The Wire

Questions around how Julia Gillard will respond to the failure of the Malaysian asylum seeker deal continue to dog the PM at the Pacific Island Conference in New Zealand today. And New Zealand PM John Keys has been skirting around questions about a deal with Australia on how to handle refugees. But those aren’t the only issues on the agenda.

For many pacific islands, climate change is a far bigger threat than the occasional wayward boat. And that’s what’s brought UN Chief Ban Ki Moon to the land of the long white cloud, fresh from Kiribati – and with a clear message for pacific island nations including Australia.