PM’s island honeymoon full of promises
It may look like a holiday but it’s anything but.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began the first full day of her Pacific mission yesterday not long after the sun was up: solemnly inspecting an honour guard in front of Samoa’s government buildings in Apia, while the temperature crept closer and closer to 30 degrees Celsius.
She was not likely to see the end of the day until after the sun had set and her reception at the New Zealand High Commission was over. Followed by an earlymorning trip to Niue today.
All of this, and she couldn’t even enjoy the kava offered to her in the afternoon at a Marist Youth event. ‘‘This isn’t just my lunch – I’m carrying a baby,’’ she said, holding the glass aloft while gesturing to her belly.
Despite the workload, Ardern’s time in Samoa has been marked by an outpouring of affection from its people.
The Labour leader had promised plenty to Samoa to earn that love.
The immediate: $3 million more in disaster recovery aid, and $6.5m in development funds for small businesses run by women and young people.
The more obscure: a promise to turn around rising emissions and tackle climate change so thoroughly that New Zealand can say it did its bit to save the islands.
Climate change shaped the day, despite a lack of concrete announcements in the area.
Despite his reserved seat being clearly labelled, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was not at the honour guard ceremony. He did make it to the next event: a closed-doors bilateral meeting with Samoan Prime Minister Tuila’epa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi.
Tuila’epa is 72 and has been Samoa’s prime minister since 1998. New Zealand has had five leaders since then and Ardern is just a touch over half his age.
Following that session, a large contingent of Kiwi and Samoan journalists filed into a small room in the country’s government buildings.
Ardern was asked about an important link between the two countries: the seasonal working scheme. The topic had come up at the bilateral but there was no announcements to be made.
And, as any good Kiwi journalist would enquire of a visiting foreign dignitary, there was a question along the lines of: ‘‘How are you liking your time here?’’
Of course, Ardern said she loved it but diplomatically failed to endorse it as ‘‘the most beautiful Pacific island’’. Her father is the high commissioner to Niue, after all.
The rest of the day was focused on ‘‘resilience’’ and ‘‘climate change’’.
Ardern headed off to a Habitat For Humanity event where a house had been built to replace one destroyed by Cyclone Evan in Magiagi. The homes in that area have been flooded over and over as Samoa sees more and more intense storms – something most scientists have linked to climate change.
The rest of the delegation, including Climate Change Minister James Shaw, visited Moata’a, deep in a jungle of mangroves.
The village’s main link to the main road is a concrete pathway that erosion and rising sea levels had almost inundated.
At high tide, children have to take off all of their clothing to make it over without soiling their clothes.
After a university visit by the prime minister, it was finally time for lunch and several speeches.
At the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the delegation was welcomed by Samoan Deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata-afa, the longest serving female politician in the country.
Fiame and four other speakers talked about the real effect climate change was having and would have on their country.
Ardern responded with a promise that New Zealand would work to meet its commitments to reduce carbon emissions, which are still rising – with Shaw there to back her up.