GD is unwell. But before I take to my sick bed with the flu, here’s an important message:
Vani for prime minister! She is wiping the floor with Sitiveni Rabuka and the other moral pygmies in government and the opposition. She is fearless, articulate and has the moral clarity the nation needs to really start focusing on the needs of those who deserve our scarce resources most.
Watching her on Straight Talk this week, that’s what we finally got, Fiji. Straight talk. Not some sweet-talking poseur and fashion plate ( like you know who) but honesty and courage. For the first time in the tortured chaos of the past 18 months, I felt a glimmer of hope.
Click on the link below and be impressed. Genuine leadership. She knows instinctively that what the nation’s politicians did to enrich themselves was wrong. And that includes the heir presumptive in the PAP, Manoa Kamikamica, who supported the unsupportable and in doing so, has forfeited his claim to lead.
One word on the billboards. VANI. A standout candidate for 2026. (Or whenever the nation gets to pass judgment on the current rabble)
POSTSCRIPT: “The Fiji Council of Social Services and the Fiji Public Service Association will hold a people’s rally against the pay rise for MPs at the Suva Civic Centre Carpark from 9am tomorrow (Saturday) and at Suva’s Thurston Gardens from 9am next Saturday.“
Just go, Fiji, and take your kids with you. It will be a landmark occasion – the Coalition making good on its promise to allow people to demonstrate freely and then getting whacked where it hurts because of its own greed.
Comeuppance time. Don’t miss it.
SUNDAY: The follow-up to yesterday’s rally in today’s Fiji Times:
And the media coverage on Friday of Vani going head-to-head with Siti…
Rest up and get well. You need some hot and spicy fish surwa to get rid of the flu.
Thank you, Rajiv. Much appreciated.
Oh Woaw!
You 2 are like coalition government
Accuse each other than friends again
At the end of the day humanity that counts
Rest up my friend
You have brought articles where people openly express their views that they couldn’t in last 16 years
Cheerios
We aggressively debate the issues and challenge each other’s ideas but it’s never personal.
Humanity should always truimph.
Did this guy get his flu shot?
I did but I still got it. Hopefully not as bad as it could be.
With the way things are done in Fiji, of course the politicinas deserve a pay rise for being incompetent and useless. Basking in glory is the most important entitlement they have and it is an expensive affair. Do you think the politicians should pay for this from their own pockets? They will, but only after filling their pockets first, that is. So that is exactly what they are doing. It is not rocket science. So I do not see why people are jumping up and down.
This is Fiji afterall and it is a special place. We do things the Fijian way, the special way. Vulagis should stay out of these things. Vulagis should take their vulagi laws with them, Fijian law applies in Fiji. We make up the laws as we go. I do not understand why people just do not get it. How many times do we have to say, this is Fiji.
Really who do you think you are do say that. There is only one Law and everyone follows it.
There is no racism in Fiji Law or i shall say British law. What you smoking buddy?
We are all vulagis we came to this country via canoes and British ships so stop using the word. If you claim you came first, you are wrong. There was a body discovered in the sand dunes of sigatoka which was 3,000 years old. So do you get my point Some group were here well before you guys came. About the salary raise it is not the right time, when the country is going towards a banana republic.
The basic criteria for a raise is what you have, what you can do, what experience you have, and what education you have to qualify for a raise.
If we are talking about Prime Ministership, Vani Catanasiga will not be suitable for the political decorum she is suggesting. (Personal allegation redacted. Ed) Another of those hypocrites who points and yet four fingers are pointing back at you! We know you’re standing for The People’s Alliance Party anyway in 2026.
GD dear old boy please don’t believe these ACSOG’s. All that comes out of them is crap and fake representation of our people whilst preparing themselves to use the gullible for their own self advancement. That’s another Lynda Tabuya!
Graham, lots of warm water with some honey and fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. Keep warm please. Fiji needs you!
Cheers and God bless.
Very silly of you dear Anonymous to paint all ASCOG’s with the same paintbrush.
Or does it take one to know one since Fijians are well aware of non-ASCOG, power-hungry, former MPs who still think they can wield some influence, are of the same calibre as Lynda Tabuya (manipulative & narcissistic), also indulged in LT and wrecked families.
The silly ‘ol donkeys know who they are. Tabuya will fit in very well with like fakes in SODELPA.
Well done Vani!
ps. Speedy recovery GD.
Get well, GD.
The same thought has been crossing my mind ever since I began following Vani’s fearless analysis and critique on issues. She has remained consistent and independent. I am hoping she would be part of a new progressive political order for Fiji. If Vani, and like minded key people, can be persuaded to save the country from the growing chaos and from becoming a sham, that is the best we Fijians can hope for. The Coalition has already showed they were an undeserving alternative to FFP. The country badly needs a genuine and dependable alternative. We all know who we do not want!
Great move by the 2 ladies to organise these rallies and demonstrate, to the politicians, the public anger towards the recent pay hikes they voted for themselves and the state of governance in the country. I would even go further and suggest that if, after the budget, there is no indication that Parliament is going to reverse these obscene increases, the citizens should hold protest marches. Let us take a cue from the citizens of countries like Argentina, Kenya etc and stand up for justice.
Praying for a speedy recovery, Graham. Your country needs you.
Btw Lynda Tabuya’s latest response seems directed at you. She’s a certified narcissist!
“Don’t grab hurtful comments and pull them close to you by rereading them and ruminating on them. Don’t play with them by rehearsing your badass comeback. And whatever you do, don’t pull hatefulness close to your heart.
Let what’s unproductive and hurtful drop at the feet of your unarmored self. And no matter how much your self-doubt wants to scoop up the criticism and snuggle with the negativity so it can confirm its worst fears, or how eager the shame gremlins are to use the hurt to fortify your armor, take a deep breath and find the strength to leave what’s mean-spirited on the ground. You don’t even need to stomp it or kick it away.
