Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva will probably not be part of his cabinet ministers joining the soft opening ceremony for Parliament tomorrow, according to a government spokesperson.
The swearing-in ceremony for Members of Parliament has been postponed until further notice, Parliament office said today.
In a statement released to news media this morning Parliament office said:
“The Legislative Assembly of Tonga will be opened tomorrow, Thursday 11th January 2018, at 10:30am, by a commission of three Nobles comprising of HSH Prince Tu’ipelehake, Lord Fakatulolo and Lord Luani.
The Members of the Legislative Assembly will take their oath of office on the first sitting day of the Legislative Assembly, to be announced.”
As Kaniva News reported last night Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva was recovering well in hospital according to a Ministry of Health spokesperson.
The Prime Minister was reportedly expected to attend tomorrow’s ceremony.
The government spokesperson said this afternoon the Prime Minister will probably not attend the soft opening ceremony after it has been announced the swearing-in ceremony will be held later.
The Tongan man who died last week in Queensland while working as a Seasonal Worker Program employee has been named.
The Toula and ‘Otea communities in Vava’u, Tonga were “reeling” after the Australian Police found 35-year-old Simione Havea’s body in an accommodation on Thursday morning.
His cousin Alex Kaihea told Kaniva News his deceased cousin is survived by his wife and children.
Kaihea, an Australian based Tongan, was currently in Tonga and he said he wished he was in Brisbane so he could be able to visit Simione’s body.
Simione was the eldest son of his mother Neti from ‘Otea and his father Sinamoni from Toula, Kaihea said.
As we reported yesterday, Simone’s 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.
According to Australian media, Simione, who is also known as Simi, has become the 14th person to die while working on the controversial scheme.
He had been working on a farm in the Bundaberg region before he died.
The death comes just weeks after a special investigation by The Courier-Mail revealed 13 workers had died on the Seasonal Worker Program, with extreme neglect allegedly contributing to a number of deaths and serious injuries.
A father has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison after being convicted of incest, sexual assault and domestic violence.
The offences took place between December 2016 and January 2017.
In his report on the trial, Hon Justice Cato said the acts had been carried out on the man’s daughter.
The prisoner was married with three children. He lived in the former family home. He had two other children including the complainant, by his first marriage.
He had a number of convictions for dishonesty dating back to 1992, several for housebreaking and theft including one in 1998 when he received an eight year sentence.
He also had one conviction for growing Indian hemp and possession.
In 2007, he was again convicted of theft and manslaughter by negligence for which he was sentenced to three and half years imprisonment.
He had committed four acts of incest, the first of which occurred while his wife was asleep in the next room.
He had threatened to beat her if she did not smoke methamphetamine, strangled her and threatened to disfigure her with a pair of scissors.
“The impression I got at trial was that he was an authoritarian, dominating personality, not without cunning and able to present a more affable personality when required,” Hon. Justice Cato said.
“The complainant was put through a frightening and humiliating experience.
“I do not consider there are any mitigating features. The prisoner in his probation report and again at sentence did not improve his position by continuing to maintain his denial.”
The main points
The Supreme Court has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison after being convicted of incest, sexual assault and domestic violence.
The acts had been carried out on the man’s daughter.
The man had also beaten and strangled her.
The judge said his daughter had been through a frightening and humiliating experience.
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.”
