Cabinet rejects parliament's attempt to resolve Tongan strike

Why not put a 15% pay rise across the board?
Next election I’m voting for the other party - if only it was that simple to change the decision makers in Tonga. Yet another great blunder made by the powers that be regarding the civil service strike.
One recalls the selling of Tongan passports, years later the Tongan community is still reeling from its negative effects. Couldn’t they see the obvious repercussions of their actions? If I had the power then, I would have sacked those responsible the day they sold the first passport.
Today, we witness yet another great blunder. Who allowed an independent committee, totally out of touch with the ins and outs of running a country, to examine civil servants salaries? To actually allow 100% increases of some people and not others is ridiculous. Clearly the government need to retract the independent committee’s wage recommendations and instead put a 15% pay rise across the board. Something they should have done in the first place after the introduction of the Consumption Tax. I hope the powers that be have learnt a lesson from this carry on, “measure twice, cut once”. - Sifa and Donna Taumoepeau

Public employees deserve a pay rise.
Regardless of the status of the kingdom's economy, the public employees deserve a pay raise. They may not be as hefty as the Cabinet members, but the fact remains, they need a raise.
How do we get the money to pay for it? This is where the basic economic law of supply and demand comes to play. The demand (pay raise) should be satisfied by the supplies (kingdom's money) available. If the Cabinet Ministers recently got a raise for themselves, why can't the rest get what they are asking for?

It is possible there is not a whole lot of money left to satisfy everyone's need. If I may, I want to make these recommendations to fix the problem. First, abolish the Tonga Defense Force. Second, reduce the Foreign Affairs Ministry. These two government entities absorb a lot of the kingdom's budget, but the kingdom will survive with this change. In the first scenario, the kingdom does not need a military force. If we look at the threat to the kingdom's national security, there is none. Also, the neighbors (Fiji and Samoas) are so friendly I am sure they will be willing to defend us in the event, Tahiti or Niue wants to invade the kingdom. Who knows, the Mother Island Father Island (MIFI) Battalion may do the job by themselves without any outside intervention. Vacant jobs are still available for this battalion.

Costa Rica, a country in Central America, with a population of 4 millions does not have a military force. Yet, they live in harmony with her neighbor countries, Nicaragua and Panama, who have histories of political turmoil and unrest. Nicaragua was once a communist stronghold. Tonga should look at Costa Rica for this model.

Second, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should reduce the number of embassies to streamline its expenditure and still meet its diplomatic responsibilities for the kingdom. For example, among the most expensive cities in the world are New York and San Francisco. Yet, the kingdom posted two fully staffed offices there. For this part of the world, one person should be able to represent the kingdom in Canada, the US and the United nations. The office in China should be closed. If we look at it closely, what strategic importance is having an office there? On the other hand, if China gives the kingdom millions of dollars for being there, please, by all means, I stand corrected. Other countries have used proxy or third party countries to handle their diplomatic affairs or relationship with other countries. If we ask our bigger neighbors (Australia and New Zealand) to perform diplomatic duties on our behalf, I am sure they will be willing to do it, all for free.

With this painless adjustment, except others pride being hurt, the government can easily deal with the PSA demands and everyone will come out a winner. - Tama Foa '