A Question I’d Love to Ask the PM About Fiji

The Prime Minister is off to the South Pacific this week. Fiji first, then Samoa, then a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister. Which brings me to a bit of history — and a question I’d dearly love answered.

The tour

Parliament’s in its winter recess, so off he goes to reinforce Australia’s presence in the South Pacific. Well and good. No argument from me on the objective.

The strong man of Fiji

Now, Fiji’s Prime Minister is Sitiveni Rabuka — an interesting fellow. Go back to the early ’90s and he was a military man, a strong man, a huge man. He instigated not one but two coups that threw out democratically elected governments — on racial grounds. The Fijians did not like the idea that the Indians and the Chinese were running their country or owning the land.

Call it what it is

Now, that sounds a fair bit like racial discrimination to me. But the Fijians of the day didn’t care — they simply didn’t want to lose their country, and thought it quite reasonable. I’ll lay it out and let you make up your own mind.

The fly on the wall

So here’s my question. Did Anthony Albanese lecture Prime Minister Rabuka on the benefits of multiculturalism and the evils of racial discrimination? I’d love to be a fly on the wall if he did. Just asking.

Watch and listen to the full episode below.

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