Minister for the Covid-19 recovery Chris Hipkins said he had authorised the director-general of health to roll-out the requirement to cover all countries apart from Australia, Antarctica and some Pacific nations.
“New Zealand already has some of the most stringent border protection measures in the world. Today’s amendments further strengthen that position in line with the government’s overall elimination strategy,” Hipkins said.
Children under two will be exempt from the pre-departure test, as will travellers who can provide a medical certificate showing they have recovered from a past case of Covid-19 and are considered no longer infectious.
Hipkins said the 72-hour time period for testing could be extended for another 24 hours if a person’s flight was delayed or cancelled, or test results were not returned in time.
Passengers arriving from any of those countries will also now have to undergo a Covid-19 test on their first day in the country.
This story originally appeared on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission
Colonisation changed the way Pacific Island people eat – and food celebrity Robert Oliver wants to put healthy, local food back on Pacific plates.
A dish full of Pacific Island flavour created by Robert Oliver. Photo: Imagine South Pacific
Oliver is the creator of Pacific Island Food Revolution, a televised contest in which people compete to create the best dish with ingredients from countries such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
He said the show aimed to encourage Pacific Island people to eat healthier, more traditional foods and to spice up the tourism industry by getting island restaurants offering tasty local dishes.
Many imported foods that have become popular among Pacific Island people are highly processed and contain large amounts of fat, sugar and salt.
These unhealthy foods caused diseases such as diabetes and were fueling a health “crisis” among Pacific people, Oliver said.
“Colonisation and other disruptions to culture have a multi-pronged effect, including people thinking maybe overseas food is more glamorous than local food,” he said.
“Pacific Island Food Revolution is really saying ‘wait a minute – we’ve got this amazing Pacific solution for a Pacific problem and it’s not agenda-driven and it’s not hard – it’s fun and we love it’.”
Particularly with Covid-19 posing a new health threat, Oliver said it was important to return to healthy local foods, such as fresh fish and tropical fruits like mangos and pineapples.
“Local food creates immunity on a personal level and it creates resilience on a community level.
“It’s been really interesting to see, in Fiji I’ve been noticing particularly, people are going back to backyard gardening and there’s a real local food movement emerging.”
Oliver wants to see the delights of more traditional Pacific fare offered to tourists too. This would give visitors a cultural experience and provide a boost for island agricultural economies.
“There’s been a tremendous amount of food imported into the Pacific for the tourism industry to meet international menus that have little Pacific flavour.
“The local cuisine proposition puts the farmers at the centre of the tourism industry.
“During this Covid moment, when tourism has pretty much stopped in the Pacific, Vanuatu has taken stock and they are redesigning their tourism model to put food front and centre and to put farmers front and centre – that’s when tourism becomes tourism for the whole country.”
Robert Oliver is working to open people’s eyes to the health benefits and economic potential of traditional Pacific Island foods. Photo: Supplied
While Oliver talks about Pacific Island food, he acknowledges each island has its own original cuisine.
“They are beautiful, like any great cuisine of the world.
“There are stories and memories and medicine and ceremony sitting within that cuisine base, all waiting to be activated… and there’s so much potential.
“Many people think Pacific Island food is to’anai or its umu or its lovo, but we’re demonstrating through the show you can do so much with these ingredients. It’s so healthy and whole and to be celebrated.”
Oliver moved to Fiji from New Zealand as a child and said food was woven into his early memories of life in the islands.
“I have a clear memory of my first day in Suva. My mum took me to the market.
“I came out of New Zealand in the early 1970s and we were embracing supermarket culture, which is sanitised and a bit personality-lacking, and then you walk into the market in Suva, which is full of gossip and laughter and all this colour and it was like waking up.
“There was a dock strike, so my Mum had to learn immediately how to work with local food, which was probably pretty hard for her, but it was terrific fun for me, because there was this whole learning – it was like travelling on the plate.”
The second series of Pacific Island Food Revolution has just finished, but is available at TVNZ on demand.
This story originally appeared on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission
An innocent man who was mistakenly arrested and held at gunpoint by police says he is traumatised and has not been offered any official apology or help.
