Jacks Canoe Fishing Competition

I helped sponsor the main prize for this because I feel that we should encourage this type of traditional activity. It was successful in that a great deal of interest was generated especially with the young guns who have just started the art and skill of canoe fishing.
Jacks day was perfect with the organisers happy and the competitors-all 38 of them even happier.
Well done Jack and your team of workers for a very successful day
Main winner with a 28kg tuna was Muiaki Ricky Makani who just pipped Tuli Heka with his 17 kg effort.
Tolana Siataga, Sifisifi Mokalei also won some money for their efforts
Mona Ainuu organised a fagota shore gatherers event which was popular with the ladies and kids. Asosa Tohovaka I understand showed her skills and took out the main prize for this activity.
Jacks village benefitted from the $20 fees $780 plus I understand they also got value for the main prized fish being auctioned again for the VC coffers
Poi Kapaga helped Jack and Mona helped Moka with the competition.
Next year the prize money will be increased and possibally include 1,2,3 as the main drawcard
Details of main prize winners will be on the government website

Niue Youth and Employment

For many years much of our focus on youth and training and jobs have been largely focused on the top 10-20% of our school leavers and youth. Many years ago there were two streams established at NHS with the second group being given more practical training in Agric etc.
Many parents and students felt stigmatised by this and felt that they had a right to be given the same educational opportunities as all other students.
Therefore I believe the vocational classes and curricula was dismantled and all students were streamed into similar classes.
However the difference still exists and matters have not improved much over the years.
It is very important to realise that not everyone is equal at school. Even the top students have marked preferences. Some do not like maths Physics etc or English and avoid these subjects.
This is shows that every student has a preferrence and will find boring any subject they are not interested in!!
What we do recognise now is that each student has talents which can help him find a job, business, trade, sports, art, etc
This government is looking for a solution for creating opportunities for these school leavers so they can contribute to our scociety in the best way they can using their talents
I think it also helps to realise that what used to be considered as dirty jobs are now sought after because people have realised that they have expertise we dont have. And the fact that we pay highly for this expertise is a good thing
On monday 30th November I will be convening a meeting with youth school leavers to discuss their future options and provide opportunities for them to find jobs in the short or long term. I am openning the dicussion to include government and private sectors business and hope to have mentoring arrangements for these students in the first week and then place them in the second week. I hope we can pay them a flat rate of $5/hour to do work and help develop business idaes etc.
If you are interested pls be at the Fale Fono foyer on Monday 9 am

Niue Economic prospects

I have made very clear my strong and passionate drive and desire to develop and sound economic base for Niue with tourism and Fishing and the two principal drivers.
I see Niue as developing a portfolio of investment businesses which will help us generate revenues, business viability, commercial viability, support and maintain our basic infrastructure, pay public servants and welfare benefits, support our health and education services and increase our population via the increasing opportunities available to people wishing to live here.
I have been asked about what we are doing to increase population My simple answer has been to do the above.
The business portfolios include tourism in its many forms, fishing also in many forms, food security which is home consumption and feeding visiitors, nonu, vanilla, Trust Fund, Soverign assets such as airspace, domain name, and other ideas beinf investigated now.
I have been asked why it is that we have not developed a strong economy after 35 years of self government. I answer by suggesting that Niue is not alone in its battles with donors to agree to help fund economic developments
The worse example of lost opportunity and lack of progress has been the non expenditure on tourism accomodatoion over the past 6 years despite NZ agreeing to allocate $2m for this purpose. I can tell you now that we have given up on NZ funds and have agreed with Minister McCully only because he has made some promises of change.
Otherwise we should really be looking at borrowing funds to help us build our economy as we desire it at our pace and speedily.
To date nothing has happend so I am not hopeful with McCullys initial startegy. Because in the end we need to stop talikng and start building
I will write soon about my views on Wellington Officials. Suffice to say they may be diplomats but they dont know anything about building an economy at all.

New ways of doing business

Over the past year it has become very obvious that emails have replaced phones and paper as a means of passing information quickly within and outside the Niue Public service-between departments, Ministers and the private sector.
It is an excellent medium if you comfortable with it and savvy, but many are having problems
This government prides itself in being open and trasnparent. The onlyt information that I would withold would be personal and commercailly sensitiv ones
As we progress into the future and with the introduction of this blog we will basically become more open to discussion and rationalising what we are doing.
I believe it is very imporatnt that we advise the public what we have done and why.
I hope you will all participate sensibily and openly in this page without being nasty and personal.
And you will also excuse my English spelling and grammar.
It is the idea and sharing that counts not whether a person can spell or use correct grammar syntax etc.