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ROUNDING UP ON QORVIS: Two former permanent secretaries, Perrin and Nair, claim international public relations firm 'calls all the shots' for Fiji Government and strives to influence Fiji-Australia-NZ diplomatic ties

13/10/2017

14 Comments

 
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By Hagar Cohen and Tiger Webb
ABC News, Australia, 12 October 2017


A global public relations firm has attempted to influence Fiji's diplomatic relationship with Australia and New Zealand on numerous occasions, according to two former Fijian public servants.

Ewan Perrin, a former permanent secretary in the Bainimarama administration, told Background Briefing the international public relations firm Qorvis "calls the shots" on all government communications.

Mr Perrin said he was sacked by the Fijian Government for his refusal to become a "lackey" for the firm, when he would not follow instructions to send a controversial email — the content of which had been drafted by a Qorvis consultant.

At one point, Mr Perrin said he was instructed to hand-deliver a letter to a Fijian newspaper, castigating the editor for his unfair treatment of the Prime Minister.

"I did not draft it, and was not involved in any discussion about the topic," Mr Perrin said.

"I was not expected to do anything except sign that letter and deliver it … I didn't agree ethically with the content and the tone of the letter."

Mr Perrin refused to deliver the letter.

"I made a decision at the time that it was more important that I maintain my standards," he said.

Government positions controlled by PR firm


The former public servant said this was part of a broader pattern of behaviour aimed at controlling the position of permanent secretary in Fiji's Information Department.

"The [position] was not being treated as a respected advisor to the minister … [it] was, 'Sign the document, make the statement, don't bother trying to think about anything,'" Mr Perrin said.

During his time as permanent secretary, Mr Perrin said the office of the solicitor-general asked him to sign a sworn affidavit in court without first reading it. He declined to do so, calling the request "extraordinary".

After Mr Perrin's departure from the Fijian public service in May 2016, his position was not publicly advertised.

Instead, an acting role was filled by Bernadette Bainimarama — the daughter of the Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama.

While Ms Bainimarama is no longer in that position, other key communications roles have been filled by relatives of top officials.

Mr Perrin does not call into question the talent of these appointees, but has issues with the lack of transparency.

"You can call it nepotism or cronyism or whatever you want to call it, but it's unhealthy," he said.

What is Qorvis? Qorvis is a Washington DC-based international public relations firm.

In a promotional video on its website, Qorvis says its services include "preparing executives, ambassadors and even Nobel laureates for media appearances".

The company's past clients include Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Kurdistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

When one insider left Qorvis, he was quoted by the Huffington Post as saying: "I just have trouble working with despotic dictators killing their own people."

Fijian budget papers show the country's Government paid Qorvis an fee of $FJD1 million ($623,000 AUD) in the 2016-17 financial year.

In a statement to Background Briefing, executive vice president Greg Lagana said Qorvis's work in Fiji is to help the Government deliver "clear, truthful and consistent information and messaging".

Over a two-month period, no government official agreed to be interviewed or provide any comment to Background Briefing.

Qorvis consultants influencing Pacific diplomatic

Robin Nair, a former senior public servant, has listed a number of occasions where he believes Qorvis has attempted to influence Fiji's diplomatic relationships with other countries, including Australia and NZ.

Mr Nair said he was a "direct eyewitness" to a conversation, during which a Qorvis consultant told Prime Minister Bainimarama that he had been insulted by a senior NZ diplomat.

In Mr Nair's account, the Qorvis consultant said the diplomat in question — NZ High Commissioner Mark Marsden — said Mr Bainimarama should be "behind bars".

In response, Mr Bainamarama is alleged to have told the high commissioner that he could be expelled from Fiji.
According to Mr Nair, Mr Marsden later denied making any derogatory statements about Mr Bainimarama.

The NZ Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the incident, but said in a statement that NZ and Fiji enjoy a "productive and positive relationship".

Mr Nair said the breach of protocol is distressing.

"I find it outrageous … [the Qorvis consultant] was trying to continue this destabilisation of relations with our immediate neighbours," he said.

Leaked documents from April 2017 reveal the extent of confusion relating to Qorvis's role in Fijian diplomatic circles.

In one email, a Qorvis consultant requests a Fijian diplomat meet with a specific minister ahead of a climate change conference.

Citing approval from the Fijian Attorney-General, the email caused the diplomat — Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva — to ask her superior, "This may be a good time to clarify: who gives me instructions on matters of foreign affairs?"

Qorvis declined to respond to the specific allegations raised in this story.

Hagar Cohen reports:

UPDATE: Since the program was published Graham Davis has contacted the ABC and denied the specific claims made about him by Mr Robin Nair. In a statement, he says that Mr Nair's view that Mr Davis has attempted to destabilise Fiji’s relationship with Australia and New Zealand is false.

