Transcript
ANDREW MINOGUE: We agreed as a Board to provide a short window of opportunity of basically one month, until the end of June, for the Tongan government to come back to the table to negotiate with the Games Council around the cost concerns that they have in relation to the Games. At that point we make a decision - all parties - (whether to) to remain in Tonga. If that doesn't happen by the end of June we start putting out expressions of interest out to other countries who may wish to host the Games in 2019.
VINNIE WYLIE: So, from the Pacific Games Council's point of view, you still very much believe Tonga is well positioned to host these Games and can indeed host these Games?
AM: That's correct. If the government resumes its support for the Games - as it had been doing up until a couple of weeks ago - the Council is confident that Tonga can deliver the event. The Organising Committee has been up and running for several years and it's doing its work. The venues are coming together with the help of donor governments - particularly the Chinese and Australia and New Zealand with the main stadium, so we're confident the facilities will be in place. The government has the financial resources to make contributions where necessary, with the venues but also with the operational costs of the Games, and if that support resumes, as it has been there for the last four and a half years, then we remain confident that Tonga can deliver the event.
VW: So the Council is seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister and the cabinet to go over the intricacies and the detail?
AM: That's right. Early next week we're available to be in Tonga to meet with the Prime Minister and cabinet and to start a process where we would be able to give them some comfort on minimising or reducing the costs of delivering the Games, and we've got some expertise that we can bring in to help do that. So the offer is there - if the government feels the costs need to be brought down we can look at ways of doing that.
VW: Have you received any indications from other countries (about hosting), just informally, that there are obviously options there or there are people that would be willing to take on the mantle if it got to that point?
AM: Yes and I think you would have seen press reporting from one or two of the other countries in the Pacific that would be interested in hosting the Games. I actually don't want to say too much more than that at this stage because our focus is on Tonga. They were awarded the Games (and) they've done a lot of work to start preparing for them. We've made it very clear that by the end of June if we're not resolving the situation there we are moving on but for this upcoming month we want the focus to remain very much on Tonga.
