(Auckland, NZ) Police were called to investigate several incidents of “disorderly conduct and fighting” outside the Polyfest late Saturday afternoon and early evening.
According to reports the fighters hurriedly left the scene before Police arrived.
No arrests were made, but police are looking into the validity of the incident, which took place on Te Irirangi Road shortly before 4pm.
Senior Tonga Broadcasting Commission staffer Laumanu Petelō repeatedly clashed with Prime Minister ‘Akiliksi Pohiva during a press conference on Friday.
Petelō told the Prime Minister: “We are not your enemy.”
The Prime Minister told her to move on from that but Petelo responded instantly: “I need to state it clearly.”
The Prime Minister talked again, but Petelō interrupted and told him “we are the scapegoat” and said the TBC did not hold an ill feeling towards him.
Petelō said the Prime Minister did not want the TBC to report anything bad about him.
During a lengthy and fractious exchange, Hon. Pōhiva repeatedly asked Petelō to return to the agenda, but she kept interrupting him after he confirmed the government would review the state broadcaster’s operations.
Hon. Pōhiva said the government was in the process of reassessing the state broadcaster’s “function and roles” and they would meet to pass a resolution for the review soon.
“Radio A3Z’s history as it came to me personally was not good,” he told the conference.
“They cannot provide, support and facilitate government’s operations as it is a government’s property.”
He said there was proof the A3Z ran at a loss and there was a huge debt it might not be able to pay it back.
He said the way they reported and broadcast showed they were not independent or impartial and there was evidence of malice and hatred.
The broadcaster should support the government and facilitate government’s work, he said.
“This does not mean we have to scrutinise them, but they have to do it in the proper way,” Hon. Pōhiva said.
“If you ask me to tell you how I came up with this conclusion I have been in contact with the broadcaster for a long time.
“Every intelligent person could tell. There is nothing there to hide.”
The Prime Minister said the radio station did not need to compete with private sector media.
“We just want them to make enough profit to cover their expenses that’s it,” he said.
Response
When Petelō was given a chance to respond during the press conference she asked the Prime Minister to give examples to support his accusations against them.
She said that at the last press conference Hon. Pōhiva identified her as a malevolent person.
“It was because you did not like the way we asked hard questions about you and asked things we thought that were important for the public to know,” Petelō said.
“I was not angry,” the Prime Minister responded; but Petelō replied: “But you said I was malevolent.”
“We are talking about facts”, Hon. Pōhiva replied, but Petelō interrupted and said she and Hon. Pōhiva had been on this for a long time and he knew the way she questioned him especially asking probing questions.
The Prime Minister stopped her and asked to not talk about it as they were talking about something which was abstract.
“Nobody knows, but I can easily tell from your face and the way you presented your questions there was anger. That’s how I looked at it. I may be wrong,” Hon. Pohiva said.
The Prime Minister invited the conference to return to the agenda and talked about something else.
Hon. Pōhiva cited a recent report by the TBC accusing him of sacking two excavator operators.
But he was cut off by Petelō, who asked: “So you did not want us to report anything that you were accused of?”
The Prime Minister instantly responded and asked her to wait until he had finished his explanation.
But when Hon. Pōhiva continued, Petelō continued speaking and said the duo did not complaint to her.
The Prime Minister again asked her to move on and leave the topic.
“It’s a trivial thing,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the radio reported the result of the Vote of No Confidence against him last month.
The station reported the result saying Hon. Pōhiva won, but at the end of the story the broadcaster aired the views of some of the people who did not like the result.
Hon. Pōhiva said that was an example of an attempt by the radio to belittle the result of a significant vote.
Petelō again interrupted, asking: “Was that bad? That’s how it supposed to be. We have to bring other people’s views.”
She said TBC journalists had a duty and were objective in their work.
The Prime Minister said the government trusted the other radio station, FM 87.5, and warned Petelo that other private businesses advertised with the station.
This was a clear indicator the TBC was not doing their job properly, he said.
Petelō said the government did not allocate a budget for the state broadcaster and the people were free to choose which broadcaster they wanted to use.
The Prime Minister again asked her to leave the topic as it should not be discussed in the conference, but Petelō instantly responded and said: “I believe it should be discussed in this meeting”.
The Prime Minister told Petelō this was an issue that should be discussed with the Manager and the board and not with her.
She eventually apologised to the Prime Minster and asked him to pardon her if she became an obstruction to him.
The Prime Minister said it was all right, but he wanted the TBC to call on the government and clarify things that were of concerns to them.
The main points
For more information
Pohiva declares war on TBC, declares it an obstacle and constraint on gov’t
China, New Zealand and the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) vowed to assist and improve Tonga’s aviation safety.
Known as “Four Party Meeting” (FPM), the aviation authorities met in Nuku’alofa last week and agreed to step up their efforts in assisting Tonga so its safety aviation could meet the international required standards sustainably.
This included allowing PASO to access and deal with the controversial MA60 aircraft that had brought so much grief to Real Tonga airline since 2012.