Photo: RNZ / Patrice Allen
Brandon Moase said he and his friend were ordered to their knees by police yesterday in a street in West Auckland, handcuffed with guns pointed at them, before being released 15 minutes later after police admitted they’d got the wrong people.
Moase, 29, said he had not been able to stop thinking about the event. His one-year-old son was in the car surrounded by armed police.
The police said they were responding to a call about an aggravated robbery with a firearm just before midday on Saturday in West Auckland. A spokesperson said they thought the two were involved, needed to act quickly, and did apologise to Moase and his friend.
Moase, his young son and a friend were on their way back from a morning in the sun at Auckland’s Mission Bay, and stopped at Glenmall Place in Glen Eden to buy lunch.
As soon as they’d parked up he heard police behind the car telling him to show his hands out the window and to get out slowly one at a time.
“From what I remember, about four or five police with guns pointing at me and my friend. It was pretty scary, and [I was] also confused – I didn’t know what the hell was going on,” Moase said.
“They had us in handcuffs, searched my car for five or ten minutes, then pretty much told us we were free to go because they had the wrong people. They didn’t read us any rights or anything, didn’t apologise, no nothing.”
Moase said a complaint had been made to the police, and he had alerted the Independent Police Conduct Authority. A bystander took a video which Moase sent to the IPCA.
“I told them that my son was in the car and they completely ignored me and continued trying to question me, all the while they had four to six police pointing guns at my car, which is obviously very frightening for me because I lost a son previously as well, which set off a few emotions.”
Police said they were alerted to an aggravated robbery during an alleged drug deal just before midday in Parrs Park.
“During the transaction, the offender reportedly presented a firearm at the victims in their vehicle. A struggle ensued and the offender and his associate fled on foot,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Police said during their search they found Moase and his friend and thought they were connected.
“Further enquiries determined they were not involved and they were subsequently released. Police apologised to the two men. Victim support referrals were also made,” the police spokesperson said.
“Police needed to act quickly in order to keep the community safe as this was a fast-moving and high risk situation.”
During the incident, Moase was ordered to lift his shirt up to show that he was not concealing any weapons, which he said was humiliating on a busy food strip. His wrists are still red from the handcuffs.
He said he had not heard a thing from police since they left Glenmall Place in a hurry.
“I would expect an apology and some kind of service offered for any kind of counselling. I can’t stop thinking about it – seeing my boy in the car like that with the guns pointed at the car is traumatising.”
Police said they have not yet tracked down the actual offender, and anyone with information can contact them on 105 and quote file number 210116/6934, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
CEO of Real Tonga and Palu Aviation Tevita Palu said today any profits Lulutai airline made since it began operating were due to the investment made by Palu Aviation over 20 years.
PM Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa. Real Tonga CEO Tēvita Palu
Speaking to Kaniva News, Palu said the government had not released a full set of costs for Lulutai, including comparative costs with previous airlines.
Real Tonga stopped trading after it ran into financial difficulties and was unable to obtain government financial help.
Instead, Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’ionetoa announced the government would operate its own airline, Lulutai.
In his New Year address to the nation, Hon. Tu’ionetoa said the government-owned airline was making money, although he did not provide any figures to show the level of profit being generated.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said there were times when the company’s aircraft were full.
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s statement, Palu said it was possible the airline was making money.
“It was a result of Real Tonga’s blood, sweat and tears for many years,” Palu said.
“It is just the names that have changed,” Palu said.
“The equipment, staff and resources were Real Tonga’s investment for many years.”
He claimed the government had used its political powers to end Real Tonga’s operations during the Covid-19 pandemic so that Lulutai could be set up.
“I am thankful to God for the opportunity for me to see the work that has been done in many years became useful for the country despite the way of how it was taken away.”
He said many of the set-up costs for Lulutai had been absorbed by Real Tonga and claimed the government had not released real figures for the airline’s operational costs.
Costs that had initially been borne by Real Tonga included training of staff who were now working for Lulutai airline including the pilots, engineers, operational staff, commercial staff, airline accounting and marketing staff.
The two aircraft operated by the government had been upgraded and test flown at a cost of several million pa’anga by Real Tonga before the government took over the airline.
The government had not declared the flexibility schedule or commitment and capacity required for travel public relative to the past carriers.
Palu also said the government had essentially subsidised the airline.
