Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva was in good spirits since last night after being taken to Vaiola hospital on Friday night, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said.
Reports said he was expected to attend swearing-in ceremony of Members of Parliament in Nuku’alofa this Thursday.
As Kaniva News reported last night, Hon. Pōhiva remains in Vaiola and was in stable condition.
He was moved to the hospital’s intensive care unit after a decision to keep him undisturbed by visitors and other patients at the hospital, the spokesperson said.
He said the Prime Minister needs to have good rest.
Health authority did not disclose his illness.
A medical evacuation to New Zealand was planned but later cancelled.
New Government
Hon Pōhiva, 76, was appointed by King Tupou VI on Tuesday 2 as Tonga’s next Prime Minister until 2021.
He submitted his cabinet lineup to the palace office on Wednesday 3 before it was approved by King Tupou VI to be effective from January 5.
His cabinet ministers held first meetings with their staff yesterday in their respective ministerial portfolios.
Tongan citizens have been classified as a migration risk by Ukraine.
Travellers from the kingdom and Papua New Guinea are the only two Pacific nations on a list of 70 countries whose nationals are considered a migration risk.
People from countries on the list will have to supply biometric data.
This can include fingerprints and other physical evidence.
Heads of state and government, members of parliamentary and government delegations will be exempt.
The list of countries includes Nigeria, Egypt and Pakistan as well as all former Portuguese colonies in Africa.
Ukraine introduced tougher migration rules for Russian citizens following Russia’s invasion of the Crimea in 2014.
Tourism figures fell from 24 million before the invasion to 12 million after the invasion.
Numbers climbed to 16 million in 2016.
It is not known how many Tongans have ever visited the Ukraine.
The main points
Tongan citizens have been classified as a migration risk by Ukraine.
Travellers from the kingdom and Papua New Guinea are the only two Pacific nations on a list of 70 countries whose nationals are considered a migration risk.
Tonga’s new cabinet ministers greeted their senior officials and staff members at their respective ministerial portfolios when they first met them this morning.
Deputy Prime Minister Hon Sēmisi Sika, Minister of Health Hon Dr Saia Piukala and Ha’apai 12 MP Mo’ale Fīnau joined the new Minister of Labour and Commerce, Dr Tu’i Uata during his first meeting with his staff.
The meeting was described as “outstanding” and “remarkable”.
Labour and Commerce CEO Edgar Cocker has confirmed to Kaniva News he and his staff met their new minister Dr. Tu’i Uata this morning.
Cocker said: “The CEO and the staff of the Ministry of Commerce , Consumers, Trade, Innovation and Labour have warmly welcomed this morning , Monday 8th January 2018, the Hon. Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Semisi Sika, the Hon. Minister of Health and Public Enterprises, Hon. Saia Piukala, the Hon. Governor of Ha’apai, Hon. Mo’ale Finau, and in particular, the Hon. Minister for the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation, and Labour , Hon. Dr. Tu’i Uata.”
“The occasion was extremely overwhelming with positive views towards our responsive roles to the growth of the economy, and the consolidated attempts to gradually eradicate poverty, and grow the economy.”
The CEO said their priority was the concerns and needs of the people of Tonga to have a robust economy.
“The occasion was remarkable and absolutely outstanding,” Cocker said.
Two newly appointed ministers
The Deputy Prime Minister and his colleagues first attended new Internal Affairs minister Hon. ‘Akosita Lavulavu’s first meeting with her staff in her office.
It is understood other new cabinet ministers who previously held ministerial posts in the Pōhiva former government held meetings with their own staff while the Deputy Prime Minister took the opportunity to introduce the newly appointed Ministers Dr. Uata and Hon Lavulavu to their staff.
Senior official ‘Ofa Finau from Prime Minister’s office also attended the meetings.
A staff at the Ministry of Labour and Commerce, Fulila Tangata’iloa, shared photos she took during the meeting in their office with Kaniva News.
Staff at Ministry of Labour and Commerce shake hands with Deputy Prime Minister Sēmisi Sika and his delegation as well as new Minister of Labour Dr. Tu’i Uata. Photo/Fulila Tangata’iloa
Some photos of the meeting at the Internal Affairs had been uploaded to Facebook.
Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Sēmisi Sika and his delegation, Minister of Labour and Commerce Dr. Tu’i Uata and CEO Edgar Cocker (Standing) during the meeting. Photo/Fulila Tangata’ilo
The letters of appointment were delivered by the palace office to the Prime Minister and all his proposed new cabinet ministers over the weekend, a reliable source said.
The appointment was made after Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva submitted his cabinet lineup to the king on Thursday.