The FPM formally agreed to provide technical supports to Tonga’s aviation on a long term arrangement.
The Tongan aviation authority was caught in the middle after the former government was accused internationally for endorsing the MA60 which had been involved in a number of incidents around the world, including crashes.
Supporters and advocates of the aircraft however cited claims these incidents were caused by pilot error.
At the time the New Zealand government immediately told tourists they would be flying on the aircraft at their own risk.
The New Zealand authority later suspended NZ$10 million (TP15.5 million) tourism aid to Tonga in response to the kingdom’s use of the aircraft.
The suspension was later lifted in 2014 after the two governments began negotiation to resolve their concerns.
The situation also cost one Minister of Aviation’s ministerial post in September 2014 after a report from the Tongan government to the International Civil Aviation Organisation was found to have errors.
However, New Zealand has promised Tonga it has turned over a new page and supported its attempts to normalise its aviation standards.
The meeting was attended by leaders of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Authority New Zealand (CAANZ), the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO), and the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Infrastructure Tonga.
New Zealand born Tongan boxer Uaine Junior Fa is the new heavyweight champion of New Zealand after edging Daniel Tai by majority decision in Auckland tonight.
Fa battled hard over the back end of the fight to beat Tai to win the vacant New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) belt which is the first boxing title for him to hold.
So far he had 11 professional fights in total in which he won them all with seven knock outs.
Daniel Tai has been a professional fighter since 2000 and boasts a record of 22 wins and 9 losses.
Tonight was his second loss after he was knocked out in 2001 by legendary Australian champion Danny Green.
Tongan Speaker Lord Tuʻivakanō said the launch of Tonga’s new ombudsman office last week opened a new era to vulnerable members of the community whose voices were not heard.
Lord Tu’ivakanō was speaking to about a 100 guests who were at Tanoa International Dateline Hotel to celebrate the historical event on Wednesday.
The Ombudsman helped the community in its dealings with government agencies.
It handled complaints against government agencies and undertook investigations and inspections.
It also encouraged good administration by giving feedback and training to agencies.
The ombudsman could initiate its own investigations where it sees the need.
Tongaʻs ombudsman office was opened after the law was changed replacing the Commissioner for Public Relations with an Ombudsman in December 2016.
The Speaker, according to the law, has appointed Tongan law expert ‘Aisea Taumoepeau as Tonga’s first ombudsman.
Speaking at the ceremony Taumoepeau said: “The Ombudsman is not about politics, it is not about power, it is about efficient service and good governance making sure all Tongans are accorded fairness that the Rule of Law is maintained and for Tongans to live in harmony”.
Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said the ombudsman officer helped ensure accountability of government officials on behalf of the government.
To be effective and credible in this role, the ombudsman must be independent of the government, Hon. Sovaleni said.
“I believe the office will serve to improve Government services for our people”, he said.
The Deputy Prime Minister said government ministries and public enterprises should cooperate with these parliamentary officers as they were “there to help and make recommendation on how to improve their services”.
The Office of Ombudsman was first established in 2001, identified as the Commissioner for Public Relations before the law was changed.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Food and Fisheries had given out about 2,400 of free chicks and ducklings among some locals on Friday in an effort to promote healthier lifestyles.
It distributed 1000 of domestic baby chickens among Tongatapu residents, 600 for Vava’u and 400 Ha’apai.
The Ministry had also handed out 180 of domestic ducklings in Tongatapu, 50 in Vavaʻu and ʻEua and 100 among the Ha’apai residents.
Sione Mapapalangi of the Ministry told Tonga Broadcasting Commission people could feed the poultry for six to eight weeks before they can be cooked for food.
It is understood the Ministry had given out thousands of ducklings and chicks before.
Locals can register their names with MAFF to join the programme which was funded by the Tonga Health Promotion Foundation.
Tonga has one of the most at-risk populations in the world for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and obesity, according to the Tonga Health report Path to Good Health,
In 2007 it set up the Tonga Health Promotion Foundation to tackle the issue.
Pacific Freedom Forum chair Monica Miller says there might be royalists in the TBC who acted unethically in their reporting, but shutting down the TBC was not the right way to prove the Prime Minister’s allegations.
Miller was reacting to Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s criticism of the kingdom’s national broadcaster.
As Kaniva News reported yesterday, Hon. Pohiva has declared the TBC to be “an enemy of the government.” He said the TBC’s operations would be reviewed and said its services could be provided by another broadcaster.
The ABC in Australia today reported Hon. Pohiva as saying he had no immediate plans to close the TBC, but stood by his claim that its journalists were guilty of “biased reporting” against his government.
He had earlier said the role of the state broadcaster was to support the administration.
But Miller said the job of the TBC was to represent the public.
“It is not the job of any news media to support the government of the day and they must be ethical when reporting criticism,” Miller said.
She said the Tongan government should remember its roots as a pro-democracy reform movement.
