The Australian national broadcaster – ABC – belatedly follows the Times of London, The Australian, the New Zealand Herald and Radio New Zealand in reporting the sex and drugs scandal involving Lynda Tabuya and Aseri Radrodro that has enveloped the Coalition government and threatens both their political careers.
It highlights the instruction to Grubsheet last week by the Australian government’s eSafety Commissioner to remove “intimate images” that Lynda Tabuya sent Aseri Radrodro from Room 233 of Melbourne’s Windsor Hotel, along with text messages referring to “brutal” sex between the two, expressions of affection and most controversially, references to Tabuya having “plenty of weed” (marijuana) and Aseri Radrodro telling her ” can you stop the weed please”.
The ABC story – written by its Fiji reporter Lice Movono – parrots the now familiar line by Lynda Tabuya that the material is “fake” without reporting that Grubsheet was told by the eSafety Commissioner that the reason it was issuing its instruction was because we didn’t have Lynda Tabuya’s consent to publish it. By any reasoned analysis, that is an implicit acknowledgement that the material is genuine. And it is certainly being treated that way by the Disciplinary Sub-Committee of the People’s Alliance that is holding an official inquiry into the allegations against the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection.
One astonishing aspect to the ABC story are comments made by someone who Grubsheet has crossed swords with before – the one-time Fiji resident, Jon Fraenkel, who is Professor of Comparative Politics at Victoria University in Wellington. (The ABC refers to him as “Jon Fraenke” but they are one and the same.)
Here’s Professor Fraenkel’s take on the affair:
“Some individuals have been shocked and horrified by this story. But for me, I do think (these) kind of things are best kept out of politics.”
“I mean, obviously both of those two politicians have to think carefully about their own relationships, but as far as the public scrutiny is concerned, I think it’s been really quite disgraceful the way that some (have) sort of seized on this and gone about it, particularly against Ms Tabuya.”
“Whether it’s true or not, these kinds of things are best kept as private matters and there should be more attention I think to (their) qualities as a minister.”
Oh really? Jon Fraenkel skips over the genuine public interest component of this story by ignoring some of the central facts.
1/ On September 4 last year, Sitiveni Rabuka issued a public statement saying that he had been assured by both ministers that they had not been conducting an affair, he accepted their denials and he asked the Fijian people to stop spreading the rumours of the liaison and move on. There is hard evidence that Lynda Tabuya and Aseri Radrodro lied to the Prime Minister and he, in turn, misled the Fijian people. Evidently Jon Fraenkel doesn’t think this is a problem. Though in New Zealand, where he lives, and Britain, where he originally comes from, it would be a very big problem indeed and would almost certainly trigger the resignation or dismissal of any politician who lied to the leader of the government and the people to whom they are accountable.
2/ Jon Fraenkel skips over the hypocrisy of Lynda Tabuya being the principal anti-pornography crusader in Fiji and yet sharing pornographic images of herself and the hypocrisy of being a prominent anti-drugs campaigner and evidently a marijuana user. These too would result in the resignation or dismissal of any politician in New Zealand and the UK or any other democracy.
3/ Jon Fraenkel acknowledges the potential of the scandal to “rock (Fiji’s) Coalition government”. Unfortunately there is not much rocking in Fiji itself. This story has been largely confined to the international media and the two principal news-commentary pages outside Fiji – Victor Lal’s Fijileaks and Grubsheet. Despite the much heralded new era of media freedom in Fiji, most media outlets have given the scandal little or no coverage and certainly haven’t covered the specific allegations. And in the case of the Fiji Times, there has been wilful manipulation of the story, which in itself makes this a matter of legitimate public concern.
“Some individuals have been shocked and horrified by this story”, says Jon Fraenkel. True. But for him, “I do think (these) kinds of things are best kept out of politics”. Oh really? Lying to the Prime Minister, lying to the people, gross hypocrisy. You’re right, Professor. “These are things best kept out of politics”, though not in the way you mean. Indeed, keeping them out of politics is precisely why this story deserves every single column inch in the print media and every single minute of broadcast coverage, which has been scandalously lacking in Fiji and makes a mockery of the notion of “media freedom” under the Coalition. With the gag of the previous government’s restrictions lifted, the Fijian media still isn’t doing its job of reporting without fear or favour.
It isn’t until the end of the ABC story that we get a glimpse of the Professor’s true agenda in playing down the seriousness of the Tabuya- Radrodro scandal. Jon Fraenkel says the Coalition government “is absolutely critical to the future of Fiji” so the sex and drugs scandal “should die down and go away” so that “Fiji can get back to concentrating on the important issues”.
Yes, those issues don’t include politicians lying, cheating, taking drugs and the woeful double standards, hypocrisy and lack of accountability and transparency that have been the central features of this scandal. For Jon Fraenkel, they don’t matter as much as saving a government that is “absolutely critical to the future of Fiji”.
Partisan political nonsense from a supposedly independent commentator that is typical of far too many of the Coalition’s supporters, who are willing to turn a blind eye to conduct that they know would not be acceptable anywhere else and should not be acceptable in Fiji.
