OUT: France's High Commissioner in Polynesia Adolphe Colrat (above) has now been replaced. Photo: Tahiti Presse

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Patrick Decloitre

IN: New French High Commissioner in Polynesia Richard Didier. Photo: French Government

France’s new envoy in French Polynesia, High Commissioner Richard Didier, has vowed to  tackle the French Pacific territory’s ongoing economic and political crises.

Didier took up his position in French Polynesia last week.

He was appointed in December 2010 to replace outgoing Adolphe Colrat who had held the position since mid-2008 and who has now been appointed Prefect to the Meurthe-et-Moselle region (northeastern France).

Didier, who was until recently Prefect for France’s Haute-Loire (Upper Loire) region, has also held several positions in related to the Pacific region. Read more »

Press Release – Christchurch City Council

What better way to celebrate our national day than to watch a New Zealand movie, listen to some New Zealand bands and tuck in to some traditional New Zealand kai? This Sunday, Christchurch Art Gallery will be celebrating Waitangi Day with a programme … Read more »

Press Release – UNDP

Tongan parliamentarians today embarked on a week long journey to deepen their technical knowledge of the workings of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, including their role as law-makers and representatives of the people. Read more »

Press Release – Anouk Ride

As consumer pressure for sustainable tuna grows, the Parties of Nauru Agreement (PNA) are working with scientists, governments, non-government organisations and industry to provide consumers with a sustainable choice for purse-seine caught tuna. The PNA … Read more »

Press Release – Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC)

The ANZCMC is greatly saddened by the death of Pacific campaigner Andonia Sema Piau-Lynch. Andy passed away peacefully on Saturday, 29 January 2011 in Port Vila, Vanuatu after a painful battle with cancer. In addition to her crucial work advancing the rights … Read more »

Press Release – iPredict

* National and Greens gain from “state of the nation” speeches while Labour slips back * John Key forecast to govern, needing support of just one of the Act, UnitedFuture and Maori parties * Probability of new left party involving Hone Harawira rises * … Read more »

Press Release – Indoleft

Yogyakarta — A group of Papuans in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta from the Anti-Colonial Movement (Ganja) held a protest action in the Jl. Malioboro area on Thursday January 27. During the action, they called to the Home Affairs Minister … Read more »

Press Release – The Maori Party

8th Annual Waitangi Rua Rautau Lecture Grand Hall, Parliament House, Wellington Sunday 30 January 2011; Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga It is my privilege to thank the Honourable Sir Douglas Kidd for a stimulating, challenging and thoughtful address, … Read more »

Press Release – New Zealand Government

Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully has dismissed today’s Sunday Star Times newspaper claims that leaders of the Fiji military regime are entitled to come to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup as “mischievous and plain wrong.” He … Read more »

Speech – Green Party

Green economics offers a way out of New Zealand’s economic doldrums without selling off strategic assets, Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman argued in his Party’s first major speech of election year. Read more »