Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver went on a whirlwind tour to Fiji with new Foreign Minister Winston Peters at the weekend. She describes less than a day of frenetic travel and diplomacy.
Friday
Midday - We board the C130, not the most comfortable of teeth-clattering rides in the mesh net seating, but she gets people and things where they need to go. Those of us who are regular travellers on the Herc buckle up the strange lap belt feeling superior to those who have to get help from the Air Force crew. I wonder if this trip is going to be a rocky ride – I’ve travelled many times with Winston Peters through the Pacific, he’s well liked in the region but he also has the tendency to throw in a grenade every so often to see what happens when it goes off. Category 5 Cyclone Winston, which hit Fiji in 2016, aptly shares a name with the coalition’s new Foreign minister.
3.25pm - Fiji time, bula bula bula! If anything can improve your mood a wide-smiled Fiji welcome can. Landing directly at Nausori airport in Suva is a treat - it’s normally a transit or a three hour drive from Nadi. The media get off first down the back ramp, and we wait near the front of the plane with cameras ready for Peters' exit down the stairs. We get the panicked word he’s now going to use the ramp like everyone else and so we race around the plane, only beaten by New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Charlotte Darlow and the welcoming committee. They are clearly prepared for the unexpected. Peters does a little skip as he jumps off the ramp.
4.30pm - We wait in the Grand Pacific Hotel’s Victoria Room for the bilateral between Peters and Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to start. There’s a problem. Rabuka is here, the NZ Foreign minister is not. The PM stands at the front of the room twiddling his thumbs, checking his watch and the MFAT staff look anxious and pale, I can see sweat. After 15 minutes Peters walks in and the pair greet each other like old mates. Lucky they are old mates because it’s an insult to keep a Pacific leader waiting like that. The gifts are exchanged. Peters gets a stunning traditional art piece, Rabuka an historic framed map of the Desert Road and Waiouru army camp where he trained as a young man. Both are happy, there’s more smiles and Rabuka says Peters as NZ Foreign Minister is good for the Pacific. He also says he heard his first speech of this parliamentary term and Peters invites him to tell the media what he thought about it. There’s some chuckles, along with a few eye rolls from reporters before we are shown the door.
5pm - We quickly set up to do a live cross for 1News at 6pm just outside the bilateral door. I’m a sweaty mess but slug back some water and throw on some makeup. Daniel Voice the cameraman does an outstanding job of working fast and furious. Rabuka and other government officials sweep past on their way out... "Barbara, good to see you again," he says as he hurries past. I never know what I will get from Pacific leaders because quite often they don’t think it’s good to see me again. We’re back in the room for a quick Q and A with Peters before racing to the media van lugging gear. We’ve roped in the other media - my friend Koroi Hawkins from Radio NZ Pacific and Dileepa Fonseka from Business Desk - to help as we pile in to make the motorcade.
6.30pm - We arrive at the Queen Elizabeth barracks. We’re late so we have to wait at the closed gate with the rest of the motorcade until the soldiers finish their formalities. It doesn’t matter who you are, quite rightly it’s military turf and you don’t get to interrupt their ceremonies. It’s interesting being back - the last time I waited at this gate was during the 2006 military coup and things were pretty tense. Inside the barracks the soldiers are super charming and polite. I have a couple of laughs with one of them about less pleasant times when I was locked up on the orders of their commander. But things are different now, that’s the Pacific for you and it’s just how it is. We do some more interviews, get some shots from outside the function venue and then it’s back to the hotel. Check in, room service dinner and transcribing all the interviews.
Saturday
3am - Up to start scripting story as we are leaving at midday and the evening news bulletin doesn’t wait for anyone.
8.30am - Luggage in the foyer for the lovely Air Force personnel to pick up and then we’re heading to the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat. Another grip and grin but Secretary-General Henry Puna has the look of a man who’s probably not going to enjoy this bilateral meeting. Peters has already indicated he’s not impressed with the friction amongst Pacific countries and he wants the secretariat to be subject to six-monthly performance checks.
10am - The bilateral is done and media get their chance to ask questions. I’ve been longing for this moment, heartily sick of the diplomatic posturing by the Forum secretariat, the extensive travel around the world over the past couple of years pretending the countries are unified when there are clear examples they are not. “It’s as if you are blaming me,” says Puna after I list some of the failures. “Well you’re the Secretary-General,” I respond. He says nobody wants to live in the past and everyone wants to move forward. When I ask how, he stutters “Oh, man”. I see Peters eying me warily but we’re only allowed one question each and I’ve already got two in.
10.30am - We’ve missed the motorcade but our media van races to the Nausori health clinic, a NZ aid project, where we pile out. We quickly shoot a piece to camera and then sit in the media van to voice my story and send it all back to Auckland for editing. Then we’re off to the airport and I feel my blood pressure slowly coming down as I know I’ve delivered.
1pm - Peters leans over the netting seats on the plane and tells us he had an informal catchup with the Tuvalu Prime Minister. He’s clearly in his element and a lot of valuable face-to-face time has happened in a short period. A crucial element in Pacific relationships. I awkwardly set up the laptop precariously balanced on my knees wedged in between Dan and Dileepa, and spend the trip back to NZ writing up online stories. It’ll be great to get home.
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