Peters hints at easing of work permits for Fijians

The Government might be ready to look at issuing more temporary work permits for Fijians about mid-year when a Cabinet paper would be ready, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said yesterday.

Mr Peters gave the assurance at talks yesterday in Nadi with his Fijian counterpart, Kaliopate Tavola.

Labour mobility, or the lack of it, is a sore point with Fiji and has repeatedly been raised with New Zealand.

Now that New Zealand has labour shortages and the lowest unemployment rate in the OECD, it has reached the Government's agenda.

But the issue is being officially overseen by Prime Minister Helen Clark, rather than Mr Peters or the Immigration Minister, David Cunliffe, because it was raised by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase with her several years ago.

As it was raised again yesterday, Mr Tavola welcomed the progress that Mr Peters foreshadowed.

"We have an indication now that things are moving and that augurs well for the future."

Mr Tavola, who is retiring from politics this year after six years as Foreign Minister, said he agreed with Mr Peters that New Zealand and Fiji were beginning a new era in their relationship.

"This is an opportunity to start afresh."

He said he wanted to flesh out other areas of co-operation between the two countries.

Another issue discussed by Mr Peters and Mr Tavola was the meeting in Fiji next month between Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Pacific Island Forum countries.

New Zealand and Australia have not yet decided whether they will attend.

The fact that six of the 14 Pacific Island members of the forum recognise Taiwan is a sensitive issue.

After the talks Mr Peters would not say what his inclination was.

"I have a view which is best shared with Cabinet so that we have a collective view."

Mr Peters finishes his three-day trip today with a visit to a squatter settlement outside Lautoka that receives New Zealand aid.

Mr Peters, the New Zealand First leader, is a minister outside the Cabinet and, more unusually, a minister outside of the Government, though he sounded as though he were a member of the Government.

Commenting on Mr Peters' visit on Wednesday to the head of the military, Commander Frank Bainimarama, Mr Tavola said there was nothing untoward about it. It was an opportunity to discuss the two countries' bilateral defence relationship.

Mr Tavola attempted to dismiss tensions and coup rumours in January caused by the commander's public criticism of the Government and the sacking of his Land Forces Commander, Lieutenant Jone Baledrokadroka.

"It was always peaceful. Like a family we jump up and down occasionally but that is just the nature of things."

The man and his mission

The man: Foreign Minister Winston Peters, or "Mr Winston" as he is often referred to in Fiji.

The mission: To introduce himself to Fiji, hold talks with his counterpart and add his weight to efforts to contain the latent menace of a military commander.

Demeanour: Workman-like, professional, understated, occasionally humorous but still finding his feet, reading from notes at two small gatherings but relaxed as time went by.

Pressing issue for Fiji: Access to New Zealand for temporary work.

Pressing issues for New Zealand: Maintaining a democratic and stable political system and growing economy.

Local interest: More than a dozen media at key events.

Local impact: Mixed but rather less than more. Two of the three newspapers relegated Mr Peters to page 3, while one, the Fiji Sun, led the paper with his visit to the military commander. Only a brief mention on television news.

New Zealand media interest: The visit was kept under wraps until just a few days beforehand and few details of his programme were released. Only two media organisations accompanied the minister, the Herald and the Auckland-based Hindi station Radio Tarana.

Relations with the media: The initial frostiness to the Herald half-melted in the heat - no repetition of the "treason" accusation (not a word used lightly in Fiji).

Support: Among the officials with Peters are two high-ranking diplomats, the head of New Zealand Aid, Peter Adams, a former ambassador to Beijing, and the High Commissioner to Suva, Mike Green, a former Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Meetings: Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, the Speaker, Finance Minister, Labour leader Mahendra Chaudhry, Commander Frank Bainimarama, Minister of Education.

Visits: Ministry of Education to sign $2 million aid deal for civics education in schools, the elections office where New Zealand is providing aid to produce clean electoral rolls for the election this year and beyond, a vaccination centre, and (today) a squatter settlement outside Lautoka which is also the subject of New Zealand aid.