[ANU Pacific.Institute] PI statement on Future Resourcing of PacLII

[Nicole Haley]

Dear Miranda (and fellow Pacific Institute Members)

As you are aware the previous round of aid cuts saw a reduction in DFAT's funding to SSGM for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 financial years.
Regrettably these cuts resulted in job losses affecting eight SSGM and Pacific Institute colleagues.

The recently announced round of aid cuts directly affect the Pacific Regional budget - from which PacLII, SSGM, the Pacific Leadership Program and a number of other incredibly important programs are funded. All these programs are at risk, although we have been informed that no decisions have been taken yet.

In view of the recent and impending retirements of several Pacific Institute members, the fact SSGM lost 8 Pacific Scholars as a result of May 2015 aid cuts, and at least 4 Pacific scholars in CHL have now been advised that they will not be transitioning to the new school I hope that the Pacific Institute will make an equally strong statement about continued funding for SSGM.

The ANU has systematically disinvested in Pacific scholarship over the past two decades by not replacing departing Pacific scholars with Pacific scholars. Instead they have sought to principally rely on external funding to support Pacific scholarship and teaching. With the impending loss of four more Pacific scholars and the possibility of further cuts to SSGM we should all be worried about the future of Pacific Studies at ANU.

Regards
Nicole






From: Pacific.Institute [mailto:pacific.institute-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Miranda Forsyth
Sent: Friday, 27 May 2016 10:41 AM
To: pacific.institute at anu.edu.au
Subject: [ANU Pacific.Institute] PI statement on Future Resourcing of PacLII

Dear Pacific Institute members

There is news this week of a serious threat to the continued funding of PacLII, an online legal resource based at Emalus Campus in Vanuatu.  See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-25/pacific-corruption-fighters-worried-as-online/7445926.

The PI Board has approved a statement that we have put online that expresses support for the continuation of funding and stresses the importance of the resource (see news item one on the website: http://pacificinstitute.anu.edu.au/).  Please use these ideas with anyone of influence to try to ensure a stable future for PacLII.

Kind regards

Miranda

Miranda Forsyth | Associate Professor | RegNet School of Regulation and Global Governance | ANU College of Asia & the Pacific | The Australian National University | Room 3.2, Coombs Extension Building | Building 8, Fellows Rd, Acton, ACT, 2601 Australia | T: +61 2 6125 1505 | M: 0429903094 |  miranda.forsyth at anu.edu.au<mailto:miranda.forsyth at anu.edu.au> | regnet.anu.edu.au<http://regnet.anu.edu.au/>

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