First pro-independence Senator for New Caledonia Robert Xowie sports a Pacific shirt on his inaugural day in the French Upper House in Paris. Photo: Commune de Lifou
New Caledonia - Constitutional amendment
New Caledonia's newly-elected Senator Robert Xowie has asked the French Senate whether Paris intended to push for a Constitutional amendment "by force".
During question time, Xowie, the first pro-independence Kanak senator, took the floor for the first time and directed his question at French PM Elisabeth Borne and her interior and overseas minister Gérald Darmanin.
The amendment's draft is subject to further talks in Nouméa at the end of October, with the pro-independence FLNKS front divided on whether to take part or to boycott the meeting.
In her reply to Xowie, Borne confirmed France wished to come up with an agreement on New Caledonia before the end of the year "provided everyone takes part in the discussions and wants to achieve something".
Samoa - MMR vaccination concerns
Samoa's Deputy Director General of Health has warned the 2019 measles tragedy that claimed 83 lives could repeat itself given the current low vaccination coverage, mainly of children.
Talamua Online reported Tagaloa Dr. Robert Thompsen said there is a substantial number of children who have not had their first measles, mumps & rubella (MMR) vaccination at the age of 9 months.
Tagaloa said there are no measles case in Samoa, but that does not mean Samoa is out of the danger zone, as the measles virus continues to circulate within the Pacific region.
New Zealand has recently recorded two cases.
Betel nut Photo: RNZI/Johnny Blades
CNMI - Betel nut tax
The Northern Marianas are looking at an excise tax for betel nut.
If approved by the Senate and signed into law by the Governor, the law would impose an excise tax at $5 per pound of betel nut or areca nut, and 10 cents per ounce, or a fractional equivalent, of lime mix.
All funds collected from this proposed law will be deposited into accounts and 50 per cent of the funds will go to the Health Network Program, specifically for oral cancer patients' stipends.
10 per cent would go to the Division of Custom Biosecurity for operations; and the remaining amount to the general fund.
The excise tax is set to generate over US$1.27 million in revenue from betel nut imports.
PNG - tribute to late energy minister
Papua New Guinea's Parlimaent paid tribute to its late energy minister Steven Pim with a viewing ceremony.
Pallbearers placed the late minister's coffin on the floor of the House during a parliamentary session.
Mr Pim is credited for playing a key role in ending a bloody conflict in 2019 between the Kimka and Rolgake tribes of the Western Highlands.
Minister for Higher Education, Don Polye, said Minister Pim initiated peace negotiations despite losing relatives in the conflict.
"Even in a tribal warfare where his fellow tribesman and family members were killed by the other tribe, he wanted to forgive and forgot," he said.
"I think, speaker, that's a wonderful eternal thing."
Mr Pim died aged 51, just over a year after he was elected to parliament.
New Caledonia - climate change funding
A climate change adaption project in New Caledonia has around US$750,000 in funding.
It is called the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change Plus (PEBACC-Plus) Project.
It aims to strengthen the resilience of ecosystems, people and economies in Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna.
The New Caledonia money will be allocated to projects including analysis, coastal protection in Ouvéa, preservation of urban mangroves in Greater Noumea, and improvement of fire management in the mining south for the North Province.