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Government signs agreement to purchase 1.5m Covid-19 vaccines, enough for 750k people

This story originally appeared on TVNZ and is republished with permission

The Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million Covid-19 vaccines, enough for 750,000 people, from Pfizer and BioNTech.

1 NEWS
Covid-19 vaccine (file photo). Source: 1 NEWS

The agreement is subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

“Our first vaccine purchase agreement has been signed and it brings to fruition some of the critical work going on behind the scenes to keep New Zealanders safe from Covid-19,” Woods said.

“As part of the agreement, vaccine delivery to New Zealand could be as early as the first quarter of 2021. This is just the first tranche of work in a multi-pronged approach to ensuring we secure vaccines for New Zealanders.

“Provided the vaccine is approved for use here in New Zealand by Medsafe, it is possible that some doses will be available to us in the first part of 2021.”

The Covid-19 Vaccine Strategy Task Force is currently negotiating with other pharmaceutical companies, and further announcements are expected in November, Woods said.

“The agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech is the first of a number of negotiations underway as part of our portfolio approach, and good progress is being made in relation to other purchasing negotiations. The additional agreements will ensure that once the portfolio is completed, we will have sufficient Covid-19 vaccines for the whole population,” Woods said.

“A key aim of our portfolio approach is to ensure we have flexibility and choice when it comes to securing the right vaccines for New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours,” Woods said.

It has yet to be decided who would receive the first available vaccines.

“Work at the Ministry of Health is currently underway to determine what an immunisation programme roll-out might look like. A number of factors will influence who will receive what vaccines and when, such as trial data on the suitability of each vaccine for certain age groups,” Hipkins said.

A fund of $66.3 million has been established to ensure Aotearoa is ready for a Covid-19 immunisation programme as soon as there is a vaccine.

Chasing dream leads to awards of nine students at Tuitui fashion and sewing  

Nine students at the Tuitui Fashion Academy have received their Level One Achievement Certificates after completing six months’ training at the Auckland’s school.

The successful women completed a number of modules, including skills such as Measurement, Academic,  sewing of Women and Men’s wear Normal Dress, Pacific Wear, Off the shoulder, Suit Jacket, Evening Gowns, Shirt and Suit and Russian Collar.

In an award function last Saturday night at Three Kings, the smiling students were seen dancing and holding their certificates during the two-hour event.

“This is my dream while I was young,” Tuitui Folauhola, the Director of the Academy told guests.

“When I saw my mum’s leftover pieces of clothing, I put them into the sewing machine and sewed it.”

Folauhola, from Ha’ateiho and Pea, Tongatapu moved to New Zealand from Tonga in 1988 and worked in a number of sewing factories.   She later enrolled at Sewtec, now known as the New Zealand School of Arts and Fashions in 2011 and successfully completed the requirements for the National Certificate in Clothing Manufacture(Design and Patternmaking)Level 4 and 5.

She saw some Pacific island women could not complete the courses at Sewtec due to a number of reasons and she thought she might able to assist them.  As an island woman she understood their situation in the island ways, she said.

“I thought my experience would really help these women to become successful in a very simple way of teaching,” Folauhola said.

Folauhola has been supervised by Trilise Cooper, a New Zealand fashion designer whose  designs have been featured in magazines such as VogueMarie ClaireWomen’s Wear Daily, In Style and the television series Sex and the City.

The academy was launched in March this year and started with 12 women.

Nine of them received their awards while three were expected to complete their Level One certificates soon.

The academy now has 42 students, all of whom are women.

“I would like to thank all these women who started my academy,” Folauhola said.

“Without you this reef would never have become an island.”

Tongan community leader wants details on how Australian budget will help workers

A Tongan community leader in Australia says the Australian government needs to be clear how new budget measures will help support migrant workers.

Rev. Loni Vaitohi from the Shepparton Uniting Church works closely with Tongan seasonal workers and has welcomed the funding, but has questions about how it will work.

“So it would be good when they say for the welfare of the migrant workers what they think for the physical, spiritual, mental health,” the Tongan-born pastor said.