Ministries and departments had supported Lulutai by allowing leases and rents of their government offices to Lulutai at cheaper prices.
He said the government used charter flight journey for the government’s hospital and other needs.
“This is a quick and easy way of collecting huge amount of money by the airline,” Palu said.
“With charter flights an organsation can pay huge amount of money for only a small number of passengers to fly in the aircraft. “
Expatriate staff needed to help operate Lulutai were already in the kingdom working for Real Tonga before they were employed by the government. Recruitment and relocation costs had already covered by Real Tonga.
Palu claimed that salaries and other entitlements, including accommodation subsidies paid to Lulutai employees were lower than what has been paid by Real Tonga.
Tongan Police have placed a child in care following an investigation into images shared on Facebook this morning.
The images shared on Facebook showed what appeared to be a woman and a female toddler inside a vehicle.
Police said they began an investigation after many people contacted them regarding the images.
“The safety and security of the child was our priority,” Police said.
“We would like to make it clear the child is now in a safe place.
“The Police investigation continues and we cannot comment further due to the sensitivity of the case.”
The photos have been widely shared on Facebook by Tongan news sharing groups. One group has so far garnered 1100 reactions, 1000 comments and 1200 shares.
The images shared on Facebook showed what appeared to be a woman and a female toddler inside a vehicle.
Other photos showed a headshot of a man. Some of the photos appear to show the toddler crying with a bloodied face in the company of the woman.
One of the images appeared to show the woman holding the toddler’s head while the little girl was crying.
Another image appeared to show the woman showing the child to somebody who was watching what she was doing to the toddler.
A number of unverified and unsupported claims about the identities and motives of the people shown in the images have been made online.
These matters will form part of the Police investigation.
Violence against children
Tonga has a poor international reputation for violence against children.
According to a 2017 UNICEF report, cultural attitudes and traditions in Tonga prevent the realisation of children’s rights in several sectors. The report said community attitudes towards violence against children and corporal punishment posed particular child protection risks.
The number of complaints made to Police about the current case would appear to indicate that this is not universally true.
Nevertheless, the Global Initiative to End all Corporal Punishment of Children said in its 2020 country report on Tonga that the kingdom’s legal system needed to be reformed to fully protect children.
“The near universal acceptance of corporal punishment in child-rearing necessitates clarity in law that no degree or kind of corporal punishment of children is lawful or acceptable, however light and whoever inflicts it,” the report said.
“Prohibition should be enacted of all corporal punishment, including in the family home.”’
By Barbara Dreaver, 1 news Pacific Correspondent.This story originally appeared on TVNZ and is republished with permission
The Immigration Advisors Authority is investigating an elaborate passport scheme involving a South Auckland Tongan church promising residency for cash.
1 NEWS understands hundreds of over-stayers have been caught up in the scheme so far including people stuck here because of border closures.
1 NEWS understands hundreds of overstayers have been caught up in the scheme. Source: 1 NEWS
Meetings promoting the scam have been held at the ‘I Laumalie Mo Mo’oni church in Mangere.
Over-stayers and those wanting residency have been told if they join the church and pay $500 per person or $800 a family a High Court judge will sign off on their residency.
Lawyer Nalesoni Tupou says in the last 48 hours he’s found more than 100 people who have paid over money, and add to that family members that’s potentially several hundred people affected.
Reverend Tevita Paipa, who helped collect passports and money taken from over-stayers, told 1 NEWS he would give an interview about it but had to pray and fast first.
Witnesses claim another man involved, who’s not associated with the church, told them Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appointed him a licenced immigration agent.
They were also told the first 10 families to pay up would get a free home to be provided by the Government.
A plane would also be given to the church and members would be able to take a two week trip to Tonga.
Community leader Salote Heleta Lilo says while it may sound too good to be true for Tongans, being told this in a place of worship backed by their minister or faifekau, adds extra credibility.
“When you talk about faifekau they have a lot of power in our community and when a faifekau say things like this people are bound to believe and will do it,” she said.
Both her and Nalesoni Tupou are alerting Tongans not to get involved or pay over any money.
The Immigration Advisors Authority says it is keen to hear from anyone who thinks they are a victim or know others who are.
Tonga has been taken off the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for American seasonal and guest worker visas.
