Speaking at the Crime Prevention/Reconciliation Sports Day in Flagstaff on 4 June 2005, Ganilau called on the older generation to instill basic moral values in their children. ""Increasing lawlessness and criminal activity can be interpreted as discourteous behaviour and lack of respect for other people and their property. So what we need to do if we want to salvage the situation is to go back to the basics,"" he said. The same day, he strongly criticised the country's leadership, saying that they were taking Fiji in the wrong direction, ""spreading their gospel of fear and hate and not doing anything to help the ordinary people put bread on their table for their families."" He warned against retaliation, however: ""I believe we must not fight fire with fire, we will be burnt."" The only way extremist ethno-nationalists could be stopped from destroying the nation, he said, was to deny them the opportunity to control the destiny of the nation. This was seen as an oblique reference to the ethno-nationalists in Qarase's cabinet. He also called on people to respect one another, saying that it was the on way for lasting unity and reconciliation.