Second Speight supporter slips in

By EUGENE BINGHAM political reporter

Another key George Speight supporter has slipped into New Zealand undetected, making the effectiveness of so-called smart sanctions against Fiji look even more limp.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel confirmed that a second man banned for his involvement in the May coup had visited New Zealand, lending weight to growing criticism that the Government's tough stance is more words than action.

Further undermining of the blacklist comes on top of criticism of the Government for bowing to pressure from the Rugby Union to soften its sporting sanctions against Fiji rather than accept Australia's plea to stand firm.

Green MP Keith Locke and the group Coalition for Democracy in Fiji condemned the Government's record on implementing its "smorgasbord' of measures designed to hasten the return to non-racist, constitutional government in Suva.

"[Foreign Minister] Phil Goff is very good at speaking, but he has looked very silly on this particular issue," said a Coalition for Democracy spokesman, Nik Naidu.

Among the measures the Government approved in response to the May 19 putsch were a bilateral sporting ban, the halting of military contacts and the blacklisting of 154 people linked to Speight's uprising.

Questions about the sanctions first rose in November, when Mr Goff said a Speight lawyer, Vodo Tuberi, had slipped into New Zealand on a medical aid programme.

In response to Herald inquiries, Ms Dalziel confirmed that officials were aware that another person on the blacklist had been issued a visitor's visa by Immigration Service staff in Suva on September 22.

He arrived in New Zealand two days later and left on September 28 of his own accord.

Ms Dalziel said the service had not been given enough information to recognise him as someone on the banned list. It is understood the man was in Speight's self-proclaimed Government and took part in harassment of Fiji-Indian farmers.

Fiji sources said last night that they knew of another senior figure in the coup who had made several trips to Auckland, though this could not be confirmed.

A spokeswoman for Ms Dalziel said the Government was confident of keeping banned visitors out if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided the right information.

Two people on the banned list were detected when they applied for visitors' visas in September. Others had given up their applications after finding out they were on the list.

On the sporting front, Mr Goff said yesterday that listening to Rugby Union appeals to allow the Wellington sevens tournament to go ahead with the Fijians did not amount to bowing to pressure.

He defended his decision to ignore Australia's pleas for a united front, saying he felt vindicated after Australia was stripped of its right to host a world series rugby sevens tournament next month.

"The end result of refusing visas would be not to penalise Fiji but only to penalise New Zealand sports bodies and fans," said Mr Goff.

Mr Locke said the Government should have had the moral gumption to follow Australia's lead.