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Top News

Week ending Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Front page news stories on politics and current
events in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.

Te Puna dispute settled
NZ funding not confirmed
New acting MOIP head
Buzz off!
Call for seat belts
Te Puna dispute settled
NZ funding not confirmed
New acting MOIP head
Buzz off!
Call for seat belts
Budget blowout
McCully coming
Subsidy spent
Political reform conference postponed
ON THE STREET
Pasifika crowds flock to Cook Islands village
Old age pension could clash with super fund
Audit looks into claimed Chinese car ‘kickbacks’
PM wants Toagate audit report made public
Mayor rejects Habitat offer
Ships set sail
Police boss responds on tsunami reaction

A landmark judgement was handed down in the Cook Islands High Court this week.

Judge Kenneth Heta Kingston reversed a highly controversial decision made by the country’s first chief justice in 1908.

The case that has come to be known as “Te Puna” concerns 147 acres of Takitumu land that stretches from the shore right up to the mountains and from the edge of the Little Poly to Takitumu preschool.

For over a century, four family groups have been at legal odds over ownership rights to sections 50A and 50B.

But as of March 8, the section belongs to descendents of Tekuraveri, or the third wife of Te Puna Paroro.

The heirs – known in land court as “the Carr group” because Tere Carr represented them – will have six months to file lists of owners with supporting documents. Any disputes that arise will be settled in court. - RR

Epic Te Puna dispute settled – page 9.

The New Zealand government has yet to announce funding for the Aitutaki cyclone recovery plan.

While recovery work is starting, government officials are reportedly worried about when NZ will declare its financial support and it has already been noted that this is not the normal practice.

Last week government announced that the plan will cost about $9.46 million but it is expecting the NZ government to cover most of the funding.

Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen told CI News last week that NZ had indicated it would contribute $8-10 million to the recovery plan.

It is understood NZ is still considering the recovery plan and how it will allocate assistance for Aitutaki.

Acting NZ High Commissioner Nicola Ngawati says NZ is committed to providing further support for the reconstruction and recovery efforts.

“Our support will be aimed at getting homes rebuilt, local industry back up and running, and lives back to normal as soon as possible. We are continuing to work with authorities in the Cook Islands to decide on the best mechanism for delivering this assistance,” she says.

Ngawati says NZ is working closely with the Cook Islands government to ensure that its support is consistent with responses to other disasters in the region as well.

The recovery plan includes about $5 million in assistance towards the reconstruction of homes in Aitutaki.

Government has only $2.7 million to put towards the plan and is expecting to immediately cover around $800,000 of repair funding for homes partially damaged in Cyclone Pat.

• Helen Greig

Otheniel Tangianau (above) is now the new acting secretary of the ministry of infrastructure and planning (MOIP) following the resignation of Taukea Raui last week.

Minister William ‘Smiley’ Heather confirmed the appointment yesterday saying Raui had cited personal reasons for resigning.

It is understood there had been some tension over the Aitutaki recovery plan, which the ministry will play a large role in, before Raui’s sudden departure.

Heather says since he took on the portfolio in January, he has approved some internal reshuffling of staff as part of restructuring.

“It’s to give the young ones a chance to prove themselves too,” he says.

One example is Vaipou Mataora moved from being a survey officer to land management where he now has more responsibilities.

Heather says working on the Aitutaki recovery is already putting a strain on MOIP and it’s expected the ministry will continue to send staff back and forth to the island over coming months to carry out work there.

The minister says the position of MOIP secretary may be advertised soon following the restructuring of some parts of the ministry.

• Helen Greig

Thirteen-year-old Lawton Tepai poses with a large hive in the background. 10031013

Otheniel Tanguanau 10031016

Thirteen-year-old Lawton Tepai and his grandparents have had enough of the bees in this big hive attached to their house in Arorangi.

The family is asking anyone who knows how to handle bees to come and help them remove this lot.

Lawton has the misfortune of sleeping in the bedroom directly under the hive and says he has often been stung just hanging out in his room.

And in the Rarotonga heat, the teenager has to keep his windows shut at all times to keep the bees out.

His grandfather Thomas Tepai believes the bees relocated to their home nearly a year ago when a family down the road smoked the bees off their property.

He says that because they didn’t know what to do, they just left the bees do their thing but hive hanging from their roof awning has got too big and busy.

