Peters starts Pacific tour with visit to Fiji

Winston Peters is preparing for his first Pacific trip as Foreign Minister, to Fiji next week for four days.

It is likely to be first of several Pacific trips the New Zealand First leader makes in the next six months, having declared it a priority in a speech he made to diplomats in Wellington last week.

Among the issues to be discussed will be the upcoming Fiji elections, towards which New Zealand has contributed $5.3 million.

Mr Peters is also likely to receive detailed private briefings from New Zealand officials on the sour relations between the Government and military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

The military strongman recently threatened to remove the Government. He has been unhappy with a proposed law that would grant an amnesty to some of the perpetrators of the 2000 coup, which the military helped to quash.

He has a particularly acrimonious relationship with the Minister of Home Affairs, Josefa Vosanibola, who has laid a complaint with police over the commodore's threat to remove the Government.

The pair engaged in a vigorous public spat last week with Commodore Bainimarama calling for his sacking.

Mr Peters is expected to meet Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase but it is less likely he will meet Commodore Bainimarama.

Mr Peters also has trips planned to Niue where New Zealand is building a new hospital and to Tonga where the Pacific Islands Forum will be held later in the year.

The Government's response to a foreign affairs select committee inquiry into Tonga will be released this morning.