NZ might consider immigration quota [1]
Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 10:00. Updated on Friday, January 29, 2016 - 18:15.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.
The first visit to Tonga by the Hon. Philip Goff, the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, with a group of pakeha, Pacific Island and Maori politicians, in early December, brought a mixed bag of presents to Tonga just before Christmas.
Mr Goff was optimistic that in early 2001 a quota of about 200 Tongans would be allowed to emmigrate to New Zealand annually.
He said that the concept of a Pacific Access Quota for Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji was introduced by the New Zealand Labour Party during the elections, but the political crisis in Fiji discouraged New Zealand from progressing with the project, and the idea had not been presented to Cabinet. He said that a quota would not be as big as the opportunities available to Samoans. “It will be a limited number, where there are jobs available. We hope there will be some progress on that next year providing that they have jobs, and meet health and character requirements.”
Mr Goff and some members of the delegation also visited the Nuku‘alofa rubbish dump, which is about 500 metres away from the New Zealand High Commission residence compound. “We believe that countries like New Zealand and Australia can help to rehabilitate the existing tip and the development of an alternative waste disposal,” he said.
During their short stay the 42-member delegation had a luncheon with the Royal family, and held discussions with a wide range of people on the topics of population, health care, and land and security in the region. They also met the Speaker and members of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, the Governor of the Reserve Bank and Dr Feleti Sevele, a businessman and a member of parliament. Mr Goff believed that during their short stay they had the opportunity, “to hear all sides of the political debate in Tonga.”
He said that New Zealand would be happy to assist Tonga with any parliamentary reform, “but it is a decision that Tonga as a nation has to make. The question is how to achieve change without creating instability. Tonga is very proud of its stability, but it is also possible to achieve change with stability.”
Fiji
With regards to a lashing out from the Interim Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Quarase, that New Zealand was unhelpful and unfriendly in their insistence that Fiji reinstate the 1997 constitution and the elected government of Mahendra Chaudhrey, Mr Goff said that New Zealand was taking a very strong stand on Fiji. “We deplore and strongly oppose the removal of any constitutional government by illegal and violent means. Fiji had a properly elected government in May 1999 and that was overthrown by a group of people who are now facing charges of treason.” He said that in a recent decision by the High Court, Judge Anthony Gates said that the abrogation of the 1997 constitution was illegal, and the elected parliament of Fiji should be restored, “that is also the position of the New Zealand government.”
He said that he also supported the view expressed by the King of Tonga that the Pacific nations had been tattered in their response to what had been happening in Fiji. “The Forum countries with a problem in their hands were silent about that problem.”
Hon. Sandra Lee, the Minister of Conservation, a member of the Alliance Party and a Maori, expressed her gratitude for her visit to Tonga “the heart of Polynesia”, she said, and led the singing of a Maori Song at the residence of the New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr Brian Smythe.
The Green Party also made their presence felt when Keith Locke distributed a Green Party cake at a welcoming cocktail hosted by the Hon. Philip Goff and the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, and stated how the Green Party would support the working program of the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement.
One star in the team who did not have anything to say, except for making sure his photo taken, was Winston Peters of the New Zealand First Party.