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Tuesday 4 May 2010 3:12pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The EU responded positively to Tonga's application by agreeing to provide 5.5 million euros, the equivalent of 16.5 million pa'anga, by way of budgetary support. The EU also agreed to provide 2.5 million euros (TOP 7.5 million) towards improvement of the electricity distribution network to the rural areas. This is Tonga's first application under the Energy Facility II.
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Tuesday 4 May 2010 6:00am
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA : Mr Lopeti Senituli must know that the present system of which he speaks (The King appoints the judges . . . 03 May 2010) makes King George Tupou V an "Absolute Monarch" instead of Tonga being a "Constitutional Monarchy." Inquiring minds are asking: With the King appointing judges, doesn't it subject the Judiciary to the will of the King and Cabinet? With due respect, Mr. Senituli knows very well that the days of the status quo are numbered - six months. This is why the "democratic transformation" is taking place: to follow the mandate of the Constitution. - Sione Akemeihakau Mokofisi. Premium content -
Monday 3 May 2010 6:00pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Government finds it incomprehensible that the former Attorney General, Mr John Cauchi, persists in claiming that the Attorney General and the Judicial Services Commission have a role in the appointment of Judges even though he knows for a fact that the appointment of Judges in Tonga, under the present Constitution, is the prerogative of His Majesty The King, with the consent of the Privy Council. - Lopeti Senituli. Premium content -
Monday 3 May 2010 6:29am
Brussels, Belgium : Decades of deregulation, greed and free-market speculation have plunged the world into deep economic recession, with appalling impacts on working people and their families across the planet. 34 million jobs have been lost, and the end is not in sight. With a further 64 million people pushed into extreme poverty, the quest to end global poverty is yet further out of reach. Premium content -
Sunday 2 May 2010 9:26pm
Canberra, Australia : The global financial crisis may seem like a strange time to launch negotiations on a new regional trade and economic agreement. But I am convinced that Pacific Islands Forum Leaders made exactly the right decision when they agreed in August 2009 in the darkest days of the global financial crisis to commence negotiations on a new trade and economic agreement known as PACER Plus. Premium content -
Sunday 2 May 2010 2:00pm
Paris, France : The right to know is central for upholding other basic rights, for furthering transparency, justice and development. Hand-in-hand with the complementary notion of freedom of expression, it underpins democracy. Premium content -
Saturday 1 May 2010 7:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : "The inspiration of politically motivated criticism of the Government on the grounds of systemic failure, which mysteriously surfaced in the report of the Ashika Commission, now appears to be revealed. The same intemperate assertions are churlishly regurgitated in the Attorney General's publicity statement." - Prime Minister's Office.5 comments Premium content -
Saturday 1 May 2010 6:26am
Auckland, New Zealand : With only months to go to the election, the people's representatives as a power bloc are divided and incoherent. It lacks the cohesion that is required of a serious contender for the whip hand the new system has on offer. It is unlikely that they will be able to address these divisions in time for November and it is reasonable to expect the next PM and Cabinet to be mandated primarily by the nobles' united influence. - Sefita Hao'uli. Premium content -
Friday 30 April 2010 6:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : After Tonga's Attorney General, John Cauchi SC handed over his letter of resignation to the Tongan Government, he today expressed his disappointment that after the government made the initial move to establish an independent Judiciary, it lacked the political will to make it work.1 comment Premium content -
Friday 30 April 2010 4:50pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : I have had difficulty having that independent role accepted to the point where the Government has removed most if not all of my responsibilities. These have been allocated to either the Cabinet or the Minister of Justice. This is not the independence the Government said it wanted to achieve when it created the new Attorney General's position. The Minister of Justice is not the Attorney- General. - Office of Attorney General Premium content -
Thursday 29 April 2010 5:34am
Auckland, New Zealand : Interesting that you noted the PR's and Nobles' vote for a numerically undemocratic system as "ironic". While strictly numerical divisions would technically be more democratic, problems may arise in representing the needs of the "combination" islands. Reps must be truly familiar with the issues faced in both sets of islands, visit them regularly etc. - Josephine A. Latu. Premium content -
Thursday 29 April 2010 5:27am
USA : Our culture and traditions has strong ties to the "Land" and our history is defined by this. We can not simply say - let's mix things up in order to come up with equal number of constituents. The votes of the nobles on this bill was a good indication, even themselves know that we can't simply mix up people of Vava'u and Ha'apai like that or worse yet, mix up with Tongatapu. - Thomas M. (Soni) Uata. Premium content -
Wednesday 28 April 2010 10:18pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : An American woman Gayle Lee (59) who fell off Hufangalupe cliff at Vaini, Tongatapu on April 22 is presumed dead, after three days of searching in both land and sea in the surrounding area has failed to locate her body. Premium content -
Wednesday 28 April 2010 9:30pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Eempowering women in business by giving them the opportunities through training to start, grow and develop their businesses was the aim of a two day "Women in Business" Financial Management workshop in Nuku'alofa on April 27-28. Premium content -
Wednesday 28 April 2010 5:31pm
Pangai, Ha'apai : Where is the much-vaunted "rule of law"? Where, even, is common sense? This whole parliamentary affair sounds suspiciously like the failures which preceded the M.V Ashika tragedy. That is, "We want this to happen so badly that we are willing to overlook . . ." You fill in the blank. - P. A. Langi. Premium content -
Wednesday 28 April 2010 4:46pm
Auckland, New Zealand : Through the democratic changes, commoners' interests should now be better represented because of the increased number of people's representatives. Giving voice to those least heard in Parliament for generations was what the democratic changes were about and it would be a shame if the interests of commoner women were set aside once more for the sake of social propriety. - Sefita Hao'uli. Premium content -
Tuesday 27 April 2010 9:51pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Lord Dalgety appeared at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court this morning, 27 April, and pleaded not guilty to one count of perjury that related to a statement he made in January at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Sinking of the MV Princess Ashika. Premium content -
Tuesday 27 April 2010 5:09pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's Political Reform and its November election is in a state of limbo because parliament, after spending two weeks of a special session to assess the Royal Constituency Boundaries Commission Report on proposed constituency boundaries, failed to legally confirm the boundaries of a proposed 17 Constituencies, before the House closed on Thursday, April 22. ... Both 'Akilisi Pohiva and 'Isileli Pulu did not think there was any need to debate over the Bills, they expressed their whole hearted trust on the Minister of Justice to draft good bills. The Speaker called for votes and the two Bills to Amend the Constitution of Tonga and to establish a Boundary Commission were passed. The vote for a Bill to Amend the Constitution was carried 25-0 in its second reading and 23-0 in its third reading. The Bill for the establishment of the Boundary Commission was carried with 23-0 in its second reading and 22-0 in its third reading. From the House. By Pesi Fonua. -
Tuesday 27 April 2010 2:45pm
Kelefesia, Ha'apai : The Talisker Bounty and its support boat negotiated a tricky pass through a reef, to take refuge on an isolated island, Kelefesia, in Tonga's Ha'apai Group over the weekend after sailing from Nuku'alofa last week at the start of their recreation of the epic Bounty Boat voyage made by Captain Bligh over 221 years ago. Photos by Shane Egan Premium content -
Monday 26 April 2010 8:07pm
Suva, Fiji : A decision to set aside 4.5million square kilometers of international waters in the Pacific as off-limits to purse seine fishing for tuna represents one of the largest ocean protection moves in history said Greenpeace. Premium content