If you can help this family get rid of their bee problem please call Thomas Tepai on 24294. - MW

In light of Tamarii Pierre’s tragic death at the weekend, police commissioner Maara Tetava says it’s time we made it a point to wear a seat belt while travelling in the car.

“It would be advisable for motorists to belt up each time they get into their vehicles,” Tetava said. “Everyone needs to get into the safety mindset each time we get into our vehicles.”

Tetava said that road safety should be a priority ‘all the time, not just some of the time’.

He said that children should ride in car seats and people should not be sitting on the sides of pick-up truck trays.

Drivers must do the responsible thing, he said, and ensure that all on board are safe before travelling.

• Rachel Reeves

A landmark judgement was handed down in the Cook Islands High Court this week.

Judge Kenneth Heta Kingston reversed a highly controversial decision made by the country’s first chief justice in 1908.

The case that has come to be known as “Te Puna” concerns 147 acres of Takitumu land that stretches from the shore right up to the mountains and from the edge of the Little Poly to Takitumu preschool.

For over a century, four family groups have been at legal odds over ownership rights to sections 50A and 50B.

But as of March 8, the section belongs to descendents of Tekuraveri, or the third wife of Te Puna Paroro.

The heirs – known in land court as “the Carr group” because Tere Carr represented them – will have six months to file lists of owners with supporting documents. Any disputes that arise will be settled in court. - RR

Epic Te Puna dispute settled – page 9.

The New Zealand government has yet to announce funding for the Aitutaki cyclone recovery plan.

While recovery work is starting, government officials are reportedly worried about when NZ will declare its financial support and it has already been noted that this is not the normal practice.

Last week government announced that the plan will cost about $9.46 million but it is expecting the NZ government to cover most of the funding.

Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen told CI News last week that NZ had indicated it would contribute $8-10 million to the recovery plan.

It is understood NZ is still considering the recovery plan and how it will allocate assistance for Aitutaki.

Acting NZ High Commissioner Nicola Ngawati says NZ is committed to providing further support for the reconstruction and recovery efforts.

“Our support will be aimed at getting homes rebuilt, local industry back up and running, and lives back to normal as soon as possible. We are continuing to work with authorities in the Cook Islands to decide on the best mechanism for delivering this assistance,” she says.

Ngawati says NZ is working closely with the Cook Islands government to ensure that its support is consistent with responses to other disasters in the region as well.

The recovery plan includes about $5 million in assistance towards the reconstruction of homes in Aitutaki.

Government has only $2.7 million to put towards the plan and is expecting to immediately cover around $800,000 of repair funding for homes partially damaged in Cyclone Pat.

• Helen Greig

Otheniel Tangianau (above) is now the new acting secretary of the ministry of infrastructure and planning (MOIP) following the resignation of Taukea Raui last week.

Minister William ‘Smiley’ Heather confirmed the appointment yesterday saying Raui had cited personal reasons for resigning.

It is understood there had been some tension over the Aitutaki recovery plan, which the ministry will play a large role in, before Raui’s sudden departure.

Heather says since he took on the portfolio in January, he has approved some internal reshuffling of staff as part of restructuring.

“It’s to give the young ones a chance to prove themselves too,” he says.

One example is Vaipou Mataora moved from being a survey officer to land management where he now has more responsibilities.

Heather says working on the Aitutaki recovery is already putting a strain on MOIP and it’s expected the ministry will continue to send staff back and forth to the island over coming months to carry out work there.

The minister says the position of MOIP secretary may be advertised soon following the restructuring of some parts of the ministry.

• Helen Greig

Thirteen-year-old Lawton Tepai poses with a large hive in the background. 10031013

Otheniel Tanguanau 10031016

Thirteen-year-old Lawton Tepai and his grandparents have had enough of the bees in this big hive attached to their house in Arorangi.

The family is asking anyone who knows how to handle bees to come and help them remove this lot.

Lawton has the misfortune of sleeping in the bedroom directly under the hive and says he has often been stung just hanging out in his room.

And in the Rarotonga heat, the teenager has to keep his windows shut at all times to keep the bees out.

His grandfather Thomas Tepai believes the bees relocated to their home nearly a year ago when a family down the road smoked the bees off their property.

He says that because they didn’t know what to do, they just left the bees do their thing but hive hanging from their roof awning has got too big and busy.

