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Minister warns Speaker of economic harm dissolution of Parliament could bring

By
Kalino Latu
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The Minister of Finance has warned Speaker Lord Fakafanua about the financial harm a dissolution of Parliament could bring.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa made his comment in the House on Monday as part of his statements after his national budget of TP$599.27 million for 2019/20 was tabled on June 10.

The government funded 51 percent or $305 million of the budget while 46 percent was financed by foreign donors. The remaining balance was funded from the sales of government bonds. 

Dr Tu’i’onetoa’s warning was a reminder that the former Speaker, the king’s noble Lord Tu’ivakanō advised the king in 2017 to dissolve parliament because he believed the Pōhiva government was attempting to remove some of the king’s powers. 

Lord Nuku attempted in the House to defend the nobility by saying it was the king’s prerogative to dissolve Parliament. 

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa warned that the 2017 dissolution of parliament by the king had paralysed funding from Tonga’s foreign donors.

He said the government struggled to make ends meet  in its 2018/19 budget.

He said the government finally managed to negotiate with these countries and funding was released after they decided to ease their normal funding release procedures.

The Minister was talking about the Budget Support amounting to $35 million (US$16 million) which came from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the European Union and the Australian Government.

The release of the money forced the government and Parliament to change Tonga’s Foreign Investment Act in February.

The funding helped pay the government’s major expenses, including civil servants, medicines for hospitals and contributions to non-government schools.

The Minister said the government normally paid these expenses from various government allocations and would pay them off when the funding from overseas was paid to the government.

The foreign donations were normally paid between January and June every year, the Minster said.    

The king dissolved Parliament in August 2017 and the government was in caretaker mode until January 2018 when Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva was re-appointed.

Read more

Pōhiva calls Lord Tu‘ivakanō’s advice for king to dissolve House worthless
PM in fix over portfolio, but euphoric over voters’ ‘huge support’ after dissolution
Speaker Lord Tuʻivakanō finally speaks out after king dissolved Parliament
As Parliament opens, King declares wish for close working relationship with MPs

Five year prison sentence for man fatally stabbed another man to protect girlfriend

By
Kalino Latu
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‘Emilio To’a, 22, was sentenced for five years and six months after he pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa to his charge of manslaughter after the stabbing death of 24-year-old Siaosi Tupa.

The sentence is backdated to 14 December 2018 to take account of time To’a already served in prison.

Chief Justice Owen Paulsen has suspended the final two years of his sentence on the following conditions:

Mr To’a is not to commit any offences punishable by imprisonment during the period of his suspension;

He is placed on probation for the period of his suspension to live where directed by his Probation Officer;

He is not to use alcohol or drugs during the period of his suspension.

“Mr. To’a is warned that should be failed to comply with any of these conditions during his suspension he may be required to serve out the balance of his sentence.”

The court heard that on the morning of 4 March 2018 To’a, Tupu, ‘Ana Tonga – Tupa’s girlfriend and others were at a house party at Fangaloto.

At one stage Tupa and Tonga got into an argument. The prisoner intervened to protect Tonga. Tonga, during Tupa’s intervention, escaped out a back door, climbed over the fence and went to her cousin’s house.

Tupa and To’a argued and Tupa wanted to fight. Tupa grabbed a piece of timber.  To’a took two knives from the kitchen hoping to scare-off Tupa.

Each told the other to put down their weapons. Tupa did put down the timber, but To’a threw down only one knife.

The two men fought and were initially trading blows. To’a punched in a right hand overarm style and the knife he was holding wounded Tupa. To’a then tackled Tupa to the ground and was on top of him and inflicted further stab wounds.

The fight ended when another man Paula Tonga pulled To’a off Tupa.

Tupa ran off and as Paula led To’a home, they passed Tupa lying on the ground. There were some women already there but To’a did not render any assistance.

Tupa had five significant stab wounds but that three of his wounds were of particular significance, according to medical evidence.

He had deep wounds to his left shoulder, his sternum and to the left side of his back. Of these, the last two penetrated the lungs causing excessive blood loss and death. Either wound would have resulted in Tupa’s death, court said.

The court also heard To’a had a good upbringing, did well at school and has no previous convictions.

He was presently enrolled at a theological college and he was deeply remorseful for what has occurred. He has made an apology to Tupa’s family in the traditional manner and was accepted.

Mum sentenced for leaving baby screaming in hot car while playing pokie in pub

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Mike Mather, stuff.co.nz

While Kalota Palu played and won on the poker machines in a Hamilton pub, her baby suffered in a hot car outside.