Cruelty is cheap, easy, and chicken manure. It doesn’t deserve your energy or engagement. Just step over the comments and keep daring, always remembering that armor is too heavy a price to pay to engage with cheap-seat feedback.”
Brené Brown – Dare to Lead”.
I watched the full interview and Vani was so good. She called out the poor conduct of Ministers, nailed the pay rise issue and the principle that this is our tax payer money and so ordinary Fijians have the right to demand better standards from the government. Vani also mentioned good governance. So good.
But if Vani wants to talk about good governance then please can she explain the tax holiday decision for Fiji’s most successful extractive company. Specifically did she approve of this while adding to the VAT cost to the poor? did Vani know about the alleged conflicts of interest? Good governance applies to everyone. As Vani said this is public money so we Fijians have the right to demand better standards.
Ummm why does Vani have to explain the tax holiday? And what do you think she approved?
Good point. It may refer to V being part of the fiscal review committee that made various recommendations. That committee performs a public function and made two significant recommendations. One to raise VaT and the other to give a tax hol. Guessing Titi is wondering about V’s understanding of those recommendations and any conflict of interests.
We don’t want anymore Lynda
That was spoken about her before the election
But not everyone is same
Can give a shot
Vani agreed to a VAT payrise. How is that going? Who is better off?
She jumps on the wagon she sees fit to manipulate power. She was Richard’s buddy. What happened now? Gullible as. All talk. Just like LT.
She is no more Lynda Tabuya than I am Elvis.
Vani is actually an ethnonationalist, a strong supporter of the Rambo adminstration, and a staunch opponent of the former Khaiyum administration. Follow her Facebook posts, talk to her in person and then you will know that apart from gaining mileage on this payrise issue, she has been a strong apologist of the Rambo adminstration.
You will, for instance, not hear a squeak from her or any other itaukei CSO leader on the ethnic cleansing going on in the civil service and statutory institutions, with almost 80- 90% of all appointments being made in the past year and continuing, that are exclusively itaukei. Vani and other CSO leaders had a huge problem with the indofijian appointees by Khaiyum (mainly to board positions), although that was nowhere as bad as what’s the case now and that was no ethnic cleansing in the civil service and statutory bodies.
Seems GD got deceived by Vani!
That is entirely possible in my current weakened state. Yet hope springs eternal. She has at least had the courage to take a stand on the emoluments issue. And we need a new generation of leaders who don’t behave like sheep.
Fiji will eventually get a sobering lesson on the folly of abandoning one nation policies that are inclusive. There is already a stampede for the exit and no debate at all about where the money will come from down the track. If that doesn’t provoke a rethink by the iTaukei intelligentsia, then they will get what’s coming. A nation of beggars smiling and dancing for the tourists but not much else.
Vani and FCOSS will get a funding in the budget which was previously ceased due to misappropriation of the funds held under the Microfinance Unit. That would shut her up. Remember Barbara Malimali? Where’s the ever-vocal Lice Movono?
The stuffing of money down the speaker’s throat along with the opposition is a blueprint to success. They say “Paisa Pheko Tamasha Dekho”
The people have lost faith in politics. I doubt the election turnout will even be 60% in 2026. I for one campaigned long and hard for almost 2 years for a change. But what we got is a circus led by an aging senile geriatric who has gotten himself twisted around the pinky finger of a certain Minister for Drugs and Bonking. What’s worse is that people who we thought would represent the voice of the people, people like Filimoni Vosarogo, Sakiusa Tubuna and Manoa Kamikamica ALL turned out to be the biggest HYPOCRITES, notwithstanding we saw the writing on the wall about the ever-annoying and manipulative Lynda Tabuya.
A salary change was an increase of up to $10,000, it would have been scorned on, but passable. But increases up to $80-90,000??? The People’s Alliance has got no standards left. And they have proven to be NO BETTER than Aiyaz or Bainimarama. The fact of the matter is that ALL of PAP colluded with the greedy faction of FijiFirst to make this possible.
We can’t really say much about SLOWDELPA because this vote is expected behaviour from a bunch of their sort. The one who had stood out was Gavoka, but just as some of us were starting to acquire that he was on t becoming a true statesman of Fiji, he managed to let his real colours shine through.
The NFP should be ASHAMED of continually and constantly kowtowing to a bunch of self serving short-sighted imbeciles. If it has any dignity left, it would rescind their agreement to be part of this fiasco that they call the “People’s Coalition”.
But well, to be honest none of this matters because next election, the tribal mentality will again take over and most itaukeis will once again lend their votes in droves to these same people.
To all right thinking Indo Fijians, there is no future for you all in this country. Please invest in your children – educate them, keep them away from drugs and do what’s necessary to get them abroad. This latest fiasco proves that this is a merry-go-round that isn’t stopping at any point in the near future.
Fijians all around this universe are all related someway or the other
They can “Lande” anytime
Vani Catanasiga is a very promising leader for our future. She is genuinely fighting for our people and possesses enormous courage. The government and the opposition seem to have lost their way, blinded by their self-serving interests. The raise in salaries for their own benefit clearly shows their selfish motives. They appear unconcerned about the deteriorating conditions of our people and our country. How can their conscience allow them to create vulnerability and then exploit it?
We need a few Don Chipps “to keep the bastards honest” (as proclaimed by Don Chipp, a Democrats Leader in Australia). We need more people like Vani. Go Vani, may God be with you in this crucial mission to save our country. Maybe it’s time to start a political movement based on our needs and honesty—something neither the government nor the opposition can offer! A true vakayadrati nuinui (lifting hope).