If you can help this family get rid of their bee problem please call Thomas Tepai on 24294. - MW

In light of Tamarii Pierre’s tragic death at the weekend, police commissioner Maara Tetava says it’s time we made it a point to wear a seat belt while travelling in the car.

“It would be advisable for motorists to belt up each time they get into their vehicles,” Tetava said. “Everyone needs to get into the safety mindset each time we get into our vehicles.”

Tetava said that road safety should be a priority ‘all the time, not just some of the time’.

He said that children should ride in car seats and people should not be sitting on the sides of pick-up truck trays.

Drivers must do the responsible thing, he said, and ensure that all on board are safe before travelling.

• Rachel Reeves

Health and education funding may suffer big budget cuts as the country faces a multimillion dollar shortfall in the next annual budget.

Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen admits a budget deficit of up to $4 million could be seen, but rumour puts the shortfall much higher – at one estimate $7 million.

Rasmussen says there’s now no way to avoid the shortfall and says there may be ‘cuts’ to social service ministries such as health and education as a result.

He says cuts to personnel costs will be the last thing government considers because it does not want to resort to laying off public servants to save money.

The minister blames the large deficit on government’s use of reserve funds over the past year.

One example was the funds spent on flying in tere parties from the outer islands for the Constitution celebrations when there was no ship available to transport them to Rarotonga.

Rasmussen says the budget policy statement for the annual budget is almost complete and government has been looking at a holistic approach to the way ministries operate.

“We need to look at what we inject into ministries that will generate revenue and maybe cut down on the funding of social service-type ministries,” he says.

The minister says government has to be tough on the spending of its limited funds and the spending of aid funds as well.

Rasmussen says he wants to see parliament sit sooner rather than later to table, debate and pass the new budget. He believes this could be done before the usual budget deadline of July 1. Rasmussen says its unlikely government will employ a similar tactic to the 2 percent cut in operational costs for ministries last year because some ministries may now be able to make do with less than others.

News of a budget deficit follows the strain last year’s $215 million ‘mother of all budgets’ put on government spending at a time when revenues began to seriously plummet.

Last year’s budget was just over 50 percent larger than the previous year and included plans to spend $82.5 million in loans received from China and the Asian Development Bank this year on development and infrastructure such as the road and water upgrades for Rarotonga, which may no longer go ahead.

Reserve funds had been used to fill what might have been a shortfall of up to $3 million last year, but its unlikely government will be able to do the same again this year.

• Helen Greig

NZ Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully is leading a government delegation to attend the joint ministerial forum in Rarotonga next month.

The meeting will cover issues of economics, infrastructure, and social development.

McCully and two other NZ ministers, whose names have yet to be confirmed, are due to arrive on April 6.

The first joint forum is set to take place on April 7-8.

A team of government officials is working with the New Zealand High Commission here on the logistics and agenda for the ministerial meeting.

According to prime minister Jim Marurai’s office, the PM expects all four cabinet ministers to take part in the dialogue with the NZ ministers.

Marurai and NZ PM John Key agreed to hold the first joint forum this year during Key’s visit to Rarotonga last July.

• Helen Greig

Government’s water tank subsidy fund is dry.

In December, government announced that it would allot $1.5 million toward the water tank subsidy project. MOIP received just $50,000 for the subsidy scheme, which ran out in the course of a few months. There are no immediate plans to top up the fund.

Infrastructure minister William (Smiley) Heather’s office CEO Tere Taio said government has yet to review the subsidy project, but has considered extending future funds only to homes in the ‘neediest areas – places where the main water supply is poor’.

“It should be understood that the project was set up to provide an incentive for people to invest in water tanks for their own well being,” he said. “It was limited in the finance available and the time in which the offer could be taken up.”

That being said, if anyone was not reimbursed or encountered any serious problems with the subsidy, contact the secretary at MOIP, who is prepared to take ‘remedial action’.

• Rachel Reeves

The political reform conference which prime minister Jim Marurai was to host last month has been postponed indefinitely, according to his office.

OPM chief of staff Mac Mokoroa says the conference has been put off due to the office’s involvement in the Aitutaki cyclone recovery programme.

He says the office will now liaise with political reform advocates Iaveta Short and Tata Crocombe as to when a date can be set for the conference.

In January Marurai announced plans to host the conference to hear public views on political reform issues following the release of a 12-point proposal on political reform compiled by Short and Crocombe.