About Aus$9 million has been allocated over the next three years for the welfare of Pacific seasonal workers, but it is unclear what form that support will take.

“I think the assurance measures should cover pastoral work for migrant workers,” Rev. Vaitohi told the ABC’s Pacific Beat.

Rev. Vaitohi welcomed suggestions that workers employed under the Pacific Labour scheme, like those in his northern Victorian parish,  would have the option to have visas extended for up to 12 months.

He said it would benefit seasonal workers and farmers, many of whom are dealing with a shortage of farm workers.

“Most of the people who have come to this area have been here before so the farmers are happy because they are learning new skills and they don’t want to have to teach them every year,” he said.

Many Tongan workers have been stranded in Australia because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

However, the government has relaxed restrictions that have allowed them to find new jobs with different farms and employers.

Latest episode in Lord Nuku case raises issues that must be acknowledged and resolved

Kaniva Commentary

Yesterday’s report on the Land Court ruling against Lord Nuku has led to calls from Democrats  for the Noble to stand down as Police Minister.

Democrat supporters also said it raised serious questions about trust in the government.

It has also revived questions dating to 2017 about the fairness of the Constitution to all Tongan MPs and political candidates.

As Kaniva News reported yesterday Lord Chief Justice Whitten said in his summary of a Land Court decision that Lord Nuku had refused to co-operate with the court, tried to cover up his real financial position and tried to avoid responsibility for millions of pa’anga worth of debt.

Judge Whitten made the comments in his summary of a hearing of an application to have an earlier judgement against Lord Nuku enforced.

The court heard that Lord Nuku owed just over TP$4 million.

In 2017 Judge Scott ordered Lord Nuku, Yanjian Group Co and Yanjian Tonga Limited to pay Lord Luani TP$5,556,000.

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The amount was later reduced to TP$3,380,335 with costs and interest at the rate of 10% per annum from that date until satisfied.

In his summary of the proceedings, Lord Chief Justice Whitten said that Lord Nuku had failed to provide any documents supporting his claims about his financial status.

“I conclude that it is more likely than not that Lord Nuku has or has had other significant sources of income which he has not disclosed or not fully disclosed in this proceeding,” the judge said.

“In that regard, I note that the entries in the one bank statement produced bear no resemblance to the levels of financial transactions about which Lord Nuku gave evidence.

“That observation alone reinforces the view that it is more likely than not that he holds, or has held, personally or beneficially, other accounts or has otherwise dealt in substantial cash amounts which have not been disclosed in this proceeding.

“For those reasons, I am of the view that upon analysis of the available evidence, it is reasonable to infer that Lord Nuku’s actual income is very likely to be substantially greater than just his Parliamentary salary, and housing and nobles allowances.”

Trust

Commenting on the Global Democracy Movement Facebook page, Democrat supporters claimed the Prime Minister needed to understand that the situation had caused the public to lose hope and trust in him.

They said the situation has caused the public to mock the government and fear there was growing complacency about law and order.

They said that as a Minister Lord Nuku should lead by example and present a good image of the country. The Police Ministry was one of the most important portfolios and its leaders should have clean records.

Online discussions have encompassed comparisons with the dismissal of MP ‘Akosita Lavulavu by the late Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva after the then Minister of Internal Affairs was charged for obtaining by false pretenses and three counts of knowingly dealing with forged documents. Lavulavu who is still awaiting court hearings, is the current Minister of Tourism and Infrastructure. 

Debaters also discussed the case of former Prime Minister and Speaker Lord Tu’ivakanō who received a suspended sentence and a fine for passport, perjury and firearm offences. After his sentencing he still held his seat in Parliament.

They also discussed the charges laid in 2010 against Lord Tu’ilakepa, the then Speaker of Parliament, after Australian police alleged that he was conspiring with the South American drug lord, Obeil Antonio Zuluaga Gomez, to ship cocaine to Tonga to sell in markets in Australia and China. Prosecutors in Tonga later withdrew the charges against  Lord Tu’ilakepa due to the complexity of the case. Lord Tu’ilakepa is now the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 

Constitution

The Land Court ruling once again raises constitutional and legal issues.