He also denies telling the Fijian Prime Minister that the NZ High Commissioner had said Mr Bainimarama should be behind bars. Mr Davis says he didn't "refuse to respond", instead he says he declined.

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 In the above ABC program, the documentary also mentions Fijileaks, citing a letter we published where Robin Nair seemed to be acting against his adopted country - Australia. Nair, while accusing Graham Davis in the above ABC program, however, claimed to the program that his letter was not trying to undermine Australia. We had pointed out as follows [21 July 2017]: "NAIR was brought in by Bainimarama to reform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) but has left a terrible mess behind as he was ordered to "fly out of the messy nest". Incidentally, the ingratiating, obsequious tone of his correspondence published below was a feature of Nair's correspondence with Bainimarama right up to the time he was terminated. He repeatedly adopted a grovelling posture and kept telling Bainimarama that he (Bainimarama) presided over the best government in Fiji's history. What a difference a day makes! Moreover, in his correspondence, Nair is urging a foreign leader (Bainimarama) to adopt a much tougher line against Australia and especially in relation to Fiji's re-engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum. It is, many Australians would claim, a startling betrayal of his duty to Australia as a citizen and a retired diplomat on an Australian Government pension"

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www.fijileaks.com/home/robin-nair-flapping-his-wings-against-bainimarama-has-sent-the-media-into-a-frenzy-but-correspondence-on-us-reveal-a-controversial-side-to-his-character-and-crusade-against-his-adoptive-australia-treason


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http://fijivillage.com/news-feature/War-of-words-erupt-between-Sayed-Khaiyum-and-Prasad-on-Qorvis-motion-ks5r92


From Fijileaks Archive, May 2016:

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Coming later:  As the world reels from Hollywood movie mogul
HARVEY WEINSTEIN's predatory sexual crimes, we will reveal more on sexual pervert Caligulas of Fiji's Diplomatic Corps:
"HE put his hand up my skirt and was rubbing my thighs. When I complained, HE abused his Fijian Diplomatic Status and got DUBAI POLICE to lock me up in a police cell for a night. I gave an interview to the Fiji Sun about the incident and they promised to publish it as FRONT PAGE story but so far it has not been published yet...."
Fijileaks:

We suggest file a complaint with the Fiji Police, for them to re-open the case although the crime allegedly took place in Dubai, for Fiji's own 'Harvey Weinstein' to be brought to book

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In mid-August, Ronan Farrow, an NBC News contributor, had secured an interview with a woman who was willing to appear on camera, in silhouette, her identity concealed, and say Harvey Weinstein had raped her, according to four people with close knowledge of the reporting. It was a pivotal moment in a testy, months-long process of reporting a story that had bedeviled a generation of media and Hollywood reporters. 

Farrow had a lot of material already. In March, he had acquired a damning and much-coveted audio recording in which Weinstein admits to having groped an Italian model. He had interviews with former executives and assistants who’d worked closely with Weinstein who spoke about the culture of harassment and abuse he perpetrated. And now he had someone ready to accuse Weinstein of rape, on camera. 

But at that moment Farrow was also caught in the pincers of an NBC News edict. He had been told by executives at NBC News that he didn’t have enough reporting to go on air with his Weinstein story, according to four sources, and he had been told by the network to stop reporting on it. NBC tried to put a stop to the interview with the woman accusing Weinstein of rape. The network insisted he not use an NBC News crew for the interview, and neither was he to mention his NBC News affiliation. And so that was how Ronan Farrow wound up paying out of his own pocket for a camera crew to film an interview. 

As a project for NBC News, Farrow’s story was effectively dead. Later that month, he received permission to take his reporting to another news organization.

The story that resulted, published Tuesday by The New Yorker, was a blockbuster: multiple women accusing Weinstein of rape and other sexual misconduct, accompanied by the audio of Weinstein admitting to sexual assault.

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14 Comments
Welcome Home
13/10/2017 12:02:52 pm

Well now! After years of being surrounded by serial liars and rude, crude imposters of governance writ--lower-case,it is possible to put a face to the horrors witnessed and endured over the past twenty years. 'Trust your Instincts'! Yes, that is what Evil-writ-upper-case does: it kicks in to Survivor Mentality Mode and woe betide any person who fails to measure up. Apply the "Harvey Weinstein Test" - after all one has had the debatable good fortune to walk the Red Carpet once in 2010 and to rub shoulders (?) with the Moguls. They all exude a similar smell: entitlement, grossly over-indulged and devoid of empathy or compassion for deemed Lesser Mortals. However, the Saga of Harvey Weinstein has set Cats among the Pigeons and guess what? We ain't goin' to take it no more without a Hue and Cry. What is more, Qorvis and the Ewan Perrins are likely to come in for some shocks. Those who blithely and so profoundly profitably appear to have benefitted from the misery of civilian and ordinary Fijians are discovered and in their naked and predatory garb they are found accessories to deeds they may not yet have dreamed of: a Movie worthy of Miramax, maybe of Paramount but definitely of Fox.