I stopped reading where Jon says the coalition is critical to future of Fiji.
Is the learned Jon talking about the same Fiji where crime, racism and corruption is so rampant and overt and the economy has been toggled in reverse by the coalition.
We were better off under the Fiji First Government.
Lice is a mediocre journalist and anti-Fijifirst crusader masquerading as an independent reporter who is prone to temper tantrums and struggles with even basic analysis. I’m afraid Prof Fraenkel’s assessment, too, betrays his bias in favor of the Coalition government. He is jumping through hoops to defend the indefensible conduct of two Government. Put aside the kool-aid and open your eyes, Jon. The everyday Fijian is entitled to know what their ‘leaders’ get up to on these lavish trips.
I think your assessment of Lice Movono’s journalistic skills is excessively harsh, though I do wonder why she chose to ignore the most important aspect of the eSafety Commissioner’s instruction to Grubsheet to remove the “intimate images” we published and that were included in The Australian’s coverage of the story.
It is this: “We confirm the person in the intimate images located at the URLs detailed in the table on the following page does not consent to their intimate images being posted on the website administered by you, being http://www.grubsheet.com.au.”
So no mention of fake, merely that Lynda Tabuya “does not consent to their intimate images images being posted on Grubsheet”. A critically important aspect to the story. Because it is clearly an acknowledgement that it IS Lynda in the images and they are genuine, not fake.
Did Lice Movono exclude this because she is politically biased in favour of the Coalition? That is for her to answer. But it would be a very serious breach of the ABC’s editorial standards if it is true.
Lice Mavono is OG of Lynda and Sainiana Radrodro so her views are biased.
I stopped following ABC Pacific when she started reporting for them. No value added.
Oh dear, so that explains it.
Where a matter is of public interest, it is utterly tragic to see that old school ties (OG & OB juvenile stuff) might take precedence over the truth.
Brilliant response to the selective reporting by NZ and Australian media, Graham. The Australian eSafety Commissioner/Davis (your) correspondence as evidence of admission of guilt is clear and the media’s consistent omission of the fact is shocking. Professor Jon Fraenkel’s comments as an academic are shocking because he should be one of the first ones to recognise the relevance of the coverage of Lynda/Aseri sex scandal given how Fijian politics is steeped in religion, Christianity. People vote on religious lines, especially Christians.
But thank you for responding to the NZ, Australian and Fijian media coverage issues as they practice avoidance. It is still needed more consistently as they sway public opinion through selective reporting and analysis.
Isn’t Lice Movono the same one who’s been privately gunning for an expatriate role with the government for some time? Hopefully her extremely one-sided and unreasearched (something every journalist worth their salt would do) article pays off and Rambo finally notices her to give her something cushy…
Lice Mavono’s journalism, if one may call it that, is mostly bias.
There is no harm in presenting a good argument and holding all leaders accountable. These leaders are not private celebrities. They are government workers. Journalists can do the right thing and hold both sides of the argument well.
And the academic’s commentary is clearly not relevant as Tabuya is a government official on a government trip, paid for by the government and donor funds. A breach of clear code of conduct 100%. Any government worker in Fiji would have been stood down from all duties and representing the state already. But not Tabuya and why. Only Rabuka can answer that as a third leg to this equation.
Totally agree, @ Anne J.
Thanks Graham for that great response. Boom!
I was appalled when I read the professor’s comments on that ABC item last night. With that kind of advice, Fiji’s politicians/public servants will simply get away with ‘murder’ since they can be held to a lower standard. Not in our name please!
And no coalition can ever be that critical or indispensable to our collective future. Please keep your opinions to yourself professor.
I had a lot of respect and admiration for Lice, esp during COVID. That has faded pretty quickly realizing that she just pays lip service to the Coalition. Lost her bearings and objectivity. Such a loss for such a talented reporter.
Please keep doing what you are and have been doing Graham. We need someone like you to ‘keep the bastards honest’!
It was tax payer funded trip hence the public has all the right to question and scrutinize the alleged affair and use of weed by Tabuya. She should be sacked asap if coalition govt wants to maintain any integrity and public confidence of the people who voted them in. Keeping her as the Minister will send out wrong precedent and negative image of women and eldery in Fiji whom she represents.
Jon Fraenkel is dicing with Grubsheet , put em to sleep Grubsheet..
I have to agree with some of the comments here about Lice Movono, she isn’t a very ethical journalist. Her political bias has always been evident even with this story on ABC. I have never understood the fanfare over a journalist as mediocre as her when we have better reporters such as Inoke Rabonu at the Fiji Sun.
Quite blatant bias and downplaying in the ABC article with no alternate view besides Frankel’s of the seriousness of the incident. If a similar scenario between two married Cabinet Ministers on a work trip were alleged to have happened in Australia would ABC only posit the viewpoint that “Whether it’s true or not, these kinds of things are best kept as private matters and there should be more attention I think to [their] qualities as a minister.”?