The Ōtorohanga woman was sentenced to four months of community detention when she appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Friday, on a charge of failing to take reasonable steps to protect a child.

It was a charge that came with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Palu was also sentenced to undertake 100 hours of community work and 12 months of supervision by Judge Philip Connell.

But along with the punishments, the judge also dished out some praise for the 23-year-old, who had voluntarily taken and completed a course to help her combat her addiction to gambling, run by the Salvation Army. 

She has also made a start on a parenting course run by the same organisation.

As her lawyer Shaam Bhardwaj told the court, she had done this while occasionally enduring derision from people who knew who she was and what had happened. 

It was on Thursday, November 15, when Palu left a two-month-old baby in a car for more than an hour while she played on the poker machines in the Yard House Bar in Nawton, Hamilton.

At the time she was deeply in debt and the pokies provided hope of a solution to that dilemma.

She had gone into the bar at 2.55pm. Her baby was fast asleep in the car and she left the doors locked and the windows down – but only marginally.

It was 22 degrees outside and the car quickly began to warm up.

She had gone back to check on her child once, but returned to the machines.

As she played, she lost track of time.

At 4.12pm someone pulled up in their vehicle next to where Palu’s was parked and immediately noticed the baby screaming inside.

With the help of others, they managed to break into the vehicle and rescue the infant, who was suffering from dehydration and in extreme distress.

The child was rushed to a nearby medical centre for treatment.

Since that fateful day Oranga Tamariki had become involved in the care of her offspring.

Judge Connell said it was apparent from her first appearance in court that Palu was extremely remorseful for her lapse in care.

“It’s been a sad period of time for you. I don’t think you deliberately neglected this child. You simply got carried away with your addiction.

“You have been living with a sense of grief over what you have done. You have endured some public derision and people abusing you for what you have done.”

Taking steps to combat her problems and avoid a repeat of that situation was laudable, the judge said.

“I admire you for that.”

Bhardwaj said Palu was employed full time, and community detention would allow her to continue bringing an income into her household.

She is described on court documents as a process worker.

She had plead guilty at the earliest opportunity and had attended a restorative justice meeting with family members.

Her “dereliction of duty” was accepted said Bhardwaj, although he had found documentation that showed the temperature in Hamilton on that day was 19 degrees and not 22, as stated on the police summary.

“It has been a learning curve for her. She knows she has been lucky to avoid prison.”

Staff who spoke to Stuff at the time of the incident said they believed Palu had won $500 on the pokies at the time of the incident, which she had cashed in.

Stuff

In historic shift, Vatican to consider married priests for Amazon region

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Reuter Agency, Rome

 A Vatican document on Monday said the Church should consider ordaining older married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, a historic shift which some say could pave the way for their use in other areas where clergy are scarce.

The recommendation, contained in a working document prepared by the Vatican for a synod of bishops from the Amazon scheduled for October, also called for some kind of “official ministry” for women in the area, although it did not elaborate.

It was the most direct mention ever in a Vatican document of the possibility of a married priesthood, albeit limited, and a greater ministerial role for women in one area of the world.

The document spoke of the possibility of ordaining what are known as “viri probati” – Latin for men of proven character – to deal with the shortage of priests. Such men would be elderly, outstanding members of the local Catholic community and with grown-up families.

“While affirming that celibacy is a gift for the Church, there have been requests that, for the most remote areas of the region, (the Church) studies the possibility of conferring priestly ordination on elderly men, preferably indigenous, respected and accepted members of their communities,” the document said.

It said such men could be ordained “even if they already have an established and stable family, in order to guarantee the sacraments that accompany and sustain Christian life.”

Pope Francis at one of his weekly general audiences in St Peter's Square
Pope Francis at one of his weekly general audiences in St Peter’s Square CREDIT: BARCROFT IMAGES

Only priests can say Mass or hear confessions, meaning that Catholics in isolated communities in the Amazon can go for many months without participating in either of the sacraments.

Some Catholic scholars have said the approval of “viri probati” in the Amazon may eventually pave the way for their use elsewhere in the world as a response to the shortage of priests.

Pope Francis, in an interview with a German newspaper in 2017, said he was willing to consider ordaining “viri probati” men as priests in isolated communities.

But he ruled out a general opening the priesthood to all married men or watering down the Catholic Church’s commitment to celibacy, seen as a virtue that frees priests to devote their lives fully to serve God.

The synod on Oct 6-27 at the Vatican will include bishops and other representatives, including indigenous peoples, from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana.

