The Rarotongan public has short memories because they are once again attending these meetings as with other government led consultations with a false expectation of being listened to, writes Ruta Mave.

To Tatou Vai advertised a public meeting invitation and in big bold letters said “Let Your Voice Shape Our Water Supply”. It was hosted by TTV to ‘hear and provide feedback to a presentation of the findings and recommendations of the recent stakeholder consultations for a water supply tariff’.

It went on to say ‘Our Agenda – Presentation of recommendations for the tariffs for Water Supply.’ They even went as far as to say ‘Your insights and feedback are invaluable in determining fair and sustainable tariff for water supply for the Rarotonga community. Landowners of water catchment areas and water plant are especially invited to attend’.

On first reading it is inviting as an invitation goes and for a public meeting, the public – on first read may have felt assured this was a place where their thoughts and words would be valued. Afterall giving the community an open transparent opportunity to air their thoughts and grievances lulls them into the false security that their voices carry weight and can carve and ‘shape’ the decisions already predisposed by the government prior to the calling of these meetings.

The general public are bogged down by basic survival living problems of paying bills and taxes, raising children and maintaining land and houses for absentee family landowners. Calling a meeting at 6pm – the busy ‘feeding time at the zoo’ slot, adds more pressure that it eliminates the majority of people and only the most hardy and indignant of voices will take the time and effort to show up.

All in all, most people living on the island are asset/land rich but cash and time poor. Asking them to attend public meetings paints a thoughtful and inclusive picture on behalf of government but is really designed to tick a box while knowingly pushing people to choose either feeding the family food or fronting up to be fed ‘bs’ fodder.

The Rarotongan public has short memories because they are once again attending these meetings as with other government led consultations with a false expectation of being listened to – where one takes notice and actively requires focused attention, intention and conscious effort to understand. It is a large difference from being heard by officials which is the passive act of hearing sounds that come to their ears, an automatic physiological process that does not require effort or attention - you hear sounds without even wanting to.

This was not an invitation to initiate dialogue and discussion, it was a well-crafted marketing manipulation to win over the illiterate and the intelligent. As with most of our government statements, they are written in two types of ink. The black and white prose that says ‘Water is free’. Then there is the other prose written in invisible ink that is exposed when you put a fire under it. This is the small print and it clearly says; albeit hidden by assumptions, the infrastructure and supply are not free. Specifics are in the literal details of the wording, not the presumption of their meaning.

Let’s take another look shall we. The heading says ‘Your Voice’ but says ‘Our Water Supply’. As a community we read it as the water is ours, the public, the taxpayers, but this is their meeting and their agenda so ‘Our’ is really referring to the government owned water supply.

They clearly say they want to ‘hear’ your ‘feedback’ on the recommendations of the water supply tariff, not if you do or do not want one; this is about how much tariff to charge.

They said ‘hear, they did not say they would listen, act or change their agenda or tariffs.

They also said they have findings and recommendations from recent stakeholder consultations. When were they heard? Who did they hear from? Are the findings of one man from Texas based on data and statistics supposed to be better and more relevant information to our small community in Rarotonga than actually asking face to face our people or our agriculture growers? Basing tariffs on large island nations with median incomes of $50,000 as a comparison, saying we will be paying less, is misleading when only 10 per cent of our population earn that amount or more.  

These talks should have been held before they made any decisions, so the shape was a round table consultation not a sharp arrow to the heart of many back pockets?

Tourism is our largest revenue earner and water user, yet agriculture within the next five years will pay $1.3 million and that’s more than the Tourism sector. Y’all need to have yaw heads read if you think we are going to pay it.

 They say you can ‘Shape’ the water supply but that shape is a house of cards whose shape falls flat from them blowing hot air out of their ass-ets.