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PM appoints Former Finance Minister accused by Infrastructure Minister of multimillion dollar contracts spending as gov’t representative

By
Kalino Latu
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Former Minister of Finance Tevita Lavemaau has been appointed as ‘Eua government representative.

Tēvita Lavemaau. Photo/Kalino Lātū

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku appointed Lavemaau this week.

The appointment came after the Minister of Infrastructure, Sevenitiini Toumo’ua, previously warned Lavemaau, of a possible investigation into his role in the former government.

The threat came after Lavemaau accused the Ministry of being slow in building houses for the 2021 tsunami victims.

He proposed that a commission should investigate the Ministry’s handling the housing projects.

Former government

Lavemaau was the Minister of Finance in the government of Late Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa which launched the TOP$450 million roading project. The former PM said it was the biggest budget ever allocated for roading works in Tonga.

The project, set to run from 2020 until 2023, attracted a lot of criticisms after what appeared to be favouritism and nepotism, including how the construction contracts were awarded to the Cabinet Ministers’ close friends and blood relatives. Only roads in villages and electorates of the Cabinet Ministers were constructed and repaired.

The Tu’i’onetoa government was ousted in 2022’s premiership election.

As Kaniva News reported previously, the current Hu’akavameiliku government has dumped the roading project together with other community housing projects.

Toumo’ua claimed earlier this year that contractors who supplied rocks for Tu’i’onetoa’s government road maintenance had falsified records to obtain millions of pa’anga monthly.

Minister of Infrastructure and Civil Aviation Seventeen Toumo’ua

Toumo’ua claimed that records of loads carried under the roading contract were falsified in one month to obtain TOP$1 million.

He alleged that trucks transporting rocks for the roading site used two different registration plate numbers.

He said TP$18 million of taxpayers’ had already been paid. He described this as “imprudent.”

Toumo’ua previously launched another attack against the unfinished roading project and other related schemes by telling Lavemaau he should be arrested and investigated.

He said Lavemaau should be investigated for several contracts he was involved with but did not give further details.

The Minister also questioned Lavemaau about a project in which an impact crusher appeared to have been given to his constituency. He also asked Lavemaau about a voucher which he claimed was paid for a service by a truck he owned.

“What about the ($12 million) vessel which could not travel to Ha’apai and Vava’u”, Toumo’ua asked in Tongan of Lavemaau.

Housing projects

The Minister of Infrastructure’s sudden angry outburst on Facebook in December 2023 appeared to have been triggered by a comment by Lavemaau criticising the Ministry’s poor handling of the new housing projects for the 2021 tsunami victims.

The post in question on the Ministry’s Facebook page said 28 houses were meant to be built at Nomuka, but only 12 had been built. It said the Ministry planned to finish three more houses before the end of this year and the remainder would be completed by next year.

In response, Lavemaau wrote under the comment section that he felt for the pitiful state of the people in the outer islands who were victims of the tsunami nearly two years after the tragedy and construction had yet to be completed.

“What is your problem, MOI?” Lavemaau asked of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

He said the funds had long been in the Treasury for the work.

“It is about time for a commission to investigate the work you are doing,” he said.

A Ministry of Infrastructure online administrator told Lavemaau off.

“Tevita Lavemaau you should be the one to be arrested and investigated first to find out the country’s money, your contracts”, it said in Tongan.

“How about Lavulavu’s road construction contract?

“How about the impact crusher for ‘Eua?

“How about the voucher which was paid for your truck?

“How about the $12M for the vessel which could not travel to Ha’apai and Vava’u?”

Lavemaau told the administrator to come clean and show his true identity.

In response, the admin said he was the Minister of Infrastructure Sevenitiini Toumo’ua.

In Tongan he wrote: “ Ko au Sevenitiini Toumo’ua”. 

Tonga news in brief: Kava, food carried on planes from Tonga to Fiji require permits; Lord Matoto dies; new arrival date for cable ship

By
Kaniva Staff
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Kava and food on planes from Tonga to Fiji require permit

Travellers carrying more than 2kg kava and other food items with them from Tonga to Fiji are now required to show permits.

Tonga’s Quarantine Division reportedly said that only yams are allowed into Fiji without a permit.

Travellers to Fiji can carry only 2kg of kava into the country.

For amounts of more than 2kg, importers must obtain a licence and a permit for each consignment of kava.

A Radio Tonga report this week quoted Senior Quarantine officer Peioneti Lui as saying: “There have been numerous complaints from Fiji about passengers not adhering to their import policies. We urge everyone to comply with these regulations to maintain good cooperation between our two countries.”