In his comments on the Land Court judgement, Lord Chief Justice Whitten  said the next general election was due in November 2021. Clause 65 of the Constitution provided that any person qualified to stand for Parliament could nominate as a candidate and be elected, unless an order had been made against them  in any court in the Kingdom for the payment of a specific sum of money and the whole or any part of the money owed remained outstanding on the day they submitted their nomination paper.

“Accordingly, if by the time of nominations for the next general election, Lord Nuku has not paid or otherwise secured a release of the judgment debt, it is unlikely he will be eligible to stand for re-election,”  the judge said.

As we reported in May 2017, Lord Nuku’s original conviction led to speculation that he would lose his title.

Under Clause 23 of the constitution, no civil servant or Member of Parliament convicted of a criminal offence can hold office under the government or be qualified to vote for nor to be elected a representative of the Legislative Assembly, unless he has received from the King a pardon, together with a declaration that he is free from the provisions of this clause.

The Land Act section 37 also states that if a noble has been convicted in the Supreme Court, he can be stripped of his title along with his estate.

However, Acting Attorney General ‘Aminiasi Kefu said at the time that Clause 23 of the constitution and Section 37 of the Land Acts only applied if the Noble was convicted in the Supreme Court of criminal offences that entailed a jail sentence of two years or more.

The Acting Attorney General said Lord Nuku was not convicted in the Supreme Court of criminal offence. He was convicted and sentence in a civil court case and so he would retain his title and estate.

In November 27 the Acting attorney General said Lord Nuku’s debts would not affect his election to Parliament unless the constitution was changed,

He said Clause 65 of the Tongan Constitution stipulated that a candidate for Parliamentary elections had to get a written clearance from the Supreme Court and Magistrates Court showing they had no record of outstanding order before they could register to become a candidate.

Hon. Kefu said that clause did not apply to the Noble’s Members of Parliament.

“The prohibition was only intended for the people’s Parliamentary representatives,” Kefu told Kaniva News.

The Acting Attorney General said the prohibition counted from the day the candidates submitted their “letter” to register as candidates.

“There is no such “letter” to be handed in by the nobility,” he said.

It is unlikely that the dispute between Lord Nuku and Lord Luani has seen its last day in court.

While the eventual financial outcome will be a matter for the courts, the issues it has raised are political and constitutional. The government, of course, cannot interfere in the courts, but it must at least acknowledge that there is concern, in some sectors at any rate, about the propriety of Lord Nuku’s Parliamentary position.

More importantly, the case continues to raise questions about whether or not the rules regarding eligibility to stand for Parliament are applied equally to Nobles and commoners. There is also the matter of why a difference is made between a criminal and a civil  judgement, especially one in which such enormous amounts of money are involved. These are matters that must be resolved.

Truck submerged in Neiafu after boating mishap at Puatalefusi water

A pick up truck in Neiafu was found completely submerged in water at about 4pm this afternoon.

Neiafu Town Officer Vāvā Lapota said the truck was expected to tow a boat at a launching ramp near Puatalefusi wharf before the incident occured.

It was unclear whether the truck was dragged into the water by the boat or it slid before it plunged into the sea.

Lapota said it was raining and the ramp was slippery.

The boat ramp was notoriously known for its slipperiness and there were boating mishaps there before in which vehicles had been accidentally dragged into the sea, he said.

Photos of the submerged pickup truck and the boat have been shared on social media.

No reports of injuries.

The incident comes after a truck smashed into the MV  Taka’ipōmana vessel  while it was about to depart for Tongatapu last month.

In August a road roller overturned and fell into the sea at Vaipua bridge in Neiafu.

Judge declares Police Minister Lord Nuku’s evidence unreliable; tried to hide his real financial status  in dispute over TP$4 million debt

Tonga’s Minister of Police Lord Nuku refused to co-operate with the Land Court, tried to cover up his real financial position and tried to avoid responsibility for millions of pa’anga worth of debt, the Land Court has been told.

Lord Chief Justice Whitten made the comments in his summary of a hearing of an application to have an earlier judgement against Lord Nuku enforced.