Crocombe and Short were to chair the conference which was to invite presentations from such groups as political parties and non-government organisations.

Crocombe heads the economic development taskforce which has proposed political reform as a major step toward economic growth. Short has not only been involved in politics for much of his life but also headed the 1998 commission of political review which first proposed a reform to a new system based on the country’s needs.

Marurai wants to know if there is a national consensus and preference for political reform and has been encouraging public support of the 12-point proposal.

Last month Marurai’s office invited written submissions on political reform in the lead up to the conference discussions.

- Helen Greig

The 12 recommended reforms are:

1. Direct election of the Prime Minister by all voters

2. PM to appoint cabinet from among all voters

3. Cabinet appointments approved by parliament

4. Create five national seats to be voted for by all voters

5. National election of the PM (the top five polling candidates for national seats become national members and the top polling member becomes the PM if they win 50% of the vote)

6. PM limited to three terms

7. Reduce the term of parliament from 4 to 3 years

8. Form a permanent Political Review Commission

9. Combine the seats of Manihiki and Rakahanga

10. Combine the Mangaia seats of Tamarua, Ivirua and Oneroa

11. Combine the seats of Mitiaro and Mauke

12. Combine the Atiu seats of Tengatangi-Areora-Ngatiarua and Teenui-Mapumai

Koe Terita Sleep over wherever it is you’re drinking. 10031211

Kylie Niha Call a taxi. 10031212

Sharlene Cross Public transport. Take the bus. 10031213

Columba Henry If you know you’re a careless driver, don’t drink! 10031214

Joanne Tararo Take the bus or a taxi. 10031215

Tom Vickers Take the bus. 10031216

Peerui Tumii It starts in the home. Learn to take responsibility for your actions. Get a sober driver. 10031217

Apii Heather Stop serving alcohol to people over the limit. 10031218

What’s the best way to cut down on drunk driving?

Thousands were drawn to the Cook Islands village at the Pasifika festival 10031471

The sights and sounds of the Cook Islands once more returned to Auckland’s Western Springs on Saturday (NZT) at the annual Pasifika Festival.

Thousands of Cook Islanders from around New Zealand made what has become an annual pilgrimage to the celebration of all things Pacific.

Friends, family and fellow countrymen caught up at the small slice of the Cook Islands as food, music, and colour transported people back home just for a brief while.

Clothes, jewellery, music and especially the many food stalls jostled for position as thousands of Cook Islanders and visitors wandered through the village on the beautiful Auckland day.

The dancing and entertainment on the nearby stage was a huge hit and people crammed in every available space to watch the many lively and colourful performances.

Talking to a number of the expat Cook Islanders at the village, a common theme for coming to the event was to experience something of their homeland especially for the younger generation.

The Cook Islands village was one of the most popular at the event and one of the hopes of the day was to try and attract more tourists, especially to cyclone-hit Aitutaki.

Cook Islands MP Junior Maoate said they needed to make a concerted effort to attract people to Aitutaki as New Zealanders mainly went to Rarotonga.

Now in its 18th year the Pasifika Festival, the largest of its kind in the world, this year attracted close to 300,000 people on Saturday (NZT) who came to enjoy more than 350 stalls, the 10 Pacific Island villages and 12 stages.

The festival celebrates the unique cultures and identities of the Pacific nations and New Zealand with performers from Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Tangata Whenua.

Pasikifa photo spread – page 10.

• Martin Tiffany

Collecting an old age pension in future may depend on what a retiree receives from the national superannuation fund.

As part of government’s review of the social welfare system, the ministry of internal affairs is currently asking for public submissions on such questions as whether the super fund could eventually replace the old age pension.

A total of 1582 people receive the pension – 551 are aged 60-64 years, 405 are 65-69 and 626 are 70 plus.

By island, the breakdown is Rarotonga 971, Aitutaki 215, Mangaia 118, Atiu 84, Mauke 59, Mitiaro 35, Pukapuka 43, Penrhyn 23, Manihiki 22 and Rakahanga 12.

The pension used to be paid out in different amounts in the three age groups until last year when it was changed to $400 a month for all pensioners – an increase in the basic pension of 67 percent (from about $240 per month). The pension has been raised many times since 2002 – in fact it is the only welfare benefit to go through more than five changes.

The pension accounts for 56 percent of the welfare payments each year or around $7.6 million in payments.

