Vanuatu's Prime Minister says his government is stable despite claims by the opposition that the coalition lacks unity.
Moana Carcasses Kalosil says the government is working well as a team to achieve policy goals he laid out in an extensive list to be completed within his coalition's first 100 days in office.
He told Johnny Blades that midway through this period, things are progressing well.
MOANA CARCASSES KALOSIL: I have a good team. I have a good deputy prime minister. Actually, I have two former prime ministers in my cabinet and some strong young ministers, so I'm lucky. It's quite easy to work with them and it's quite easy to advance positive things.
JOHNNY BLADES: Talking of which, I know it's not unusual for the opposition to make claims, but Kalfau Moli was saying that the VP and the UMP are not entirely on the same page as you with some of the policies. What do you think about that?
MCK: You should ask the question to VP and UMP to answer, if they support my government. We have some agreement, we have signed an MoA and we are working together to try to have a government that, at least, pulls its socks up and starts to do some services to the people of Vanuatu. And this is why I'm prime minister today. I'm working very hard with my teams to advance this country for the benefit of the people. Public interest is paramount. Mr Kalfau Moli will speak, but I don't think Mr Kalfau Moli has a very good background.
JB: The plan to take the Council of Ministers meetings and other stakeholders round the provinces, have you guys revised that plan?
MCK: The problem is this year we are so busy doing other things we have decided to only do three provinces this year and next year do the other three. But we're going to do the Shefa province in two weeks time, and then next month we will do the southern provinces down to Luganville province, and then leave Malampa, Tafea and Penama for next year.
JB: I had to ask because the opposition has made this claim. They're accusing your government of having links with Pascal Anh Quan Saken, which are somehow inappropriate. His diplomatic status hasn't been revoked yet, has it?
MCK: I believe that all the diplomatic statuses of every single person appointed in the past will be revised. The deputy prime minister, who is also the minister of foreign affairs revoking all those appointments and we will do that in a more transparent way. It's funny that the opposition is saying that because they were very protective of some of the people that have been appointed by themselves, actually. They've appointed these people. But what we will do, if some of those gentlemen or ladies are willing to represent Vanuatu, they need to show what will be the benefit for Vanuatu - in investing here, in doing partnerships. We want to be transparent about it, and then we can consider to reappoint them.
