PMN Tonga

Joining us for the final time in 2020 on the Pacific Breakfast Show, Minister for Pacific Peoples Hon Aupito Toesulusulu Tofae Su'a William Sio, joins us for a talanoa on the year that was 2020 & opportunities in 2021. 

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While the majority of the known world are preparing or are already in some form of lockdown or movement limitations, Aotearoa and her citizens are already spending days at the beach and enjoying several outdoor family gatherings. All kiwis except for members of our disabled community who require a wheelchair for all forms of movement. Especially accessing our many beautiful beaches & seaside sceneries, due to the difficulty of maneuvering their chairs on sand and other similar surfaces.

This summer, there is a gleam of hope in the form of access mats now laid out in parts of Takapuna beach. It will allow our disablled community to get closer to the water and ZOOM about the sand areas safely. 

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With the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, along with stricter controls announced in Europe, over the Christmas period, & The death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic in French Polynesia now at 103, it is a timely reminder as we head into Christmas & New Year’s holiday period, not to let our collective guard down. 

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The States Parties to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty (“Rarotonga Treaty”) convened  their first ever meeting on Tuesday 15 December 2020.  The meeting was in response to the call by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders at their 50th Meeting, held in Tuvalu in 2019, to operationalise the provisions of the Treaty.

Following its adoption at the 16th Forum Leaders meeting in the Cook Islands, the Treaty was only the second of its kind—today there are five such regional nuclear free zones covering 116 nations.

For further insight into the Meeting of Parties held earlier this week, see https://www.forumsec.org/2020/12/15/towards-a-fully-nuclear-free-blue-pacific-forum-sg-at-rarotonga-treaty-meeting/

For further insight into the Rarotonga Treaty including the Treaty text, see https://www.forumsec.org/treaty-collection/

MFAI media release on the Cook Islands becoming Party to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons see https://www.facebook.com/mfaicookislands/posts/1083989601767279

For insight into the Cook Islands 1995 participation in protest campaign against nuclear testing on the French Polynesian island of Mururoa, read Cook Islands News coverage at https://www.cookislandsnews.com/weekend/remembering-turbulent-times-in-pacific-history/

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Drink driving is an issue for all ages.  In Auckland from 2015 to 2019 there were 519 death and serious injury (DSI) crashes in the Auckland region which were related to alcohol and drugs. Specifically, in 2017 there were 154 DSI casualties relating to alcohol/drugs, including 26 deaths (19 deaths in 2016).

Studies have shown that the risk of being involved in a crash increases as a driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) increases. At high blood alcohol levels, the risk rapidly increases.

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The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry yesterday released a new study that estimates up to 250,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults were abused in State and/or faith-based care between 1950-2019.

The study estimates they were part of a cohort of up to 655,000 children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care during that period.

Most people in care were in either faith-based and Social welfare settings with an estimated 254,000 people in each setting (each 31% of total); followed by Health and disability settings at 212,000 people (26%); and Education care settings at 102,000 people (12%).

We’re joined now on Pacific Breakfast by the Commissioner for the Royal Commission of Inquiry: Abuse in Care, Aliʻimuamua Sandra Alofivae, for more. 

Ali’imuamua, has practiced as a lawyer in the Auckland region for the last 20 years representing children, young persons and their families. She grew up in Mangere and has strong ties to the local community through her work in the voluntary sector. 

Sandra was appointed to the Counties Manukau District Health Board in December 2010 following a six year term as a Commissioner with the Families Commission.

In 2016 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the Pacific community and to youth.  In 1995 she was also bestowed the title of Ali’imuamua title by her family in the village of Sa'anapu, Samoa.

For more information please phone 0800 222 727 or email: [email protected]

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