Deputy PM fronts media after meeting Fijian PM, ahead ‘important’ Pacific meeting

Stuff will livestream the deputy PM’s press conference at the top of this page about 5.25pm NZT.

Fresh from her first bilateral meeting as deputy Prime Minister, Carmel Sepuloni is in Fiji for the Special Leaders’ Meeting of the Pacific Island Forum.

Sepuloni described attending the forum as the first deputy PM of Pacific decent as “politically important for New Zealand, but personally quite important”.

A show of Pacific unity, climate change and environmental concerns, namely Japan’s plan to release treated, but still radioactive, wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, are top of mind for leaders.

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Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna told Stuff last month Tokyo had failed to communicate and be transparent about the discharge.

Sepuloni, who landed in Nadi Thursday afternoon, met with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka​ on arrival.

Pacific countries have reached out to New Zealand to help, with Fiji’s offer one of the first accepted by New Zealand in the recovery of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The 33 Fijian defence force, fire and emergency staff set to help with the Cyclone Gabrielle clean up are heading back Friday on the same plane as Sepuloni.

Many workers from Fiji and across the Pacific in the RSE

scheme were displaced during the cyclone, now helping with the community rebuild.

The event is the fifth Special Leaders’ Retreat, held when there were pressing matters. This meeting would see Kiribati return, after withdrawing support mid-2022 due to the regional body’s leadership.

The Kiribati government announced its return to the Pacific Island Forum earlier this month, after a meeting held between President Taneti Maamau, forum secretary-general Henry Puna, and forum chair and Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Henry Puna tweeted a video welcoming Kiribati President Taneti Maamau​, saying, “The Pacific Way”.

“No words needed.”

Sepuloni said she would be having discussions on climate change “with regards to what else they may need from us to support that”.

“They are only too cognisant of the fact that we are feeling the brunt of climate change with recent weather events here. And so those are the conversations we need to have.”