Shutterstock
The H-2A and H-2B visa programmes allow employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural and non-agricultural jobs, respectively.
Tonga has already lost the chance to take part in the January recruitment for New Zealand’s RSE scheme.
The New Zealand government wanted all RSE workers repatriated before Tonga could be allocated a new share of the 2000 employees who were expected to arrive in New Zealand this month.
Tonga was the only Pacific nation with RSE workers left in New Zealand.
The Trump administration raised the number of guest worker visas to 101,000 last year.
However, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has designated Tonga as “At Risk of Non-Compliance” with American requirements.
This is because of Tonga’s refusal to accept ICE charter flights for the repatriation of its nationals who have been ordered removed from the United States.
Human rights groups and media investigations have found evidence of deportees being shackled for most of the deportation flights, poorly fed and not provided with adequate medical support.
There have also been reports of deportees with Covid-19 being flown by ICE, spreading the virus through detention centres.
The Guardian has reported that despite warnings from activists and medical professionals, ICE has continued flying immigration detainees across the United States and around the world on its network of private planes throughout the pandemic.
“Tonga’s inconsistent co-operation with the United States regarding the return of its nationals and citizens with final orders of removal does not serve the U.S. Interest,” the agency said.
“Therefore, the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, is removing Tonga from the list of H-2A and H-2B eligible countries.”
Statistics show that the United States deported 700 criminals to Tonga between 1992 and January 2016, an average of 29 criminals a year.
In 2018 former Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said about 400 Tongans had been deported from the US, Australia and New Zealand since 2012.
Heavy earth moving equipment that had been impounded for non-payment of freight costs was removed at the request of Prime Minister Dr Pōhiva Tu’onetoa so it could be included in a ‘blessing ceremony’ in the Hahake District, Tongatapu.
As Kaniva News reported earlier, the machinery belongs to New Zealand-based Tongan business man Sione Foaki Fifita, who has strong family connection with Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa.
Last week Fifita said the government had agreed to pay for his shipping costs from the money the government would pay him for the contract it awarded to him to build roads and work on the foreshore and causeway in Ha’apai.
However, the freight charges of $110,025 were not paid and the equipment, which included a Mack Tractor Unit, Komatsu Excavator and a D8R Bulldozer, was held at the wharf.
The New Zealand-based Friend Islands Freight company attempted to seize the machinery for the second time, after the Tonga government failed to pay the freight costs.
Its director Angina Fīnau previously told Kaniva News he was baffled by the government’s failure to keep to its promise which hugely affected his business.
The company’s lawyer, Nalesoni Tupou, told Kele’a Voice this morning Wednesday 13 that arrangements had been made to seize the equipment in Tongatapu, but when company representatives arrived at the holding area, they discovered the heavy machinery had already been shipped to the Ha’apai Islands.
Tupou said it was difficult to maintain and support the equipment in Ha’apai because it lacked proper tools and facility to house it.
Another victim
Tupou claimed the Friendly Islands Freight was not alone as another freight company was chasing another government contractor which shipped its heavy equipment from New Zealand to Tonga using its services.
That company was also awarded one of the contracts to build roads under the Prime Minister’s controversial multi-million road project.
Tupou said it took months for that company to pursue the government contractor before the debts were paid in November last year. Tupou said he would not go into details about that case.
Tupou complained Hon. Tu’i’onetoa did not respond to his repeated attempts to contact him.
Forfeit
He criticised Hon Tu’i’onetoa for allegedly authorising in a letter to the Friendly Islands Freight, the release of the machinery on the condition that the government would pay for it later.
Tupou accused Hon Tu’i’onetoa of showing favouritism in the letter to Finau and asked which law allowed the Prime Minister to authorise the release of the machinery to be displayed in his blessing and prayer service while other people had to pay their freight charges first.
The letter appears to have been signed by Ministry of Customs’ CEO Kelemete Vahe on September 4, 2020.
The text of the letter says:
“Dear Angina,
I am writing to inform your good office that the Prime Minister Dr Pohiva Tu’onetoa requested the immediate release of the above shipment today so that the heavy machinery be included in the blessing ceremony that will be conducted tomorrow at Hahake District. I was also advised that Ministry of Finance is currently processing the payment of the freight cost of the shipping and hopefully it will be ready by early next week.