The court heard that Lord Nuku owed just over TP$4 million and had earlier been the subject of a foreclosure order  by the BSP bank over a debt of nearly TP$500,000.

The judgement in the Land Court was the latest stage of a long running dispute involving Lord Nuku, a Chinese company and Lord Luani.

On 5 May 2017 Scott J gave judgment in favour of Lord Luani against Lord Nuku, Yanjian Group Co and Yanjian Tonga Limited, jointly and severally, for damages for trespass to land in the sum of TP$5,556,000.

On September 6, 2017 the Court of Appeal upheld the appeal by and set aside the judgment against Yanjian Tonga Ltd.

The Court also allowed the appeal by Lord Nuku and Yanjian Group Co, in part, by reducing the damages award to TP$3,380,335 with costs and interest at the rate of 10% per annum from that date until satisfied.

Yanjian Group Co has since been wound up.

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Enforced

Earlier this year Lord Luani applied for the judgement to be enforced by an attachment of Lord Nuku’s salary as an MP.

Because the ruling appeared to be the first of its kind in the kingdom, Lord Chief Justice Whitten had taken guidance from the current UK rules of civil procedure.

In April 2020, Lord Nuku submitted information to the court on his financial status. Included was a letter from the BSP Bank stating that it had foreclosed on a loan and demanded repayment of TP$484,871.16 with interest.

Lord Nuku offered to pay TP$576 per week towards the judgement made against him, which would total  TP$30,000 per annum. He noted that Lord Luani was in the process of enforcing the judgment debt against Yianjian Group Co which he described as “a substantial Chinese company who made money out of the quarry.”

Deputy CEO of the Treasury Division of the Ministry of Finance and Revenue Makeleta Siliva, provided a letter to the court dated May 8, 2020. In it, she confirmed that Lord Nuku’s salary entitlements had been withheld since May 5, 2019.

Lord Nuku said he could not confirm claims that he had been paid TP$1.6 milion by Yanjian because it was the subject of disputes being resolved by the courts.

Failed

Lord Chief Justice Whitten said  Lord Nuku had failed to provide any documents supporting his claims about his financial status.

“In those circumstances, it is fair and reasonable to attach Lord Nuku’s full Parliamentary net salary leaving him his housing and noble’s allowances to live on,” the judge said.

“The whole of the withheld salary and allowances since May 2019, which as at 3 May 2020 stood at $48,727, should be paid to Lord Luani.

The judge said that when the size of a debt was so large in comparison to a debtor’s earnings, that there was no realistic prospect of the debt being satisfied or even significantly reduced within a reasonable period the most likely avenue available to judgment creditors was bankruptcy proceedings. However, it had been discovered that Tonga no longer had bankruptcy laws.

Lord Nuku currently owed just over TP$4 million, with interest running at TP$300,000 a year. His salary was insufficient to  meet this debt. In any case, any order made against his Parliamentary salary would operate only so long as Lord Nuku remains a member of Parliament.

The next general election was scheduled to take place in November 2021, but Clause 65 of the Constitution said nobody could stand for election if an order had been made against them and the moneys owed had not been repaid on the day they nominated.

“Accordingly, if by the time of nominations for the next general election, Lord Nuku has not paid or otherwise secured a release of the judgment debt, it is unlikely he will be eligible to stand for re-election. In that event, any order made on this application will cease to operate,” Lord Chief Justice Whitten said.

Lord Nuku had been offered the opportunity to present before the Court all relevant financial information to enable the court to determine what amount should be attached from his earnings.

Deficient

“Unfortunately, and for the reasons which follow, I am compelled to the view that the evidence presented by Lord Nuku was unsatisfactory and that he failed to engage bona fide in the process,” the judge said.

“Lord Nuku’s  evidence was substantially deficient and incomplete.

“The lack of detail, transparency, consistency and documentary support for Lord Nuku’s evidence leads to the conclusion that rather than co-operate, he sought to obfuscate it in order to avoid responsibility for payment of the judgment debt.

“I am therefore not satisfied that his evidence as to his expenses and, from that, what must be his other sources of income, was credible or reliable.

“It is more likely than not that Lord Nuku has other significant sources of income which he has not disclosed.