Government is now looking at whether a person will be eligible for the pension if their lump sum and monthly pension from the super fund will exceed the amount of the old age pension.

The compulsory super fund caters for financial security in retirement. A member of the fund, at retirement can take a lump sum of up to 25 percent of their balance and draw the rest as a monthly pension.

The public discussion paper compiled by internal affairs says if the super fund and the pension overlap then it raises the issue of whether the fund would replace the pension in time.

But government admits the coverage of the pension by the super fund would take time because those that would retire with the fund in the next few years would have very small balances. As time goes by the fund balances of retirees would be much larger, so government is asking how the amount collected from the super fund on retirement would be taken into account when applying for the pension.

Currently those 60 plus who have been living in the country for a minimum of 10 years (or 20 years in the case of foreigners), are eligible for the pension.

Like other benefits under the social welfare system, government is asking whether the 1989 Welfare Act needs to be clearer in defining the level of support the pension aims to provide.

It is also hard for government to track whether a pensioner has left the country permanently, and so usually internal affairs pays the benefit for up to six months after the person has left. There is no reference in the act to when the pension is supposed to be terminated but it is assumed that it should end when the person passes away or leaves the country permanently.

To have your say on the way the pension should be paid or on other types of benefits, you must make a written submission by March 17. For information on the public discussion paper and submissions, call the ministry on 29370.

• Helen Greig

The audit office wants to know why the car on the right, kept at the residence of suspended CIIC chief executive John Tini, is in his personal use but owned by the Chinese construction company which built the new sports stadium. 10031401

John Tini, suspended and under audit investigation. 09011525

The audit office is investigating why suspended Cook Islands Investment Corporation CEO John Tini has had in his possession for a year a car purchased by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

It is understood the audit office began the probe based on a claim that the car was an undeclared ‘gift or kickback’ received by Tini from the construction company.

Director of audit Paul Allsworth has confirmed it has begun investigating how Tini came to be benefiting from the use of a car owned by the same company that built the $8.4 million Telecom Sports Arena – a project overseen by CIIC and Tini before his suspension last September following allegations of misuse of public funds.

The late model silver Suzuki Vitara, registration number 7231, was purchased for $32,990 from Pickering Motors last March. According to reports, the car has been in Tini’s personal use since that time.

Since the audit investigation began last week, CCECC representatives have reportedly already claimed that Tini has simply been ‘looking after the car’.

CI News has verified some of the facts already believed to be gathered by the audit office, including the ownership details of the car and the fact that it is kept at Tini’s residence in Titikaveka.

It is understood Tini never declared to the CIIC board or minister that he was in possession of a car owned by CCECC, or the reason the company gave it to him.

CIIC board chairman Tapi Taio told CI News yesterday that he only became aware that the car wasn’t owned by Tini last Friday when he was contacted by the audit office.

“I don’t know anything about the car. I was surprised to hear he doesn’t own it, because I thought he’d bought himself,” he said.

Taio said Tini had never declared the fact that he had a car owned by CCECC for his personal use. He said his board is satisfied that the audit office is now looking into the matter.

Fellow CIIC board member Teava Iro Jnr said he had heard rumours about the car being purchased by the Chinese but Tini had not officially informed them of anything about it.

It is understood the audit office is also looking into whether another vehicle in the possession of John Strickland, CIIC’s project manager for the stadium project, now back with the police department, may also have ‘Chinese connections’.

In the meantime, the audit office is still trying to get Tini to respond to its findings into his management performance which include allegations of fraud, nepotism and deceit during his three years as head of CIIC.

Months ago, the audit office forwarded on to police at least two allegations relating to fraudulent acts they believed Tini had committed in his government position.

It is understood the police have yet to launch a full investigation into the claims.

• Helen Greig

Prime minister Jim Marurai is taking advice on how to make the audit report on the Toagate fuel farm scandal a public document once it is completed.

Marurai hopes to find a way to release the document to the public without having to follow the usual practice of tabling it in parliament because he has no plans to call a sitting of the house before the election is called around September.

He intends to release the report, due to be completed this month, rather than have it remain confidential or even leaked in the months prior to the election.

It is understood he is pursuing the issue in recognition of the need for government to be more transparent and accountable about the scandal.

The audit investigation, which began about three months ago, has been described as the most high profile probe to be carried out by the audit office to date.