At the end of their conference, participants will vote on various articles in a final document, which will then go to the pope, who will decide whether to make it an official Apostolic Exhortation based on the synod meetings.

The document also issues a strong defence for the protection of the environment in the Amazon, deforestation, illegal mining and development projects that threaten native cultures and the delicate ecosystem vital for the planet.

University of Otago exhibition teaches Tongan children about threat of climate change

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Tongan school children have been visiting a hands-on exhibition on climate change organised by the University of Otago.

About 1000 children and member of the public attended the 10 day even, ‘Far From Frozen.’

While most invitation to attend the exhibition went to schools in Nuku’alofa, students from Fo’ui Primary School in Hihifo were able to attend after Lord Vaha’i paid for a bus to bring them to the exhibition.

Hoi Primary school in Hahake also came to the event.

The exhibition was organised jointly by Otago University, Otago Museum and Tonga’s Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC).

MEIDECC Minister Poai Tei aid climate change was Tonga’s biggest threat and the exhibition would help student learn more about the issue.

Museum visitor experience and science engagement director Dr Craig Grant said pupils were  “picking up the message about how important Antarctica is in driving ocean currents and climate patterns in the South Pacific.”

Dr Grant told the Otago Daily News the exhibit was intended “to get the kids to realise the climate change is real and imminent” and required “action today, not tomorrow.”

Students responded positively to the exhibit.

“They’ve talked about it in class, the greenhouse gases and stuff, but like all the activities here are making me understand it more,” one student told the Tongan Broadcasting Commission.

Staff from the university who accompanied the exhibit included Dr Losa Moata’ane, Dr Mele Taumoepeau and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Science Professor Richard Baker.

The main points

  • Tongan school children have been visiting a hands-on exhibition on climate change organised by the University of Otago.
  • About 1000 children and member of the public attended the 10 day even, ‘Far From Frozen.’

Auckland measles cases rise to 115

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Radio New Zealand

The number of measles cases in Auckland has risen by seven since Friday, and now stands at 115.

The increase was confirmed by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service this morning.

The city is experiencing an outbreak of the highly contagious and potentially life threatening viral illness.

The worst affected area has been west Auckland, but the Public Health Service says a growing number of cases are in South Auckland.

Measles is highly contagious and infects about 90 percent of people who come into contact with it who are not immune. It can live in the air for hours after a person has been coughing and sneezing in the area.

People who think they might have measles are advised not to visit their doctor but instead call their GP to avoid spreading the illness.

Early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and watery ‘pink’ eyes, and sometimes small white spots on the back inner cheek. Measles can lead to complications including pneumonia and, in rarer cases, brain swelling or death.

The disease has been on the rise across the world in recent years, with cases tripling worldwide.

Proponents of anti-vaccination have often been blamed for widespread lack of immunity, but researchers say an ‘immunity gap’ affecting an entire generation is more to blame.

ANZ boss departs after expenses investigation

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Radio New Zealand

The head of ANZ bank’s local operation has left under a cloud after an investigation into his expenses.

ANZ CEO David Hisco.
David Hisco. Photo: Photosport

Last month the bank said David Hisco was taking extended leave for health reasons, but has now revealed that the board was also concerned about certain transactions after reviewing Mr Hisco’s personal expenses.

In dispute were Mr Hisco’s charging for chauffeur driven cars, and wine storage without authorisation, which were worth tens-of-thousands of dollars.

ANZ New Zealand chairman Sir John Key would not say if the chief executive had been forced to go, but said Mr Hisco did not accept all of the bank’s concerns.

“I think the way to characterise it is that we parted company… and it was mutual,” he told a news conference

“From the moment we had this discussion with him, David was very firm of the view that we should probably part company and I think that was the view the board had over time.”

But he said Mr Hisco was accountable like any other ANZ staff member, regardless of seniority or rank.

“We have to apply the same standards to a freshly-minted teller to the CEO. David will say he failed those standards,” Sir John said.

He said Mr Hisco would receive his contractual and statutory entitlements and untaken leave, but will forfeit unused options to buy shares in ANZ , worth about $6.4m.

Mr Hisco was paid about $3.8m a year.

ANZ New Zealand chair Sir John Key. The head of ANZ bank's local operation David Hisco, has left after an investigation into his expenses.
ANZ NZ chairman Sir John Key Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

Sir John said ANZ had not called in outside authorities over the matter, and would not seek repayment.