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Tomasi
13/10/2017 02:47:09 pm

Yes indeed WH. We know that QORVIS is part of the brain behind the hypocrisy and incongruence we see in the public speeches and events and the real truths about life in Fiji. Bai could have just stood up and spoke to the cane farmers and people of Rakiraki without reading from a written speech. George Shiu does that all the time. But not for the Fijian PM. At the UN or to other international audiences, Bai must memorise or read his speeches correctly, even though he does not understand the words and nuances.

Apart from the many issues involved, it is most concerning that a foreign organisation is being paid from public revenue to deceive us and the world by deliberately lying and distorting the truth. This is one example of how truly sad the situation is in Fiji.

Just digest these a moment please. We have in Fiji over the last ten years the following:

1. A most unqualified, criminal, murderer and liar who should be in prison as the PM,. He is paid more than double the normal salary without doing even one tenth of the tasks and has never been held accountable but given complete immunity under a self imposed constitution.
2. His brother in law, F Kean is a convicted killer ( manslaughter) is now controlling the Prisons in Fiji.
3. Sitiveni Qiliho was the gang leader of the group that burnt the house of a High Court judge in Pacific Harbour. He is now the Police Commisioner.
4. ASKhaiyum, the mediocre lawyer from Nadroga, and Fiji's bomb-maker now writes and enforces the laws of Fiji. He is also the real PM and Governor of the new colony of Fiji Banana Land.
5. The real Minister of Finance is Khai's aunt, Nur Bano Ali and her husband. They have been very active but largely invisible since her nephew took charge of the mess that Bai created after the illegal military takeover in 2006. How are they being paid for their critical services and who is paying them?

Just four of the scores of examples of how ' effective ' and truly diabolical this QORVIS operation is. Yes indeed, QORVIS and the Bai-Khai dictatorship are two parts of the greatest threat to Fiji. But the fact is that they are the ones in control and many are not even worried or care about it. That folks is how successful their mind control and manipulation strategies are ever since they came to Fiji.

The question is, What will we DO about it?

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Singh is King
13/10/2017 06:56:50 pm

Victor is too sharp to fall for Robin's tricks and has done well to expose this self-serving mediocre civil servant who thinks he is god's gift to Fiji. This self-styled Lothario's tabetabe and masi polo Baimirama did not work, he was kicked out, and now he is speaking out from his safe perch in Canberra. Yes, Canberra, enjoying a hefty pension from Australian Govt whom he sneakily undermined. What an ungrateful pig. Thank you Victor. I sense you cannot stand hypocrites and opportunists no more than we can. Selfserving charlatans like Robin have done a lot of damage so please expose them Victor.

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Welcome Home
13/10/2017 08:30:02 pm

God Bless you, Tomasi. More power to your elbow! Not your boot. Too much 'buturaki' for too long.

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Welcome Home
13/10/2017 08:58:05 pm

Today, Tomasi, President Michelle Bachelet was interviewed by Christiane Amanpour. A highly respected CNN journalist of
many years standing. Her father, President Salvador Allende, was verifiably murdered by General Augusto Pinochet as he and his fascist supporters took over in Chile. We seem to recall that General Pinochet in his aircraft spent some time at Nadi Airport while it was agonised over as to whether he should be admitted or not to Fiji: twelve hours? PM Margaret Thatcher was more resolute and as a result General Pinochet spent some very uncomfortable years for his undoubted crimes before his death. Madame Bachelet has not been unmindful of Fiji's parlous situation and UN Women has provided some comfort and relief from time to time. A great deal more is needed. The sense of isolation and pressure of immediate circumstances can at times be overwhelming. Do Qorvis and their acolytes give a damn? One has observed some at very close quarters, so self-absorbed, so confidently and SAFELY risk-averse. These memories are entrenched in the psyche: rest assured that they are. In the Saga of Weinstein and his emulators the memories will rise like The Phoenix! Criminal proceedings are already in the mix. But what of attempted murder/manslaughter? Calls to 'Lighten Up' will not be answered as indeed they were not in: 2011/2012/2013 and mostly the calls emanated from INSIDE Corrections. How very revealing?

