The Tongan Parliament has approved former Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa’s request for an extension of his medical leave.
Tu’i’onetoa is seeking medical treatment in the United States.
His medical expenses are being paid for by his family and not funded by Parliament, the Parliament said.
The former Prime Minister’s request was granted using a circular, which was sent to all Members.
As Kaniva News reported in recent days, the use of the circular has generated controversy.
The House issued a press release on Wednesday following our story on Hon. Tu’i’onetoa’s request for longer medical leave and how this might generate a by-election for Tongatapu 10.
Tu’i’onetoa’s medical expenses in Australia
The caption of the story when it was shared on Facebook says in Tongan that if Tu’i’onetoa’s medical leave extension request was approved by the House, the taxpayers could continue paying for Tu’i’onetoa’s medical expenses.
We made our comment based on taxpayers previously paying for Tu’i’onetoa’s medical expenses in Australia in about 2017.
In an e-mail to Kaniva News on May 2018, the former Prime Minister said he had been sent to St George’s Private Hospital in Sydney after he suffered an injury while Minister of Finance in ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s Cabinet.
He said he underwent spinal surgery after suffering a slipped disc, which compressed the spinal nerves.
Surgeons fused the third, fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae together and replaced the disc between vertebrae four and five.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa confirmed that the government paid for his medical expenses. He told Kaniva News that he e-mailed his Acting Minister of Finance at the time, Poasi Tei, and told him his medical treatment had been successful, although he had to use a walking stick to help him walk for some time.
He said he told Tei that even though he was Finance Minister at the time that he could not have afforded to pay for the medical expenses.
In Tongan he said: “ Pea na’e ‘ikai pe ke u mei lava ia ‘e au ‘o totongi a e fakamole ko’eni neongo ko e Minisita Pa’anga au, ka ne ta’e’oua hono totongi ‘e he Pule’anga.”
Details of who is paying for Hon. Tu’i’onetoa’s current medical expense was also made by Hena Tu’i’onetoa, who identified herself as his wife.
However, some supporters of the former Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa accused Kaniva of lying about Tu’i’onetoa because we questioned his medical expenses.
Travelling allowance
Parliament’s press release about Hon. Tu’i’onetoa sparked calls for the Speaker to also clarify whether or not the former Prime Minister was still receiving his travelling allowance and salary.
It is understood that MPs are entitled to these if they are on medical leave overseas.
Critics believe that Parliament’s Wednesday press release opened a door for the public to ask for more information from the House, including Tu’i’onetoa’s Travelling Allowance records. Kaniva News has asked the Speaker to release Tu’i’onetoa’s salaries and Travelling Allowance records while he is in the USA and confirm whether he is still receiving them.
Kaniva News also asked the Speaker why its press release did not mention that the government previously funded Tu’i’onetoa’s medical expenses in Sydney. It reminded the speaker that if the press release was intended to independently inform the public transparently and accountably it should release both Tu’i’onetoa’s Australian and US medical leave records.
Critics also asked whether this was a new means of communication used by the Parliament to reveal to the public which MPs’ medical expenses were paid for by the government and who pays for their own.
Some critics have asked why Parliament did not make the same kind of statement when taxpayers were funding other MPs, including former MP Lord Fusitu’a’s medical expenses and medivac flight from Tonga to a New Zealand hospital. Others to have benefitted include former MP and Minister Viliami Hingano and Semisi Fakahau.