Ministry of Internal Affairs Deputy CEO Ms. ‘Evaipomana Tu’uholoaki (L), Prime Minister Office Senior Official ‘Ofa Finau (R), Hon. Akosita Lavulavu, Deputy PM Sēmisi Sika and Hon. Tu’i Uata. Photo/Emeline Tongotea (Facebook)
It is understood the king was expected to have an audience with the Prime Minister sometime soon.
The Prime Minister’s office was expected to officially announce the new cabinet positions this week.
Hon. Pōhiva, 76, became Tonga’s new prime minister on Tuesday 2, accepting reaffirmation to govern from the king after His Majesty dissolved Parliament in August 2017.
Hon. Pōhiva, who won a landslide 14 of the 17 people’s parliamentary seats in a snap election in November following the dissolution, has promised to lead a “king, nobility and people’s government” dedicated to social justice over the next four years.
A 35-year-old Tongan man working on a farm in the Bundaberg region, Queensland, Australia, was found dead on Thursday morning.
A Queensland Police spokesman told Courier Mail officers were called to the property shortly before 7am on Thursday.
“He said that at this stage the death was non-suspicious, and that an autopsy would be performed to identify the cause of death,” the online newspaper reported.
The death is the second of a Tongan on the Seasonal Worker Program in the Bundaberg region after Sione Vakameilalo Fifita died in the Royal Brisbane Hospital after falling into a coma in May last year.
In a special investigation by The Courier-Mail it has been “revealed 13 workers had died on the Seasonal Worker Program, with extreme neglect allegedly contributing to a number of deaths and serious injuries” in Australia.
The Tongan community will hold a memorial service in Bundaberg, it has been reported.
“There have been 13 deaths since the program became official in 2012, at least eight of them in Queensland.”
The new government of Tonga has been appointed by King Tupou VI with effect from Friday 5, 2018, a reliable source said.
Kaniva News understands letters of appointment were delivered by the palace office to the Prime Minister and all his proposed new cabinet ministers over the weekend.
The appointment was made after Prime Minister ‘Akilisi PÅhiva submitted his cabinet lineup to the king on Thursday.
It is understood the king was expected to have an audience with the Prime Minister sometime soon.
The Prime Minister’s office was expected to officially announce the new cabinet positions this week.
The ministerial appointment comes after Hon. PÅhiva, 76, became Tonga’s new prime minister on Tuesday 2, accepting reaffirmation to govern from the king after His Majesty dissolved Parliament in August 2017.
Hon. PÅhiva, who won a landslide 14 of the 17 people’s parliamentary seats in a snap election in November following the dissolution, has promised to lead a “king, nobility and people’s government” dedicated to social justice over the next four years.
New lineup submitted by PÅhiva
Hon. PÅhiva first announced the new lineup during a private meeting with his Democratic Party in Nuku’alofa last week before he submitted it to the royal palace office.
A copy of the list of the ministerial lineup was leaked to Kaniva News shortly after the meeting.
We sought confirmation of the list from the Minister of Justice before we published it on Thursday morning. The minister confirmed it and said it has yet to be officially announced because it was being submitted to the king as part of the constitutional process.
As we reported the new lineup is as follows:
Samuela Akilisi PÅhiva – Prime Minister of Tonga; Minister of Defence and Foreign Affairs
Sēmisi Sika – Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure
Sēmisi Fakahau – Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, Forestry and Food
Dr. PÅhiva Tuionetoa – Minister of Finance and National Planning
Penisimani Fifita – Minister of Education and Training
Poasi Tei –  Minister of Energy, Environment, Information and Climate Change (MEIDEEC)
‘Akosita H. Lavulavu – Minister of Internal Affairs and Sports
Dr. Tu’i Uata – Minister of Labour and Commerce
Dr. Saia Piukala – Minister of Health and Public Enterprises
Lord Ma’afu – Minister of Lands and Survey
Sione Vuna FÄ’otusia – Minister of Justice and Prisons
MÄteni Tapueluelu – Minister of Police & Fire Services; Customs and Revenue
Police have once again raised concerns about marine safety after three fishermen were rescued at sea on Monday 1.
Lilite 5 left on a fishing trip before its engine died.
Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Atunaisa Taumoepeau said the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) alerted Tongan authority after it picked up a distress signal from the boat about 76 kilometres south of Tongatapu.
Taumoepeau told Radio Tonga news since the boat’s beacon was not registered with Tongan Police it was hard for them to immediately dispatch a rescue team to help it.
He thanked the boating community for their help in which it enabled Police to identify the boat.
Taumoepeau said all boats’ beacons must be registered with Police so they could know the owners and names of the boats for safety reasons.
He also warned boaters to make sure they read their pre-departure checklists before leaving.