I fully support the release of the said machinery on the condition that the payment must be made before the closing of the business on Friday 11 Sept 2020.
Failure to honour such payment your good office is hereby urged to forfeit the machinery until the freight charges are fully settled.“
The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance had been contacted for comment.
Was Vuna Fā’otusia betrayed by his close friends from the nobility and Cabinet while being the Deputy Prime Minister?
Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Vuna Fā’otusia. Photo/Kalino Lātū
Was he set up by some of the Cabinet because of his outspoken nature? He was reported in Parliament today to be unwell before he was absent from the Vote of No Confidence ballot.
Did a last minute realisation that no one from the government and the nobility would cross the floor and join him and the PTOA lead him to a situation where he felt so sick this afternoon?
It would have been better if, at the beginning, Hon. Fā’otusia had asked those who, he said, promised to stand with him in an attempt to oust Tu’i’onetoa to resign together with him as proof of their intentions.
As we reported earlier, the Prime Minister survived the Vote of No Confidence after the motion was rejected by 13-9.
When Hon. Fā’otusia was interviewed by Kaniva News in the wake of the vote of no confidence motion he claimed there were members in Cabinet who supported them and would vote for them. He said these Cabinet ministers did not agree with what the Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa and disgraced former Cabinet Minister ‘Etuate Lavulavu have been doing for Tonga.
“I also know that once the members of the nobles in Parliament know that the king is not happy with the government of PM Tu’i’onetoa and Lavulavu, they will vote for us!” he declared.
“I believe that once the vote of no confidence is cast, only Hon. Tu’i’onetoa and Akosita Lavulavu, will be on the other side.”
The comment from Fā’otusia was not new to Kaniva News. We have heard the same optimistic claims before votes of no confidence in the past, but no government has been defeated by a vote of no confidence since legislation to allow them was introduced as part of the 2010 political reforms.
Kaniva News has a role to bring awareness and boost independent and healthy debates in any significant issues including politics.
So following Fā’otusia’s comment we wrote an analysis article under the heading: Analysis: ‘Does appointment of Lord Ma‘afu mean PM has lost trust in his independent Cabinet Ministers?’
In that analysis we said that the PTOA needed to do some very clever horse trading if they wanted to win back some of the independents. One suggested outcome was that the PTOA and Hon. Fā’otusia would have to trade the Premiership and Deputy position to Hon. Tu’i’onetoa’s independents.
If they did that there would have been a high possibility of getting two independents on side. Hon. Tu’i’onetoa would also have tried his best to offer his independents the best deal. However, it appears that Hon. Tu’ionetoa could not step down and allow one of his independents to become Prime Minister, which would have benefitted the PTOA.
We also said that Noble MPs would not cross the floor to side with PTOA.
And we were right. Last week we ran another article under the heading: ‘Horse trading continues as vote of no confidence looms; PM appears confident he will survive.’
In that article we said the PTOA was focusing on only three Independent Cabinet members in particular to join their attempt to oust the Prime Minister. We wrote that after interviewing reliable sources who were very close to the PTOA and nobility. They said the Nobles would not support Fā’otusia and the PTOA. It was clear the PTOA would find it hard to get the numbers.
Some of the reasons why it was hard for any Nobles to cross the floor was because of the PTOA ‘s democratic principles of reforming the political system of Tonga to allow the taxpayers to rule and make decision for their taxes. The king and the nobles do not like democracy because it diminishes their powers and traditional entitlements.
Upset
There was no way the Noble MPs would side with the democrats because it would be a slap in the face for the king, who has the power to appoint his nobles.
Cabinet members have been tied to Hon. Tu’i’onetoa by a legal agreement and manifesto. They felt secure and safe politically in his hands.
Their constituencies benefitted greatly from Tu’i’onetoa’s policy of working with close friends and allies.
On the other hands, the PTOA party has been accused of being disorganised and not legally registered as a legal entity. This will always allow its senior members to control the party and sack MPs who did not agree with them. This has led to disarray in the past.
In the end it was difficult to convince the independents in the Tu’i’onetoa government, who live in the lap of luxury, to join a party which could not guarantee to provide the same benefits.
