FIJI – Pacific countries working together on international arbitration reform is the aim of discussions this week in Fiji.

The organisers of a conference this week in Nadi said working together would improve the countries’ collective access to international markets and investment.

The inaugural South Pacific International Arbitration Conference is being hosted by the Asian Development Bank, the Fiji government and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law organised the meeting.

International arbitration is a private dispute resolution mechanism that involves parties from different countries submitting their dispute to a neutral arbitrator or panel.

It is a globally preferred method for resolving cross-border commercial disputes.

Fiji journalists detained

FIJI – The president of the Fiji opposition party, the National Federation Party, says the detention of three Islands Business journalists under the Public Order Act is deeply concerning.

Islands Business magazine posted a story last week suggesting the employment contract of Magistrate Andrew See had ended.

See had ruled in favour of Air Terminal Service workers last month in the Employment Relations Tribunal.

The police then reacted by questioning Islands Business journalists and searching their offices and homes.

Pio Tikoduadua said the journalists were told they were suspected of “maliciously fabricating” information or spreading “false news reports to create public alarm” under s.15 of the Public Order Act.

But he asked how a news story about a magistrate’s appointment could cause public alarm?

He said there was no need to detain the publisher and investigate him for a crime.

Tikoduadua said the Fiji First government wanted to suppress any news reporting by anyone of anything that it does not like, using any excuse.

Refugees depart for the US

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A third group of 18 refugees from Manus Island flew out from Papua New Guinea yesterday morning to be resettled in the United States.

The Afghan, Pakistani and Rohingyan men were thought to have departed with another group of 40 refugees that left Port Moresby at the end of last month.

The US government did not respond to questions about the number of men being resettled in January, but the refugee advocate Ian Rintoul says today’s departure brings the total number of Manus refugees taken by the US to 85.

Fifteen months after the resettlement deal was announced, Rintoul says US officials are yet to complete first interviews with all Manus men who applied.

He says 175 refugees are currently being shuttled between Manus and Port Moresby for first interviews.

On Sunday, 22 refugees from Australian offshore detention left Nauru for the US and Rintoul says he expects about another 110 from Nauru will follow them this month.

Bill English says its time to move on

NEW ZEALAND – Outgoing National leader Bill English said he had wanted to leave while he had the choice, and once he made up his mind he decided to go sooner rather than later.

English on Tuesday announced his resignation as leader of the National Party and his exit from parliament.

However, in an interview yesterday with the New Zealand Herald he admitted it had been hard to let go of the things he had hoped to do in office by resigning rather than staying on until 2020.

“Yes, it is but at some point you have to let go. It’s inevitable in this business. And if you have the opportunity to choose the time at which you do that, then you should take that opportunity.

“It’s nice to be able to leave at a time when you’re credible. I know what it’s like to lack credibility as a politician and it’s pretty unpleasant. So it seemed to me that what would work best for the party is the same as what worked best in the transition from John Key.

“That is a leader who had strong support in caucus making their own decision to go and then a positive environment to choose a new leader because they want to – not just because their last one ran out.”

Speculation had been building for weeks that English, also a former Prime Minister, would step aside.

English’s announcement caught many MPs by surprise. English said he made his decision at Christmas and decided to go quickly rather than stay on longer.

“I thought that it would be too difficult to do the job properly if I’d half left the building. That wouldn’t help the party, it would probably end up creating more speculation about leadership or whatever.

“So I thought that once I’d decided for myself then I was better to go.”

English also revealed what job he would like in the future:

“Actually, I’ve always wanted to drive one of those self-propelled silage choppers. I used to love driving big machinery when I was farming. So maybe one of my nephews will offer me a job doing that.”

On a more serious note, he said at 56 years old he had had no intention of retiring.

“I don’t intend to sit round waiting for things to happen. I want to get another life.”

He said the 2017 campaign was one of his favourite memories of politics – and he had even surprised himself during the campaign.

“The opportunity for my family to be part of that and the intensity of the public interest and competitiveness of it.”

He was confident he was leaving National in good shape and it would remain competitive in the 2020 election. - NZH