The disputed expenses came to light during a broader review of senior executives’ expenses. At issue was not necessarily the spending but the way it had been accounted for.

“He believed that he had authority for this. He had an explanation for why it was recorded in the way it was,” Sir John said.

Mr Hisco has been chief executive of the New Zealand operations of ANZ since 2010 and was with the ANZ group for more than 30 years. The disputed claims stretched back over a nine-year period.

Sir John said the Reserve Bank’s recent censuring of ANZ for not holding enough capital reserves and using a wrong process to calculate its liability, had nothing to do with Mr Hisco’s departure.

The New Zealand business will be headed in the interim by senior executive Antonia Watson while a permanent replacement is sought.

“It’s a day of shock and disappointment for more than 7000 staff at ANZ New Zealand.

“Today many of us feel let down,” she said.

Ms Watson said Mr Hisco had been well liked by staff and had been at the forefront of bringing diversity to the bank’s operation.

Tribunal rejects humanitarian appeal, orders family of five to be deported to Tonga

By
Philip Cass
-

The New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal has ordered a Tongan family to be deported.

The family had appealed on humanitarian grounds to be allowed to stay.

The family consisted of a husband, 40 and a wife 38 and their four children, who were born in New Zealand.

The parents arrived in New Zealand in September 2005 and married  in   Auckland in November that year.  When their  final visitor visas expired in June 2006, they remained here unlawfully.

In  October  2016,  Immigration  New  Zealand  refused  to  grant the appellants and their children visitor visas.

In October 2018 the  parents and their children were granted one-day visitor visas to enable them  to lodge humanitarian appeals.

The Tribunal was told the family lived with and cared for the wife’s  recently widowed  mother who is Ill. The wife’s parents became New Zealand residents in 2005.

All five children were born in New Zealand. The three eldest are well-settled in school.

The family’ relative in Tonga live in overcrowded conditions with the husband’s two brothers and their 10 children sharing the family home. Their plantation suffered damage in Cyclone Gita.

The Tribunal was told it would be extremely difficult for the appellants to restart their lives in Tonga and adequately support their children.

In reaching it decision, the Tribunal said that returning to Tonga would involve a period of hardship as the family re-established itself.  However, both parent came from families based on Tongatapu and still had many extended family members there.

The husband would need to find employment and the family may have to live in crowded conditions for a time until he did so and resolve the family’s long-term housing needs. The family’s living arrangements and overall circumstances would not be exceptional in a Tongan context.

Staying in New Zealand would avoid the disruption to the children that returning to Tonga would entail and would maintain their present standard of living. It would therefore be in their best interests, generally, to stay in New Zealand.

However, none  of the children had any health or other vulnerabilities. Any hardship they may experience on initial arrival in Tonga, most particularly because of overcrowding in the husband’s family home, would not necessarily be permanent.

The Tribunal ordered that the deportation of the wife and children be delayed for four months to allow the husband to return before the rest of the family to seek work and explore how best to accommodate the family.

The main points

  • The New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal has ordered a Tongan family to be deported.
  • The family had appealed on humanitarian grounds to be allowed to stay.

Trainer says his story twisted; TBA denies politics involved in decision to drop boxing winners for Pacific Games

By
Kalino Latu
-

A New Zealand-based boxing trainer claims a visit to Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva was the reason behind the Tonga Boxing Association not listing champion boxers Sione Mōleni and New Zealand’s Melbourne Expo International gold medalist Magan Maka for the South Pacific Games in Samoa.

A bitter feud between New Zealand-based Tongan trainer Fili Maka and TBA Secretary General Mataele Fūnaki erupted after a national boxing tournament in Tonga in March.

Maka accused TBA of twisting his story and failing to respond to an e-mail he sent in response to allegations he said had been made against him.

He claimed the tournament was illegal because it did not follow the medical procedures for boxers and none of boxers from Australia and US had boxing registration books.

Part of the e-mail by Maka to TBA on May 10 which was seen by Kaniva news quotes Fūnaki as saying in Tongan:

“Ko e ha na’a mou oo ai ‘o sio ki he Palemia.”

This translates into English as: “Why did you go and see the Prime Minister?”

When asked whether this was the reason for dropping Mōleni, Magan and two others from New Zealand from the South Pacific Games 2019 boxing list, Fūnaki did not deny it.

However, he said: “Politics is not Tonga Amateur Boxing Association’s prerogative. We stay away from politics and continue to rely on consistent training, honesty and faith in one another.”

TBA demands apologies

Fūnaki accused Maka of causing chaos, not respecting the TBA and the tournament and walking out during the Tonga National Boxing tournament which ran on March 21 – 23. 

