Transcript
ROBIN NAIR: It can be very difficult in Fiji especially the way the present government reacts to any criticism or any views, or any ideas even if it's given with the intention of making a contribution to good governance. I have myself found that some of the ministers and a particular one has ruled the country through fear and a lot of public servants are working under that difficult atmosphere.
SALLY ROUND: So how do they do their jobs then?
RN: It's very well controlled and managed. Public servants, particularly permanent secretaries are very, very careful. In my case I was brought up in the traditional way of being a public servant, after so many years, to give very honest, frank and fearless advice and I stuck to that and I made sure that I didn't compromise.
SR: So why did you leave your job?
RN: I left because I felt I couldn't bear the interference that was being directed to my ministry, particularly to my work and I considered it not to be good governance because I was giving my advice very very honestly, frankly and I did respect loyally to my prime minister but there were other people who wanted to have an influence on the advice I was giving and they seemed to be much more powerful and their opinions seemed to matter so there were quite a few issues and it came to a head on one issue and I said that means the proper thing for me to do is to resign and leave.
SR: Can you reveal what the issue was?
RN: They were mainly management issues and they were not as much quite policy issues.
SR: You said earlier that democracy has not developed as hoped in Fiji. What do you mean by that?
RN: I call it a 'militarised democracy'. I don't say that the military itself is interfering but there are other people who have acquired that kind of a habit of ruling with a very iron fist, very, very tightly, in a very controlled way. I don't know why they do it because they've got a majority in parliament but somehow there's quite a seige mentality. They lack confidence and any advice that's alternative advice is seen as a threat, is seen as difficult. You're always being termed as not being a team player.
SR: And apart from being told you weren't a team player, were there any other concerns you might have had? Did you feel threatened in any other way?
RN: Well yes you do threatened because you feel ... there were other permanent secretaries who were there who came to see me afterwards when I resigned and they said it's intolerable, they fear for their jobs and even a couple of ministers called me and wanted to talk to me because they have similar experience in the ministry itself, in the cabinet itself, and they said to me they always are talking about 'who's going to be next?' So it's very controlled in the sense that other ministries find it difficult to work in that kind of environment.
SR: So you've left the government and you've joined the oppositon National Federation Party. Are you planning to stand for the election next year?
RN: I've left it open, I've just become a member of it and I'm going to help the National Federation Party in its campaign and in their policy formulation and so on but I'm leaving it open for the moment because at the moment if you know how people have been treated who've spoken out when it's been felt that people are giving advice that's different from other people, I have to be careful in my own movements in Fiji. I don't want to be embarrassed. I might be embarrassed of course and they'll try to embarrass me - I should have a thicker skin - but at the same time I just want to see how the land lies.
SR: So are you planning to stay in Australia?
RN: I've got a home in Australia. I worked for the Australian government , the foreign ministry here for more than 20 years before I retired and wanted to go and help Fiji, in its development and its governance and in the government itself wherever my expertise would lead me and I'm still available to go and do that but at the moment I'm back with my family in Australia.
SR: So no plans to head back to Fiji?
RN: Yes I'm planning to as soon as I can, as soon I feel secure.