New arrival date for Cable ship

Alcatel’s cable ship CS Lodbrogis set to arrive in Tonga on Tuesday, 6 August.

 It was delayed in Fiji for over a week due to an issue with its right-hand propeller.

The Tonga Domestic Cable Extension (TDCE), which connects the main island of Tongatapu with the northern islands of Vava’u and Ha’apai, has been down since June 29.

Stan Ahio, acting communications director for the government of Tonga, said the drive shaft was damaged after a fishing net became wrapped around one of the ship’s propellers.

The new arrival date for the ship means a new repair timeline is set for mid-August.

Tongan authorities said the fix will depend “on how easily they can find the damaged cable, and also, they have yet to determine how big the damages are.”

Parliament pauses to mourn former MP Lord Matoto ‘O Tu‘anekivale

Members of the Legislative Assembly today observed a minute of silence in honour of the late Lord Matoto of Tu’anekivale, former parliamentarian and Minister of Finance, who passed away last month.

The Speaker of Parliament, Lord Fakafanua, also conveyed a condolence message and love to the family from the Legislative Assembly during this difficult time.

The late Lord Matoto was a civil servant, politician, and Cabinet Minister. He was the Minister of Finance during Lord Sevele’s government and administration from 2008 to 2011.

He was one of the first Tongans to be named a Life Peer in Tonga’s hereditary nobility by King George Tupou V.

Auckland International Airport disruption: Check-in suspended after computer glitch

By
Kaniva Staff
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Hundreds of travellers at Auckland International Airport are stranded after flight check-ins were suspended this evening due to a computer glitch.

Hundreds of travellers at Auckland International Airport are stranded after flight check-ins were suspended this evening due to a computer glitch. Photo / Matt Anderson

One traveller told the Herald an announcement was being repeated over the public address system saying check-in was temporarily closed just after 7pm.

“It’s a bit chaotic,” Matt Anderson said.

“There are hundreds of people and none of them are moving.

“I was meant to be heading to Melbourne for the weekend, but it doesn’t look that’s going to happen now.”

Anderson, who was due to be flying with Jetstar, said customers of other airlines were also being stopped from checking in.

Anderson said he spoke with an airline staff member to find out when he could fly, and she said there had been an issue with Microsoft 365.

“The repeated message just keeps saying, ‘Due to a computer malfunction, check-in has been temporarily suspended’.”

In a statement the airport said: “The check in system at Auckland Airport is currently experiencing technical difficulties, meaning check-in is slower than usual. Our technical teams are investigating, and we are working hard to resolve the issue as soon as possible. We appreciate delays can be frustrating, and we apologise to anyone who has been impacted.”

Fonomanu ‘Young’ Sēkona: Former South Pacific silver-medal boxing champ dies

By
Kaniva Staff
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Former South Pacific Games silver medallist and New Zealand heavyweight boxing title holder Fonomanu Sēkona dies aged 72.  

Fonomanu ‘Young’ Sēkona

A post on Facebook this morning confirmed his death.

His son Hano Sēkona said: “I really idolize and adore this man. Sorry, Dad. I’ve yet to cry. I’m just trying to stay strong for Mom. I’m concerned for her well-being and don’t want her to see me break down.”

It is understood, the former heavy weight champion was recently admitted to a hospital in New Zealand.

Known by the ring name “Young” Sēkona, he was described as difficult to easily beat because “his left was too quick and feet too fast”. Some commentators compared him to former Tongan “Torpedo, Kitione Lave – the big heavyweight star of the 1950s”.

Sēkona, from Tonga’s Fo’ui village, won nine professional matches in Fiji and Tonga by that stage, after a very good amateur record, according to a report by the Magazine Fight Time.

He won silver for Tonga at the South Pacific Games 1969 in Papua, New Guinea.

He beat some tough ones such as Charlie Dunn, Tommy Mears, England, George Jerome, Canada, Maile Haumona, another Tongan, tough Mani Vaka, and Randy Stevens, U.S.A. Hartmut Sasse, German Champion.

His first loss came in a big outdoor promotion at Carlaw Park, when he faced the Jamaican-born Englishman Bunny Johnson, who had a great record and was British and Commonwealth Champion. Johnson caught Sekona in the second with a beautiful left hook, and it was all over, ending his unbeaten record.

Sekona lived in Hawaii briefly and fought there and in mainland U.S.A. He lost in The United States to Mike Weaver, who was a top-rated fighter at one stage. His other losses were to top fighters Tony Moore, a top-rated British contender, and to tough as teak Aussie fighter Steve Aczel.