The probe encompasses the entire two-year controversial multi million dollar fuel farm scheme, the resulting $1.75 million out of court settlement with the country’s two fuel distributors last December, and the key government officials involved.

Marurai will meet with director of audit Paul Allsworth next week to discuss the possible ways to release the findings of the audit investigation without having to follow the usual process of tabling the report in parliament.

CI News recently reported that Allsworth believed the Toagate probe to be the most important, critical and complex audits ever undertaken by his office.

Allsworth has, in the past, been in favour of government considering the public release of audit reports when they are completed because they would often be tabled in parliament months later or withdrawn from the agenda at the last minute.

• Helen Greig

Aitutaki mayor Tai Herman says the majority of the island doesn’t want the Lockwood ‘box’ homes that Habitat For Humanity is offering. 10031628

Aitutaki council opposes plan

Aitutaki is opposed to Habitat For Humanity New Zeal- and’s offer to build 72 new homes, says island mayor Tai Herman.

Yesterday he made this view clear to the recovery coordinator minister Wilkie Rasmussen.

Herman told CI News that the island council rejects the proposal that government buy 72 basic 42 square metre, two bedroom Lockwood kitset homes worth $18,000 each.

“We will take the labour they are offering, but not the housing. We need to take more careful measures with the reconstruction of homes.

The cyclone has taught us that we need housing that is strong – and we want homes that suit the environment we live in,” said Herman.

Rasmussen says government has yet to decide on the Habitat For Humanity housing offer.

Cabinet discussed the proposal briefly yesterday and a decision is likely within the week, says the minister.

“We will be looking into it a little bit more. There are still questions we have to ask.”

The minister says despite government’s strong interest in the offer, the views of the Aitutaki people will be taken into account.

“I have always believed we have to take account of their views.”

Rasmussen confirmed he had spoken to Herman yesterday and noted the concern of the island council.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is expected to show Cabinet its design plans for a basic home that could be built within the $35,000 grant government is offering to provide to families who lost their homes in Cyclone Pat last month.

The Habitat For Humanity proposal for housing would also see government pay around $35,000 for each new home because of the additional cost of laying a concrete foundation.

The non-denominational Christian not-for-profit organisation has already launched an appeal to raise $300,000 for the Cook Islands rebuilding programme.

• Helen Greig

Taio Shipping’s second boat Maungaroa II has just had a new engine fitted in and will join Te Kou Maru II in servicing the outer islands. They will sail to the outer islands this month. Te Kou Maru is expected to sail for Manihiki today while Maungaroa II voyages to Aitutaki, and then onto Palmerston. 10031608

Taio Shipping’s second boat Maungaroa II has just had a new engine fitted in and will join Te Kou Maru II in servicing the outer islands. They will sail to the outer islands this month. Te Kou Maru is expected to sail for Manihiki today while Maungaroa II voyages to Aitutaki, and then onto Palmerston. 10031608

Tsunami warnings will never be taken lightly by police, nor would any life put at risk simply because some people are saying that a tsunami will never hit the Cook Islands.

Police commissioner Maara Tetava responded to the recent outpour of tsunami theories in a letter defending the evacuation as a measure of safety.

He mentions after the Samoa tsunami, allegation of a slow reaction by police triggered criticisms and an audit investigation. Now, having been through the 2009 Samoa tsunami panic, police are better prepared and more informed and have vowed to ‘react quickly’.

Tetava says police considered the advice of experts both local and overseas and judged that the safest option two weeks ago was to issue the warning.

“There were two options, do nothing and risk a tsunami hitting our shores with thousands of our people and visitors unprepared and most likely resulting in many deaths, or to issue the alert and warn and move our people to higher ground to ensure their safety and minimise the risk of death and injury to the greatest extent we could,” he writes.

He said he stands by his decision to evacuate to higher ground, as ‘safety comes first.’

“If it means that we have to disrupt people’s lives for just a few hours then so be it, as the other option is to do nothing and risk deaths. I am not prepared to be a cavalier risk-taker or to make panicked decisions,” he said.

“I will always err on the side of caution. One life lost is too much to bear and I certainly do not want that to happen on my watch. I value preserving life, over inconvenience.”

Tetava says his concern is the safety of everyone in the country.

“If a tsunami alert is issued and a tsunami alert does not arrive, I make no apologies for that.”

See Tetava’s letter page 7

• Rachel Reeves

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