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Rajend Naidu
13/10/2017 10:33:08 pm

Editor,
Power Corrupts : The Corrupt in Power Do Crooked Deals.
We read in ' SCA dismisses Zuma appeal on corruption charges' ( Times LIVE 13/10 ) and ' Supreme Court upholds reinstating Zuma corruption charges' ( defence Web 13/10 ) that the South African Supreme Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed a bid by President Jacob Zuma to appeal against a previous ruling that he could face 783 corruption related charges.
In his decision to reject the appeal bid Judge Lorimer Leach said it was " irrational " for the National Prosecuting Authority ( NPA ) to have set the charges aside. ( Zuma has strong allies in the NPA ).
The NPA has the responsibility to decide whether to reinstate the charges which relate to a $2 billion government arms deal arranged in the late 1990s.
The focus of the corruption allegations Zuma faces since taking office has been on leaked emails pointing to the Gupta family, business friends of the president, and their influence to secure lucrative state contracts for their companies. The Opposition Democratic Alliance spokesman said Zuma's appeal bid is " actions of a man who knows he has a lot to answer ".
It's that same corrupt influence in the political affairs of the State that led to the impeachment of South Korea's former president.
Does that influence exist in State political affairs in post coup Fiji?
On the basis of the revelations in the Fijileaks I am inclined to believe it does.
Where really is the need for the Fijian State to spend such vital public fund on Qorvis when there is a shortage of proper mortuaries in Fiji?
Where really is the need for Qorvis to help the Fijian Government ( 47 years after Independence ) to deliver " clear, truthful and consistent information and messaging "?
It's a lie. They have been hired to do Machiavellian mischief for the mob in power in Fiji.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Rajend Naidu
14/10/2017 12:11:13 am

Editor,
Hollow Message
The message the Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Minister Mereseini Vuniwaqa delivered to children, parents and staff at a school prize giving function was " We control our own lives and our fate depends on no one but us " ( Fiji Times 14/10 ).
Does it?
I wonder if the over 500,000 Rohingya Muslims FORCED to flee from their homeland, the Rakhine State, by the violent, brutal political persecution by the Myanmar State and its military and FORCED to live as refugees in abject poverty in Bangladesh feel that way ?
The many thousands of people who have fled Fiji because of repeated coups did they control their own lives and did their own fate depend on no one but themselves?
Did bad politics and bad governance play any part?
Qorvis should have helped the Minister with better " messaging "!
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Rajend Naidu
14/10/2017 02:04:27 am

Editor,
The Shame of Silence
In one of the many interviews given by expert analysts and public opinion makers on the movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's serial sexual offending over decades I caught one where it was said when the abuse of power occurs the people in position of power should be held to account. That did not happen in Harvey Weinstein's case instead the abuse was " ignored by so many for so long ".
The blokey culture closed ranks and maintained a deafening silence.
The shame of silence belongs to all who had a duty to speak out and failed to do so.
We must make sure we don't do that when it comes to abuse of power, in whatever form it manifests, in Fiji.
This post is dedicated to all who have spoken out against abuse of power in Fiji.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Chiku
14/10/2017 06:15:20 am

Any other hired and fired former permanent secretary in the Bainimarama regime care to come forward to spill the beans on what really is going on in Fiji under the twin dictators and their paid propagandist Qorvis?
You can do that incognito if you too afraid or too ashamed. Just contact Fijileaks.

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Socho
14/10/2017 07:08:50 am

If what is being alleged here - that American media consultants Qorvis is calling the shots for Fiji Government - is true, and all evidence seems to indicate it is, than Fiji is clearly under a new colonialism. A form of political prostitution with the Fijian ruling elite as willing partners.
And, we thought we'd become an independent, sovereign nation state in 1970.
What a crying shame. Cry My Beloved Country.

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Rajend Naidu
14/10/2017 07:49:45 am

Editor,
Understanding Cultures and Countries
British author and travel adventurer Simon Reeve - winner One World Broadcasting Trust Awards, for an " outstanding contribution to greater world understanding " - tells us ( SBS 14/10/17 on his Sacred Rivers series ) that China is " still a country of control ".
At least in the Chinese case the controlling is done by the Chinese State, not hired hands like Qorvis.
It's a shame when we can't even do our own dirty job.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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Bahuki
14/10/2017 08:02:52 am

Doesn't matter who is barking whether from in Fiji or from overseas, a dictatorship is a dictatorship regardless of who is helping Frankie and Ayarse.

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Horny Goat Weed
15/10/2017 11:29:13 am

Old goat Robin Nair is looking so serene in the picture with Sarah Conrad - like a Sadhu almost. Why is Fijileaks dragging him into all this? If you don't have anything solid on the guy, you should leave him alone.

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Randy Robin
16/10/2017 05:10:08 am

I'm sure Victor has all the sordid detail and will release in good time. Victor does his homework before making any claims.

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