“I order that half of his net salary, being $1060 per fortnight (or $27,560 per annum), be attached and paid to the judgment creditor as some amount towards reducing the growing judgment debt.

“Had the application originally been made for an order for attachment of earnings, rather than an application for an order in respect of salary, any amounts ordered to be attached would have commenced to be paid from that date.”

Difficult for staff to turn off power supply says TPL as staff behind petition sent home

Tonga Power Ltd said today it would be very difficult for TPL staff to turn off the kingdom’s power supply.

The comments came after a group of staff threatened to shut down the country’s electricity in a letter listing five grievances against alleged decisions of the TPL Board of Directors.

TPL has sent four staff behind the petition home and issued a statement saying the country’s power supply was safe.

Chairman of the Board  of Tonga Power Dr. ‘Aisake Eke said the petition was sent to the Prime Minister.

The petition has not been publicly released.

The Board of Directors said it did not have any issue with the petition, but was concerned by a threat to turn off the power and to call a strike on October 2.

The strike did not go ahead.

The Board said it would address the staff grievance.

Some of the staff directly involved had been asked to take time off from work whilst investigations were conducted.

Acting CEO Nikolasi Fonua said he could not comment on the details of the petition until their investigation was completed.

The main points

  • Tonga Powers Ltd said today it would be very difficult for TPL staff to turn off the kingdom’s power supply.
  • The comments came after a group of staff threatened to shut down the country’s electricity in a letter complaining about the TPL’s board of directors.

Ready to rumble: Details revealed for December fight between Joseph Parker and Junior Fa

This story originally appeared on TVNZ and is republished with permission

Details for the all-Kiwi heavyweight showdown between boxing rivals Joseph Parker and Junior Fa have been revealed this morning.

After 1 NEWS revealed the two fighters’ camps finally agreed to terms last night, both parties came together this morning to reveal the heavyweight bout will take place at Auckland’s Spark Arena on December 11.

Parker’s promoters David Higgins and Eddie Hearn said getting the fight over the line is “huge” for New Zealand.

“With both boxers inside the WBO top 10 world rankings and in their prime, this is undeniably New Zealand’s fight of the century,” Higgins said.

“This is going to be a war,” Hearn added.

“There’s plenty of needle with the amateur rivalry and there’s national pride at stake. A win over Fa will catapult Joe back into world title contention.”

The fight will also be broadcast by Spark Sport for New Zealand audiences, ending a long run of Parker bouts being televised by SKY Sport Arena.

Adding to the occasion is the fact a full crowd will be able to attend the event, given New Zealand and specifically Auckland remains at Alert Level 1 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As amateurs, Fa and Parker split two wins each when they faced off in the ring with Fa taking the first and last of the four encounters.

1 NEWS
Source: 1 NEWS

Since both have turned professional though, their paths have been remarkably different with Parker going on to claim and then eventually lose the WBO world heavyweight title while Fa has gone undefeated but also dealt with health issues.

Parker was last in the ring in February when he claimed a TKO victory over American Shawndell Winters in the fifth round; a win that moved him to 27-2 in his professional career.

Fa – the WBO oriental interim heavyweight title holder for the last two years – hasn’t fought since last November when he took down Devin Vargas with a unanimous decision after 10 rounds, taking his record to 19-0.

Parker is currently ranked third in the WBO’s heavyweight rankings while Fa sits three places back in sixth.

Decline in customers “coming into our Vava‘u branch” forces closure, ANZ Boss says

ANZ has made a decision to close its Vava’u Branch on 25 November 2020 after careful consideration, said ANZ Tonga branch boss, David Dudley.

“We will continue to operate our main branch at Nuku’alofa,” he told Kaniva News in a statement.

ANZ customers can go to ANZ Nuku’alofa branch for over the counter transactions.

Customers can also use its ANZ Pacific App, Internet Banking, the ANZ Call Centre, and its bank mail secure messaging service, which means they have banking solutions available to them 24 hours a day.

“ANZ has observed an incredible change in their business with customers managing their day-to-day banking via internet banking and the ANZ Pacific mobile app. Equally, businesses are accepting more electronic payments from their customers.

