(7)  Dental care plan for children announced by Plibersek at a cost of $2 billion but she can’t say how it will be funded either.

(8)  The price of “spin doctors” presently employed by the Federal Labor Government now costing $150 million a year

(9)   Each public service employee was given a bonus of $1000 to “head off industrial unrest” at a total cost of $33 million.

(10)   $320 million was promised by Gillard at the Pacific Forum Conference to help increase the number of female politicians in the Pacific.

(11)  The Treasurer suggested planning to further tax the nation’s $1.4 trillion superannuation funds in an attempt to balance his 2013 budget.

(12)   Australian Funding for Indonesia – 2012/13 – $578.4 million.

(13) National Broadband Network way behind schedule and blown out by another $1 billion –  total cost of the project – $43 billion  Expert opinion is that this cable system will be outdated long before it is finished being replaced by wireless broadband.

(14)  Failed Pink Batts Insulation Scheme – Cost $3.45 billion plus $424 million extra to repair the mess left by Minister Garret’s inefficiency.

(15)  An audit has revealed that the $540 million government scheme to boost literacy and numeracy in schools has totally failed.

(16)  An enquiry has revealed that the $16.2 billion “Building the Education Revolution”(BER) programme (administered personally by Gillard)  has totally failed. A number of schools destined for closure & demolition in the near future had new buildings erected during the scheme.

(17)  A headline from Adelaide ’s “The Advertiser” in 2009  … “OUR FUTURE MARKED BY RISING RIVERS OF RED INK”

(18)   The cost of recording the first round of Carbon Tax commercials was $350,000 followed by $340,000 for the second round. That’s $690,000 before buying any airtime.  Estimates also heard that the Government is planning another round of advertising to sell the Carbon Tax Labor promised not to introduce. And in anticipation of that, the creative advertising agency involved has had its contract increased by 50% to $3 million.

(19)  A planned National Disability Insurance Scheme … $10 billion – promised but unfunded.

(20)  Planned Child Care Subsidies …. $1.4 billion – promised but unfunded.

(21) The Immigration Department revealed that about $2 million has been spent flying 260 asylum seekers from Christmas Island to Nauru – averaging more than $7,600 per asylum seeker

(22) Nineteen lawyers worked on the Government’s defence of the Slipper/Ashby case at a cost of $780,000 to date.

(23) A portrait of Peter Slipper in his “Speaker’s Robes” destined to hang in the halls of Parliament has been commissioned at a cost of $30,000.

(24) Bureaucratic Excesses: The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry spent $21,000 on a single dinner. The Department of Industry spent $75,000 on just five coffee machines.

(25) Fair Work Australia has so far spent more than $1.8 million on external legal and accounting advice for its investigation into the rorting of Health Services Union funds.

(26)   $79,700 was spent building three fake kitchens for the Government’s Carbon Tax advertising campaigns.  Using real kitchens would have cost $5,000 a day.

(27) More than 10,000 asylum seekers arrived by boat so far this year – five times as many as Wayne Swan estimated when framing his Budget. The budget estimate of $1.1 billion was based on an average of 450 arrivals per month but actual arrivals are running at 5 times more on an average of 2,400 per month.

(28) While departmental officials refused to be drawn on the cost of the Budget blow-out we do know that in 2011/12 every boat that arrived cost taxpayers $12.8 million, or more than $172,700 for every person on board.

(29)  The present Social Security and Welfare Budget for 12 months is, in round figures, $131 Billion.  Assuming that there are 3 million Australians eligible for this that equates to $43,885 per person per annum.  The current age pension is $15,132 per person per annum so the question remains – where does the other $28,753 go?  Surely not administration?

Meanwhile Gillard has vehemently stated her opposition to pension increases for non-Labor voting pensioners. (”Sieg Heil Comrade mate?”)

(30) Gillard announced a white paper – “The Asian Century” – where Asian languages will be taught in all Australian schools for us to “better communicate with our Asian neighbours”.   The cost will be $6 billion which is, again, unfunded whilst an implementation strategy has yet to be formed. Fact: As there are many Asian languages and dialects most Asian business transactions are presently conducted in English.

(31)   Gillard announces her “Plan to Save the Murray”.  Quote: “We can deliver the extra water by investing $1.8 billion in infrastructure, water efficiency and fixing constraints like raising low bridges so more water can flow.”Unquote.

Raising bridges so more water can flow ????  Surely, bridges, no matter how high or low, do not normally restrict water flow?)

(32) Water Fact 1:  Gillard has “found” 450 billion litres of water at a cost of $1.8 billion to “Save the Murray”.

Water Fact 2: Cubby Station is licensed to take 460 megalitres a year from the river.  460 megalitres = 460 billion litres so, by closing Cubby Station the problem is solved & $1.8 billion is saved.  Where do we send our account?

(33)  Further Fabulous Failures:

(a) Grocery Watch

(b) Fuel Watch.

(c) $1 billion Cash for Clunkers failure.

(d) 450 GP Super Clinics promised …. Only 3 delivered.

(e) $2.1 billion promise of a “Laptop for every child”.

(f) $275 million “Green Loans” debacle.

(g) $534 million Solar Panel Rebate suddenly withdrawn.

(h) Promise to build 222 Child Care centres – abandoned.

(34)  $38.5 million spent for a pro-mining tax advertising campaign.

(35)  The gross Australian Federal Debt as at August 31^st 2012 was A$244,325,881,000.  ($244.3 billion) and continues to grow at $100 million a day.(That’s two hundred & forty four billion, three hundred & twenty five million, eight hundred & eighty one thousand dollars!)

(36)   A random quote from “The Punch”.    Headline quote: “Gillard & Swan are Failures, Not Leaders.” Quote from the text:  “Mr.Swan has undermined Australia’s international standings and jeopardised our economy.  He should have been sent to the back bench, not made Treasurer & Deputy Prime Minister.”  unquote.

(37)  And we won’t even mention the 3 or 4 year “protection” given to Craig Thomson by Gillard …..Thomson being the Health Services Union man who, by his statement, “had his credit card stolen” by “someone unknown” to “pay for prostitutes” and then “put back in his wallet again”  …… several times in fact!!