Fiji Election Results: What does it mean for Australia?

 

Presented by Sean Dorney, former Pacific Correspondent, at ABC/Australia Network

 

About the presentation 

Fiji has always been geo–politically important to Australia.  However, this relationship has been strained following the 2006 military takeover of the government in Fiji.  Australia’s major response included a variety of ‘smart sanctions’ and persuading the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) members to suspend Fiji from its membership.  Fiji, in turn, expelled the Australian High Commissioner, and began forging new and stronger ties with other countries it now regards as allies, including China, Russia, North Korea and a number of Middle East countries. It has also championed rival forums to PIF—the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) and one that Rear Admiral (Retired) Bainimarama created himself—the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF).  While Australia has traditionally had substantial influence on the agenda and decisions of the PIF, it is not allowed to participate in the MSG or PIDF meetings. China, whose influence is growing throughout the Pacific, paid for and built the MSG Headquarters in Port Vila while along with countries like Russia it has been a big supporter of the PIDF. From a geo–political perspective Fiji’s actions have been very unsettling and uncomfortable for Australia. The Coalition went to the last elections promising a change in Australian policy towards Fiji and since becoming Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop has been actively trying to mend the relationship.   Some of the more significant gestures include lifting of the ‘smart sanctions’ ahead of the promised democratic elections and visits by senior Federal Ministers. Australia has also provided substantial funding and other support for Fiji’s upcoming elections on 17 Sept. In this seminar, Sean critically analyses the implications of the Fiji election results for Australia. 

 

About the speaker 

Sean Dorney is the former Pacific Correspondent for the ABC and Australia Network. One of the ABC's most experienced and respected correspondents, he is an acknowledged authority on the region and is the author of two books on Papua New Guinea. Sean lived and worked in PNG for almost 20 years and is, remarkably, the only foreign correspondent to have been both deported and awarded honours by PNG. He was also deported from Fiji in 2009 when Prime Minister Bainimarama, angered by a Fiji Court of Appeal ruling that his government was illegitimate, abolished the Constitution, sacked all the judges and imposed strict media censorship. 

 

Date: Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Venue:     N54 (Bray Centre) meeting room 2.02, Nathan campus 

Time: 2.00 – 4.00pm 

 

To RSVP please contact Natasha Vary on (07) 3735 5322 or n.vary@griffith.edu.au by 5.00pm Friday 19 September.