“Here in Tonga, we’ve seen a significant increase in our Tongan retail customers using our Internet Banking and the ANZ Pacific App to do their banking in the last year alone.

“Ultimately, this change of behaviour has led to a decline in the number of customers coming into our Vava’u branch, which led us to review its future. In fact, over the counter transactions at our Vava’u branch have reduced by 26% in the 15 months ended May 2020.”

This trend is being experienced by banks throughout the world, and is not forecast to change as online banking becomes easier and more accessible.

“Like a lot of businesses, we’re using technology now to help our customers interact with us when, where and how they want to. Having a shop front isn’t indicative of accessibility but good customer service is.

“We’ll still be supporting the community by helping locals with their banking needs, to grow their businesses and build their futures.

“All ANZ Vava’u staff have been offered a position and relocation to our main ANZ branch in Nuku’alofa. We will continue to work through options with our staff over the coming weeks.

“Over the coming weeks, ANZ staff will be available to talk to our Vava’u customers and help them get started on our digital channels.

“ANZ has also waived the fees for all our Vava’u customers on our new Visa Debit cards, so ANZ Vava’u customers can use any bank ATM or POS terminal as well as order and pay for goods online.

“Our customers can call us on 20500 or go into the Vava’u branch between 9.00am and 4.00pm weekdays before the 25th November, 2020 to get set up.”

For media enquiries contact:

Julia de Blaauw + 64 226539938

Canadian report heaps praise on  breadfruit and shows where Tongan agriculture can find new markets to help economy after Covid-19

Kaniva commentary October 3, 2020

Tongan breadfruit growers got a boost this week with a glowing report from Canada on the benefits of breadfruit.

The report could be good news as the kingdom’s breadfruit growers look for new markets to help restore Tonga’s economy when the pandemic ends.

Canadian researcher Professor Susan Murch has praised breadfruit for its nutritional qualities and potential for providing a wide range of benefits to consumers.

Professor Murch, from the University of British Columbia, is interested in finding alternative crops that can provide sustainable food sources.

A team from the university, which has completed an extensive study of 94 different types of breadfruit, has found it contains high levels of protein and amino acids, vitamin A and B vitamins, as well as iron.

It also found that some varieties have 60 per cent starch which is digested more slowly than wheat starch, providing health benefits for people with diabetes.

Professor Murch said the fruit was often described as the ‘Potato of the Pacific’ because of the many ways it can be cooked.

It could be ground to make gluten free flour and can also be a source of insect repellent, latex and fibres for making clothes.

The Canadian report could help Tonga find new markets which can be fully exploited once opportunities for trade returns to normal.

Problems

The Tongan breadfruit industry is small and has suffered over the years from a range of problems.

It has been estimated that up to 70% of the kingdom’s breadfruit crop was going to waste.

This could be attributed to lack of export markets, but also because, as we reported yesterday, some people see it only as food of last resort.

In 2015 New Zealand suspended breadfruit imports from the kingdom after fruit fly eggs were found.

Other countries have also imposed import restrictions.

This year it was badly affected by Cyclone Harold in April and then from the closure of borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Develop

Despite these issues, Tonga’s breadfruit growers have actively worked to develop the industry. In 2016 Tonga hosted members of a regional farmers network for the first Pacific Breadfruit Roundtable.

The following year Japan committed $3 million to a five year project to help develop its breadfruit industry, working in partnership with the Tongan government and Nishi Trading.

Another boost came last year when the Australian Department of Agriculture released a report on biosecurity requirements for importing fresh breadfruit from Tonga, Samoa and Fiji.

This final report recommends that fresh breadfruit  could  be imported to Australia as long as it met biosecurity requirements.

Fruit flies and mealybugs have been identified as the main problems.

These measures are high temperature forced air treatment, or gamma irradiation treatment for fruit flies and visual inspection and treatment of crops before export.

In 2019 vegetables made up 34% of Tonga’s exports, worth US$5.4 million.

When the pandemic recedes Tonga’s exports will need to be rebuilt.

This week’s report shows just how much contribution the breadfruit industry could make.