Flooding and education priorities for Tongatapu 1 candidates [1]
Monday, November 25, 2019 - 20:15. Updated on Monday, November 25, 2019 - 20:15.
By Eleanor Gee
Two candidates will contest the Tongatapu 1 By-Election on Thursday November 28. Dr Netatua Pelesikoti Taufatofua and Siaosi Pohiva, both campaigning for a seat in the Tonga Legislative Assembly, last week talked about their priorities for their constituency.
The two candidates are contesting the parliamentary seat left by the late Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva who died in September.
The candidates presented their views at a press conference, aired live on radio on November 22, moderated by Matangi Tonga Editor Pesi Fonua.
Dr Netatua Pelesikoti Taufatofua
“There are lots of priorities I want to address. There’s not just one priority. But one of the most important priorities to me is to ensure parliament operates in accordance with the law and constitution. And secondly, is to improve government policies so that it can implement its aims."
She said Tongatapu 1 Constituency also had urgent needs, which they hadchosen for her to run with and to push in Parliament.
For example, healthy living, reduce illicit drugs use and abuse of alcohol and to prioritize small businesses.
In Tongatapu 1, the livlihoods of nearly 80% of families comes from running small businesses, which is the same for women, men, and youth, she said.
“While, those living in Hala-‘o-vave, Tongata’eapa, Sopu and ‘Isileli and part of Kolomotu’a want to deal with the swamps in low-lying areas and flooding.”
Siaosi Pohiva said if he was elected he would first focus on the government budget as a priority.
“It is understood that the budget has been passed for the year. And there isn’t much I can do to the budget but the important thing I can do is follow up that everything that has been passed in the budget has been implemented.”
He said if he had a chance to achieve his dreams, he believed in addressing the social and economic issues faced by everyone.
“My utmost concern would be devoted to this, because this is where the blessings will come from,” he added.
At the same time, Siaosi said he aimed to complete the democratization process, which had been set up by the party that he is a member of.
“I believe one the main priorities of our People’s Democratic Party, is equity or equal distribution.”
He said, although he aims to represent this constituency, it would be unfair for him to disregard the rest of Tonga.
“After all I am Tongan, and that is the reason why we have to get to the crux of it so that everyone has a share, and not just focus on my constituency and their needs.”
Issues
Meanwhile, other discussion was held boadly around trade, inflation, tax, unemployment, education, and tourism.
One major difference between the candidates was how parliament is currently run.
While Netatua was happy with the current system because of its separation of powers, Siaosi believed nobles should not be part of parliament and believed they do not represent “the people”.
He was concerned that the nobles have nine votes in parliament and all they needed was five more votes to have the majority of votes.
In addition, he believed the positions of the Attorney General and Police Commissioner should be selected by the people.
Address
On the issues in Tongatapu 1, Netatua told Matangi Tonga after the press conference that the biggest priority issue she felt that really needed to be addressed is flooding of homes and roads, as it was still occurring.
Siaosi told Matangi Tonga the biggest priority issue in Tongatapu 1 that he felt needed to be addressed was education because it is sustainable and “very low cost”.
He explained that some students that attend the two primary schools in the electorate “don’t have an all conducive environment to study”.
The solution he suggested was the people could pay a supervisor to sit there in the schools for two hours. “After dinner at night, they come to the school [to study]. No extra resources, just a supervisor.”
The press conference was filmed and aired live on radio as local media asked questions relating to their policies.
Background
Dr Netatua Pelesikoti Taufatofua, a distinguished Tongan scientist, was recently admitted to an International Scientific Advisory Panel [2] for the World Meteorological Organisation.
Netatua helped to establish the Pacific Meteorological Council in 2011 when she was Director of the Climate Change Program at the Secretariat of the Pacific Environmental Program (SPREP). She holds a PhD Degree in Environmental Science, specialising in Sustainable Coastal Resource Monitoring and Assessment, coastal water quality, coral reefs and sea grass, from the Environmental Science Department, University of Wollongong, Australia (2003).
She was a candidate in the 2017 General election, polling in second place behind 'Akilisi Pohiva, out of 11 candidates.
Late PM's son
Siaosi Vailahi Pohiva, a son of the late Prime Minister, Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva, is an educational assesment specialist who has worked for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Assessment Unit of the Education Quality and Assessment Programme.
The Electoral Commission reported that 4,382 voters had registered, before the closing of the electoral roll. This is only 126 more than those registered in the 2017 General Election. Some 52.2% of the registered voters (2288) are women, while 47.8% are men (2094).