Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Monday 21 December 2009

Cyclone Assistance "Demonstration of Australia's Friendship"

The Australian Government has announced it will provide $100,000 to assist those affected by Cyclone Mick, and  further assistance if required.  The statement said "The funding is a further demonstration of Australia's friendship and commitment to the people of Fiji." A similar amount, with similar provisions, was also donated by New Zealand. Read what readers say. Click "Comments" below.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Vinaka to the Australian Govt

Edge said...

Yes, thank you Australia. We do need the assistance.

Anonymous said...

I hope this signals the start of a thawing in relations with Australia

Thanks from the people of Fiji

Anonymous said...

Humanitarian assistance is always gratefully received. The ordinary people of Fiji have suffered quite enough over more than twenty years from all sorts of disasters: man-made and Acts of God. They deserve so much more. Hubris is standing in the way of an adjusted foreign policy towards Fiji from countries who ought to have seen and known better. Inded they assisted the propulsion of an entire country into a situation where institutions were failing everyone. They allowed this to continue to benefit their own interests refusing to consult and speak to those who could have shown a different direction. Now they are 'found out'. If they are smart, they will scramble to adjust this stance while the going is good.

Islands in the Stream said...

Reading 'Flashback to 25 November 2006' PM Bainimarama is not alone in "the intensity of his rage" as reported by Graham Davis at that time. Many of us feel, still, intensity of rage which we have tried to moderate for pragmatic, useful purposes. However, Copenhagen December 2009 demonstrated for all the world to see how callous and conspicuously self-interested and cocooned in their own preening self-absorption both Australia and New Zealand have proven to be. One is almost tempted to suggest that a benevolent colonisation is preferable to being lured into the sphere of such morally-deficient conduct? But the era of colonisation is long past. We are obliged to sink or swim....or go down into the deep.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we are grateful for Australia's assistance but its arrogant leaders give with one hand and take away with the other. What's the point of providing token payments for disaster relief when you're doing all you can to destroy Fiji's ability to function properly?Australia's travel bans have deterred the best people from taking jobs in government and on the boards of statutory authorities. So for Canberra to say that it's not doing anything to damage ordinary people in Fiji is a bald faced lie. We need good governance but Australia and NZ are making sure we don't get it. I was stunned to learn that the two governments had throttled a plan by the World Bank to give Fiji more than $160-million to develop a renewable energy program. They're also doing their level best to get us excluded from UN peacekeeping duties. We all know how much these earnings matter at village level so of course this damages ordinary people. So thanks for your "demonstration of friendship" Australia. Unfortunately, it's a bit like the guy who stops to help you change a tyre and then steals your car.

Anonymous said...

$100,000? Are you kidding? In Australia, that's the cost of a highly optioned European car. Or less than three basic Holden Commodores. Excuse me but why should we be grateful to people who come into our homes and tell us to our faces that they don't like the way we live? If you were really a "friend", Australia, you'd behave like one. This is like the schoolyard bully who gives you a black eye then throws you a handful of sweets. Pathetic.

snoopy said...

There are some really good posts on this site - however for obvious reasons (safety, privacy) many choose to remain anonymous.

However this makes it hard to follow the posting from the regulars. For example use your city eg Sydney or Suva or whatever way in which we can idetify the particular postings are from 1 person

Anonymous said...

Why did this even get a mention.

$100,000 is two parts of f*%k all especially if it is given with a four ply rope attached.

Stick it.

Anonymous said...

@ snoopy

You must be joking! Or extremely naive. Even identification by location is unwise. Such comment demonstrates YOUR location: overseas/ultramare/extranjero/outre-mer

It is the ideas that matter most not the location.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Snoopy, tell us where you are? Betcha it's not in Eff -one- jay- one or you'd understand implicitly why we can never take off our masks.

snoopy said...

anon - you are missing the point.

for example there were several postings from anon on this thread - it is difficult to communicate with unless you can easily identify the comments by a pseudonym

Use any pseudonym - dont use your location - use a number for all it matters - the idea is to idetify the postings from the same message so that the discussions are easier to follow

tamavua said...

$100,000 is a joke - how about something more substantial.

As i have said elsewhere very true about using a name for the posting

Anonymous said...

OK, I'm the Red Baron from now on. Does that make you happy Snoopy? You may be too old to remember the comic strip but Happy Christmas you miserable mutt.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Red Barron - you have made my Christmas...hahaha

Merry Xmas!!

Anonymous said...

oops - the previous messgae was from me snoopy

Anonymous said...

Hey Aussie

Australia's friendship? For goodness sake, stop the propaganda please. We are sick of the Aussie friendship. No one needs it. Oppression thru aid money is killing the people of the Pacific.

You can take your cyclone assistance money and shove it up Kevin Rudd and Smith's back side.

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