Pacific Beat

On the program: Observers predict there will be "fireworks" in Vanuatu's Parliament today as MPs vote on a controversial bill to increase the number of Ministerial portfolios allowed, and Taiwan urges Australia and its key allies to unite and push back against China in the Pacific.

Many locals rely heavily on cruise ship passengers to buy their goods to make a living, but after the world's ninth largest cruise ship arrived in the capital Port Vila and failed to deliver tourists to the markets, there are warnings that an overreliance on cruise ship tourism could be damaging.

As political discussions and campaigning heads into overdrive on social media, officials are considering what to do to ensure a 24-hour campaign ban is not broken.

On the program: PNG's Police Minister defends officer training amid reports a young man was shot dead by police, but he admits there are "bad apples" they need to crack down on and residents of a small, remote island in Solomon Islands make history by winning a case against a bauxite miner, that's seen its mining licence revoked.

There are plans to roll out elsewhere in the Pacific, a new program that trains businesses in how to deal with the impact of domestic violence on the workplace — in the hope it can not only help the victims of violence but also cut down on lost productivity, which can be costly for companies.

The Minister for Police in Papua New Guinea, Jelta Wong, has defended current training and disciplinary measures within the force, following reports that a young man was shot and killed by police officers in Port Moresby.

On the program: The family of an Australian teen murdered more than a decade ago, is calling for a rethink on the deportation of the PNG man convicted of the killing, and Australia's plan for a billion dollar infrastructure fund for Pacific nations gets the greenlight but critics say it's been rushed.

Leading opponents of Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva's government in Tonga have achieved a breakthrough, with King Tupou VI agreeing to refer corruption allegations contained in a number of petitions to the Ombudsman, and in one case to the Police Commissioner, for further investigation.

On the program: Villagers in Solomon Islands living near an oil spill are concerned that the disaster has impacted their health and water supplies, and Taiwan's President invests time, rather than money, as she continues her Pacific trip to shore up allies in the region, as China increases its assertiveness.

Vanuatu's President is being urged by the country's peak anti-corruption watchdog not to pardon a group of 14 former politicians who were jailed in 2015 for bribery and corruption, saying it would be a "slap in the face" to the country's judiciary system.