Pacific corruption ‘like cancer’ — needs treating, says TINZ Pacific director
Tongan publisher Kalafi Moala … Tonga’s population is broken-hearted because their hope for something different has eroded. Image: Del Abcede/PMC
Kalafi Moala (Taimi o’ Tonga Network Chief Executive (from left), Alex Rheeney, Editor-in-Chief of the PNG Post-Courier, Dr Shailendra Singh, Head of Journalism at the University of the South Pacific; and Convenor Fuimaono Tuiasau, Pacific Director of Transparency International NZ. Image: Del Abcede/PMC
By Ami Dhabuwala of the Pacific Media Centre
14 July 2016
Each Pacific country is dealing with its own issues, but one of the major common issues is corruption.
A preconference of the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA), AUT Pacific Media Centre (PMC) and Media Educators Pacific (MeP) in partnership with TINZ gave a platform to discuss the corruption in the Pacific and the role of the media in dealing with it.
Pacific Director of TINZ and facilitator for the session, Fuimaono Tuiasau said: “Corruption is much like cancer. It has to be treated early otherwise it will be massively expensive.” He said the world has become deeply interested in what is going on in the Pacific. The European Union, World Bank and Asian Development Bank are all taking interest in the Pacific. A number of international treaties have been signed but “where are all of these resources going?” he said.
“Corruption Prevention is fundamentally crucial to successful development in the Pacific.”