His name has been listed as holder of the New Zealand Professional Heavyweight Championship title in March 1982.

In over 30 fights he lost only four.

The Kingdom of Tonga secures US$23m in grant funding to reduce climate risks and improve coastal resilience

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Kingdom of Tonga has received grant funding from the Global Climate Fund (GCF) to fight the impact of extreme climate events. Tonga was supported in this initiative by the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), and successive Climate Finance Advisers contributed to the project document that secured these vital funds.

Martin Barriteau (left in red shirt) and Dr Othniel Yila (right, second from bottom) both served as CCFAH’s Climate Finance Adviser to Tonga and contributed to the design of the US$23 million coastal resilience project.

The GCF approved a US$22.66 million grant at its 39th Board meeting, held from 15 to 18 July 2024, in Songdo, Republic of Korea. The Government of Tonga committed US$1.2 million to co-finance the fund, with the UNDP adding a further US$63,000 to bring the total close to US$24 million.

The CCFAH advisers have been embedded within the Ministry for Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) in Tonga, and have provided strategic and technical guidance on mobilising climate finance.

Ms Luisa Tuiafitu Malolo, Tonga’s Director of Climate Change, stated:

“The approval of the Tonga Coastal Resilience project proposal is indeed a milestone and a significant step forward in responding to the priorities of Tonga for building the Island Kingdom’s resilience to climate change by addressing climate risks and reducing coastal vulnerability.

“We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat, through the Commonwealth Finance Access Hub, towards the development of this important project and we look forward to continuing our partnership.”

Dr Othniel Yila recently wound down his mission as the CCFAH’s Climate Finance Adviser to Tonga. However, he is not surprised that the important collaboration yielded positive results. Dr Yila said:

“This project holds immense potential to protect coastal communities, preserve critical ecosystems, and safeguard livelihoods in a changing climate.

“Furthermore, the Department of Climate Change team’s collective expertise, dedication, and collaboration have been pivotal in achieving this milestone. The team’s unwavering commitment to advancing climate resilience in Tonga is genuinely inspiring. It reflects a deep sense of responsibility towards the wellbeing of the country and to the loving and warm people of Tonga.”

Yila, and his predecessor, Martin Barriteau, worked with Tonga’s Joint National Action Plan for Climate Change (JNAP) taskforce to provide technical expertise to the team as they navigated several proposal rounds, starting in April 2017, with the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Martin Barriteau added:

“It has been a roller-coaster ride since 2017. I remember, during COVID, working remotely from the Caribbean until midnight with colleagues and the UNDP contractor on revising the full proposal and feasibility study.

“When I arrived in Tonga, I realised that any sharp rise in sea levels could be devastating to Nuku’alofa. This realisation made me understand why this project is so vital in the fight for climate justice.”

Martin Barriteau (left in red shirt) and Dr Othniel Yila (right, second from bottom) both served as CCFAH’s Climate Finance Adviser to Tonga and contributed to the design of the US$23 million coastal resilience project.

The Tonga Coastal Resilience Project

The Global Climate Fund financing will be used to support the development of a revised national land use strategy that incorporates long-term climate risks and impacts. The Coastal Resilience Project will come into effect in 2025.

Tonga will establish a national community dialogue platform to enable island-wide discussions and agreements on issues and concerns regarding land use so that they can develop long-term adaptation strategies, including voluntary retreats.

The financing strengthens local capacity for effective monitoring of climate risks and community adaptation planning through a data monitoring system for climate risk and bolsters training for national authorities to monitor and use climate risk data. The funds will also be used to build the capacity of local actors to integrate climate risks and adaptation needs into the design of climate risk-focused community development plans.

Lotto Powerball jackpot rolls over

By
Kaniva Staff
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Lotto’s Powerball jackpot has rolled over after no ticket holders won the $30 million prize this evening.

The winning numbers were: 08, 17, 25, 36, 33, 31, bonus ball 18, and power ball 04.

Two players have won $500,000 with Lotto First Division.

Strike has also rolled over.

Tongatapu man who beat and threatened ‘to kill’ woman with aluminium pipe avoids jail

By
Kaniva Staff
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A Tongatapu man who threatened to beat his neighbour with an aluminium pipe to death has avoided a term of imprisonment.

Viliami Kioa, 43, of Sopu, appeared before the Supreme Court recently and pleaded guilty to the charge of causing serious bodily harm contrary to section 107(1), (2)(b) and (c) of the Criminal Offences Act.