Fūnaki told Kaniva news Maka did not attend any of the weigh-in at TASANOC with the team.

He claimed Maka refused to attend the last day of the tournament.

“Instead he provoked an argument with TBA CEO/ Secretary at ‘Atele Indoor Stadium with abusive behaviour in front of mothers with young children,” Fūnaki claimed.

“Maka walked out with his team and made it very public through the media.

“The team boxing Blue Books were given back at their request.”

He said that by withdrawing without a reasonable excuse the New Zealand-based team did not fulfill its obligation.

Tonga Boxing Association demanded that Maka as representative of Wellsford Boxing, Auckland Boxing and New Zealand Boxing formally write them and Tonga Boxing Association a letter of apology.

It also demanded that confirmation of four qualifiers from Maka’s team to represent Tonga has to be made to TBA by May 20.

The qualifiers were Tu’i Vea 59kgs, Fine Tu’ipulotu 64kgs, Sione Mōleni 69kgs and Magan Maka 75 kgs.

Magan, a six-time New Zealand champion and first female to represent New Zealand at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has represented Tonga at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Vea was a three-time New Zealand champ and has represented Tonga at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Tu’ipulotu, was a two-time New Zealand champion.

Mōleni represented Tonga at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.  

“These boxers are all top amateur boxers in the country,” Maka said.

Maka said Vea has been picked by New Zealand and Tuipulotu was selected for the New Zealand Camp last weekend. 

Boxers no opponents

In response, Maka said he would not apologise because he and his team did nothing wrong.

He said he was willing to reply if he would receive an inquiry from the New Zealand authorities.

Maka said he did not need to be at the weigh-in.

He said his disappointment came after he found out after arriving in Tonga that some of his boxers had no opponents.

Maka said none of the boxers were checked by doctors prior to competition nor after the weigh-in which was the normal procedure.

“None of the boxers, even from Australia and America had a boxing registration book apart from my boxers from New Zealand,” he claimed.

“Half of my boxers didn’t have opponents on the first day of the tournament, so ended up having exhibitions only which was not the deal before they went there.

“None of my elite boxers had opponents. The tournament was supposed to run over three days and I spoke with Lord Vaea (TBA President) after the first day of tournament that I would let my boxers have a holiday because they had no opponents so there was no competition for them on the last day.”

He said his team paid their own expenses before they left New Zealand.

“I received confirmation that all my boxers were matched for the tournament. They’ve twisted their story because we went to see the PM, so they kicked us out of the competition on the Friday,” Maka said.

“Mataele and I exchanged words because of his decision to kick us out and yes of course I was not happy, just like anyone else who’d be kicked out for no reason.”

Complaint to New Zealand

Fūnaki said that as a result of the incident, TBA had sent a formal letter of complaint to New Zealand Boxing, the Oceania Boxing Federation and the Amateur International Boxing Association.

“There were boxers who come from Alaska, Australia and America who made the effort to participate in the tournament, which was successful,” Fūnaki said.

He said the tournament was operated according to a boxing handbook approved by the TBA committee and complied with the selection policy, dates, times and venue.

He said Maka could have brought his concern to the committee and they could have been sorted out through a formal appeals process.

The main points

  • A New Zealand-based boxing trainer claims a visit to Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva was the reason behind the Tonga Boxing Association not listing champion boxer  Sione Moleni for the South Pacific Games in Samoa.
  • A bitter feud between New Zealand-based Tongan trainer Fili Maka and TBA Secretary General erupted after a national boxing tournament in Tonga in March.

Tsunami alert cancelled after strong earthquake near Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has cancelled a tsunami alert for Tonga after a 7.4 magnitude near the Kermadec Islands.

The cancellation comes after New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management has cleared New Zealand of a tsunami threat minutes after issuing a beach warning following the 10.55am quake.

A Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management spokesman said there may be some strong currents but there was nothing to indicate a threat to life and safety in New Zealand.

Tidal gauges at Raoul Island, which lay between the epicentre and New Zealand, had shown good news, he said.

Raoul Island is home to a Department of Conservation (DOC) station.

A DOC spokeswoman confirmed all seven staff based on Raoul Island were safe and accounted for.

“There are no other contractors or visitors on the island,” she said.

At this stage, they were unsure of any damage on the island and staff would be assessing this, she said.

The Kermadec Islands Nature Reserve and Marine Reserve is the most remote area managed by DOC and can only be visited with a special permit.

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