Miller said the Prime Minister should organise an independent review into allegations that commission staff were biased against his administration.
An independent review could establish what codes of ethic and conduct were in place to prevent unethical reporting and what mechanisms were in place to protect the tax-funded broadcasting commission.
Miller said the Prime Minister was famous in opposition for asserting his right to freedom of expression despite legal threats, imprisonment and censorship.
She said Hon. Pohiva needed to rediscover the spirit of free speech guaranteed under the constitution.
Clause 7 of the Tonga constitution states:
“Freedom of the press – It shall be lawful for all people to speak write and print their opinions and no law shall ever be enacted to restrict this liberty. There shall be freedom of speech and of the press for ever but nothing in this clause shall be held to outweigh the law of slander or the laws for the protection of the King and the Royal Family.”
The main points
More information
Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva defends his call to close Tonga Broadcasting Commission
Independent review for public broadcaster (Pacific Freedom Forum)
Pohiva declares war on TBC, declares it an obstacle and constraint on gov’t
Tongan Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pohiva has vehemently denied reports that his government has hired former Finance Minister Dr. ʻAisake Eke to assist the treasury in creating its budget for the 2017-2018 financial year.
Hon. Pohiva sacked Dr Eke after he abstained in last month’s vote of no confidence.
“We cannot hire ʻAisake Eke as a consultant while he is a Member of Parliament representing the people,” he told a media conference in Nuku’alofa this afternoon.
“That is not how the policy works.”
Hon. Pohiva’s response was prerecorded and later broadcast by radio FM 87.5 through Tonga Daily News website this afternoon.
The Prime Minister implied that the allegation, which appeared to have been first broadcasted by the Tonga Broadcasting Commissionʻs radio, stemmed from comments by Minister of Finance Hon, Tevita Lavemaau about Dr Eke’s role with the Parliamentary Finance committee.
The Prime Minister said Dr. Eke was still a member of the finance committee and still had a responsibility to comment on the budget.
“If we hire some one as a consultant it has to be someone from outside and not a Member of Parliament,” Hon. Pohiva said.
The Prime Minister said it appeared Hon. Lavemaau was not prepared to talk about the issue when he was questioned and as a result his statement was open to interpretation.
Nepituno webpage said the Tonga Broadcasting Commission had reported that Dr. Eke had been hired by the government as a “special consultant”.
Radio Australia reported yesterday that “Tonga’s sacked former Finance Minister has been asked to help prepare the national budget as a consultant.”
The main points
For more information
Eke “shocked” by PM’s claims, but says he has no choice but to resign
Tongan-New Zealand born boxer Uaine Junior Fa is taking on Auckland based fighter Daniel Tai for the vacant New Zealand Professional Boxing Association heavyweight title, tomorrow evening, at the ABA stadium in Mt Eden, Auckland.
Fa took to Facebook this morning and told his supporters, “All the hard work is done. It’s Show Time again this Saturday night! Get your tickets and come down and watch a good night of fights where there will be a new NZPBA heavyweight champion!”.
The fight came after Fa won his debut fight in the United States last month.
He defeated Keith Barr with a knockout in the third round of a scheduled six round fight.
This makes 10 wins out of 10 fights for Fa.
Seven of those wins were knockout.
The 27 year old boxer turned professional a year ago with a win against Richard Tutaki.
Although New Zealand born and raised, Fa has represented Tonga internationally, winning a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India.
Police and custom officers had seized undeclared jewellery with a revenue value of TOP$230,000 including other items on Saturday 11 in Halaleva.
Cash and cheque of over TOP$6,500, herbal medications, electronic devices, one fiream and 1480 ammunition were among the confiscated goods.
Tonga Customs and Revenue boss ʻAnisi Kulufeinga Bloomfield said more than 50 Customs, Inland Revenue and Police officers raided a Chinese property and business in the area at 8am
A statement from the Ministry says:
The Tonga Customs initiated this operation code named: Operation Sparkling in responding to mounted intelligence and investigation.
These jewellery items including 9 – 22 carat gold jewellery, diamonds and pearls were located at the dwelling house with price tags varied from TOP$100 – TOP$1600.
It is alleged that these uncustomed items are to be of Asian origin and were smuggled into country through passengers of commercial flights without declaring at the border.
These items were smuggled into Tonga to be further traded in his licensed premises.
The total value of these jewellery items are over TOP$230,000. The total duty evaded by this company is approximately TOP$80,000.
This business has been operating for more than 6 years but has no Customs records of imports of jewellery by the business or its owners.
The Tonga Customs has vested interest in this situation as these jewellery items were being sold as imported goods and offered for commercial exchange at comparable prices without any payment of duties or taxes.
Bloomfield said that he is impressed with robust and collaboration efforts of the core law enforcement agencies in sharing resources and capabilities. He is determined to strengthen their cooperation.
The Tonga Customs in partnership with Tax Authorities and Tonga Police are continuing in their enforcement efforts to investigate entities who continue to breach the Customs laws across the islands of Tonga.