He was convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

The two-year sentence was suspended for three years.

The court was told that Toti Muimui Folau Viau, a 45-year-old woman residing in Sopu, with others were doing some outdoor cleaning at the house of Mele Tatu Fusimalohi

Kioa lives next door to Mele’s residence, and he had used her property to park some broken-down vehicles.

Sometime during the cleanup, Vīau walked to Kioa’s place and asked him to remove his broken-down vehicles from Mele’s property because Mele had already told him to do so.

Kioa swore at Vīau, and Vīau responded by saying she had been authorised by Mele to be the caretaker of her property.

Kioa swore at Vīau again then a verbal altercation occurred.

At this time, Vīau’s 12-year-old daughter cried and called out to Kioa that he was swearing at her mother.

Kioa walked towards Vīau with a 4-feet-aluminium pipe, and he used it to hit Vīau on the left side of her torso.

Vīau tried to reason with him, but Kioa did not listen and continued to repeatedly hit Vīau with the pipe on her head and the back of her neck while saying, “I will beat you to death so you will know who I am.”

Vīau used her hands to shield herself from the blows and told Kioa to stop.

The daughter ran home to call her father. When he arrived, the Accused had already stopped beating Vīau.

Kioa picked up the pieces of the aluminium pipe and left.

Later that evening, Vīau went to Vaiola Hospital. On the same day, she lodged a complain with Tonga Police.

Woman calls police after mistaking ‘realistic’ sex doll for body

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Lauren Crimp of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

A Taranaki woman called police after discovering what she thought was a headless body on a beach, which turned out to be a “very realistic” sex doll.

A headless sex doll inexplicably found on Tapuae Beach, Taranaki Photo: Alice Cowdrey / Supplied

Alice Cowdrey was walking her dog Sadie at Tapuae Beach, south of New Plymouth, on Tuesday. She was already feeling on edge that morning after coming across two dead goats on the beach just a few days prior.

“I’d sort of been thinking about how odd that was, and how it made me feel a little bit uneasy. I had… when I first got out of the car, been thinking about bodies, which is totally bizarre.”

Cowdrey noticed Sadie sniffing around a form on the beach, and walked closer to see what it was.

“I just sort of froze, and felt sick,” she said.

“I could see it was definitely the shape of a torso, face down, and I could tell it was a woman’s figure. I could see it had fingernails and the toes were really realistic, so it really looked like a human figure.”

Sadie did not seem overly concerned – but Cowdrey was “freaking out” after realising it had no head, so she ran down the beach to get reception and dialled 111.

A headless sex doll inexplicably found on Tapuae Beach, Taranaki.

A headless sex doll inexplicably found on Tapuae Beach, Taranaki. Photo: Alice Cowdrey / supplied

As she waited for police to arrive, she began worrying there could be “a murderer on the loose”.

The three officers who responded were also convinced it was real when they first saw it, she said.

“And then I sort of saw one of the cops nudge it with his foot, and I thought, he’s not going to nudge it if it’s a body.

“And then he sort of flipped it over, and it was even more realistic when it was on its back, it had everything… it was very realistic… but obviously you could tell it was a sex doll.”

Cowdrey said she was relieved, but felt bad she had called police about a sex doll, although they reassured her she had done the right thing.

It took all three officers to drag it back down the beach to their car, such was its weight, she said.

As for how a headless sex doll came to be lying on a quiet Taranaki beach, Cowdrey said she had more questions than answers.

Some online research showed a doll like that was worth thousands of dollars, she said.

“It’s quite a major investment for somebody… it could have been stolen, somebody’s not just going to chuck it on the beach and leave it there.”

The police declined to comment, saying they were prioritising “urgent incidents”.

Chris Hipkins says tax cuts already eaten up by rising prices

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says now is not the time for tax cuts that will not bring much benefit to households.

Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker

New tax thresholds will come into effect on Wednesday, the government saying they will increase the take-home pay of 83 percent of New Zealanders and 94 percent of households.

The cuts are estimated to cost $3.7 billion a year, and have been funded by savings and revenue initiatives, including cuts to public services. It is the first adjustment to tax brackets in 14 years.

Hipkins told Morning Report he questioned the timing.

“For most households, any benefit they get from the tax cuts they’re going to find, actually, it disappears because other costs going up. So by the government cancelling affordable water reform, they’re sending rates bills through the roof. Insurance costs are going up. The cost of transport is going up.”

Hipkins said government revenue was trending downwards, meaning tax cuts were not sustainable.

