Leaders warn of Pacific corruption
The leaders of Australia and New Zealand met today to discuss pouring more aid into the struggling South Pacific region to prevent it from becoming a haven for international criminals – provided nations root out state corruption.
Australian prime minister John Howard and New Zealand’s Helen Clark stressed that millions of dollars in aid from the two regional powers would not be unconditional, hours before the ceremonial opening of a three-day summit of the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland, New Zealand.
Many struggling South Pacific nations have been plagued by corruption and mismanagement of their frail economies, turning the region into what Australia fears is an arc of instability that could be exploited by gun runners, people smugglers and terrorists.
