Transcript
KELIHIANO KALOLO: We're going to have another look at the public service. I think we need a better coordination now since the disruption when other people were, you know, well you know, the court case anyway and so we had to look at the public service and we have to coordinate and check whether, you know, I wanted them to come up with two or three priorities for the year, so every department will come up with their priorities. And another area we're going to look at is the language. We still haven't got any language policy, we are having difficulties trying to coordinate meetings and there is a Language Commission, but we haven't sat down and set policy so I would like people from other... other Tokelauans from overseas and within Tokelau to get together as a working committee for them to recommend the way forward.
MACKENZIE SMITH: You talk about difficulties, what difficulties?
KK: Well, there is an ongoing issue in New Zealand, for example, they seem to have to use different alphabet, it has to do with the alphabet. So we have to come to one, we have to make an agreement, we have to come to the table and then whatever is accepted by the parliament, I think that will be the official policy then.
MS: Okay, so you're talking about kind of nationalising a language so that across New Zealand and Tokelau they use the same system.
KK: Yes, I think language is very, very important for us. That's how this how we express ourselves as Tokelauans. So we need to, we're thinking of the future of our children who grow up. They must grow up with a common approach rather than having different versions.
MS: You mentioned earlier the court case. We're still waiting on a decision. Obviously there's two former public servants suing the government. An investigation report was tabled at the general fono, what came out of that?
KK: That was the requirement as the general fono people, they could take it to their home Island and they have another look at it, because that's what they said in the beginning for us to report back to them.
