Poor Relations will Affect Airlines, says Huni'ehu

Opposition spokesman for Finance, Edward Huni'ehu, says that the current low in diplomatic relations with Australia will continue to have spill-over effects on the Solomon Airlines.

Huni'ehu stated that it is quite naïve of the Finance Minister to be startled as modern day politics demand that aviation is part of international trade and investment.

Huni'ehu says that Australia's continuous refusal to grant landing rights to Solomon Airlines is very much connected to the poor bilateral relations between Australia and the Solomon Islands government as a result of the appointment of Julian Moti as Attorney General.

Mr Huni'ehu says that the current difficulties faced by the Airlines in getting landing rights from Australia is just the beginning of possible embargoes against Solomon Islands for unacceptable international behavior.

Huni'ehu said that it is important for the Finance Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Patterson Oti, to begin mending the country's relationship with Australia and New Zealand before the country's National Carrier suffers more unnecessary setbacks.