Have a Happy and prosperous New Year

The New Year celebrations will have been underway when you read this editorial. 2018 is behind us now. It was an eventful year highlighted by a closelyfought General Election, COP23 and ground-breaking initiatives to help our ordinary people.

In sport, we created history when our Fiji Airways Flying Fijians defeated France on their home turf and our Flying Fijians 7s team won the Cape Town Sevens in South Africa.

No one can deny that this small island nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has stamped its mark in international affairs and in the sports arena. The Fijian people are much better off today than ever before.

In saying that, sometimes you might wonder why some people keep attacking the FijiFirst Government for its initiatives to improve the lives of all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, race or religion.

The initiatives are designed to give ordinary people a leg-up to become selfreliant. They were labelled by some politicians as a vote-buying exercise. They have failed to understand the needs and aspirations of the common people, those struggling to get ahead in life.

Those critics failed to offer alternatives.

Some came up with ideas that encouraged dependence on

Government handouts.

We have come to a juncture in our political evolution that we must ask ourselves the same question that a former American President asked: “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.”

In Fiji’s context, it means we need to change our old mindset. We cannot grow if we continue to be dependent on the Government.

We need to work hard in everything we do. We need to take advantage of the educational opportunities that are on offer to gain qualifications to secure jobs or start our own businesses.

We become independent and self-reliant. We can provide for our families. That’s what we can do for our beloved country.

When we do that Government will reduce its spending on social welfare and use the savings in other areas.

So, if you have not made your New Year resolution, we can all say we will strive this year to do whatever we can to continue building this country by doing our bit where we live. That means being productive. Our Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, has set a wonderful example, in the way he has led this nation. He has also inspired bigger nations like he did in his COP23 presidency.

Let’s start this year on a positive note and brush aside all the negativity from last year.

Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

We have come to a juncture in our political evolution that we must ask ourselves the same question that a former American President asked: “Ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.” In Fiji’s context, it means we need to change our old mindset. We cannot grow if we continue to be dependent on the Government.