“It’s a question of when you do tax cuts and at the moment, doing tax cuts when the government revenue is already going down and you’re funding that by borrowing more money and by cutting spending on areas that desperately need it, that’s not a sustainable way of delivering tax cuts.”

Personal income tax thresholds will rise from $14,000 to $15,600 (10.5 percent); from $48,000 to $53,500 (17.5 percent); and from $70,000 to $78,100 (30 percent). Income earned over $180,001 will remain at 39 percent for now.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said “727,000 households will benefit by at least $75 a fortnight, and 187,000 will benefit by at least $100 a fortnight”.

“On average, households will benefit by $60 a fortnight, and households with children by $78 a fortnight.”

Independent analysis has found thousands of families will be worse off under the changes, and the top 40 percent of earners will get nearly two-thirds of the money.

More than 6000 public servants have been dismissed, and the government has raised the cost of staples like prescriptions and public transport by removing subsidies introduced by the previous government.

“Across the board, you see examples of where the government aren’t funding the services New Zealanders rely on adequately, and the result is that New Zealanders will pay more or get worse service,” Hipkins said.

Willis said not only were there tax cuts, but also “the new FamilyBoost payment, which reimburses families for a portion of their early childhood education fees, up to $150 a fortnight, was launched on 1 July”.

“Families with children in ECE can find out if they are eligible at IRD.govt.nz.

“I encourage everyone who hasn’t already done so – and over 560,000 people already have – to go to budget.govt.nz/taxcalculator to find out how much tax relief they will get, based on their personal and family circumstances.”

Elsewhere in the interview on Morning Report, Hipkins discussed the crisis in health and changes to how councils can establish and disestablish Māori wards.

Roadside drug testing could penalise prescription users – experts

By
Kalino Latu
-

By Anneke Smith of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

The government’s roadside drug testing scheme could penalise people using prescription substances, warn drug experts.

Police checkpoint (file photo). Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

The coalition is progressing a law change that will give the police the power to randomly saliva-test drivers for drug use.

Under the proposed scheme, motorists who test positive in two tests will be immediately banned from driving for 12 hours.

All positive tests will go to a lab, and drivers will be fined and issued demerit points if qualifying drugs are found at levels that indicate recent use.

The scheme is still light on detail – such as what drugs qualify and at what levels – but Transport Minister Simeon Brown said the changes will make roads safer.

“This is about setting a line, having a standard and saying that people who have more than that certain amount of that substance in their system are considered to be impaired and we will hold them to account.

“Ultimately, the message is very clear: we do not want people taking drugs and driving on our roads and killing people.”

The Labour Party supported drug-testing, having started a similar process last term, but experts have told RNZ roadside testing was not a simple fix.

Massey University senior research officer Dr Marta Rychert – who specialises in drug policy and medicinal cannabis – said the government’s policy was light on detail, like how police officers would test if someone was actually impaired by drugs.

Research had shown cannabis typically slowed down users’ reaction times, but this did not necessarily apply to regular uses of medicinal cannabis, she said.

“Medicinal cannabis users often develop a certain level of tolerance to the psychoactive effects of THC and therefore they may not be as impaired as infrequent users.

“So despite taking the same amount of cannabis, having the same level of THC in their blood or saliva, they may not actually be impaired. Sometimes they may be okay to work, drive and do all the cognitive tasks that are required.”

New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm uses CBD oil – derived from cannabis – for arthritis to help her gym, play sport and raise her family.

She said herself – and those using other prescription medicines like codeine or tramadol – might be unwittingly be caught in the drug-testing scheme.

“You’ve potentially got somebody who’s taken something according to the prescription. They’ve followed their doctor’s advice, tried to avoid doing anything during the window in which you’re impaired… and still get pulled up and put in that driving ban.

“That driving ban would really adversely affect me and I take it without any impairment whatsoever and follow my doctor’s instructions.”

Helm also raised concerns about the accuracy of the saliva tests as there had been cases in Australia where impaired drivers had been allowed to drive on after delivering a false negative.

On prescription drugs, Dr Rychert said some countries have drug-testing ‘exemptions’ for people who could both prove they had a doctor’s prescription for drugs and were not impaired.

The NZ Drug Foundation supported such a move in lieu of technology capable of distinguishing between drug presence and drug impairment.

Brown said his proposed scheme did not consider where a drug came from.

“The intent of this is not to discriminate between illicit drugs and legal drugs. It’s about making sure that people who are on the road are driving safely.”

Legislation setting up a drug-testing scheme will go to Select Committee for public feedback after it passes its first reading.

Brown said once it was law, the government will start procuring tests.

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