Flight of fantasy [1]
Sunday, June 14, 2020 - 15:51. Updated on Monday, June 15, 2020 - 13:29.
Editor's Comment, by Pesi Fonua
On Friday we reported the government’s announcement that there would be a test/drill repatriation flight, with 50 overseas Tongans [2], arriving on an Air New Zealand cargo flight “next week”, and quarantined for two weeks at the Tanoa Hotel. The problem with our report was that we believed what we were being told at the Prime Minister's press conference held at the Fa'onelua Centre.
The Tonga Government website yesterday Saturday 13 June, stated that our report, published on Friday 12 June was incorrect. The statement said that they will carry out only a “logistics and coordination drill” and “there will be no repatriation flight next week”.
However, we stand-by our article as an accurate report of what was said by the people who spoke at the press conference held at the Fa’onelua Cenvention Centre at 4:00pm last Friday.
If government has decided to exclude overseas Tongans from their logistics and coordination drill that is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 16 June (as stated on their 13 June correction) – then that is an alteration to the test-drill flight arrival that was announced and elaborated on by several government officials last Friday.
Furthermore, according to a spokesperson from the Tanoa International Hotel in Nuku’alofa, this weekend, the government has not reached an agreement to use their hotel as a quarantine accommodation. Although discussions have been held, there had been no agreement made, the spokesperson said.
Unfortunately, the people who were quoted in our report of Friday's Press Conference were unavailable for further comment, following the statement issued on the Tonga Government website yesterday.
We sincerely apologise to our readers for reporting the government’s statements at the press conference on Friday as “fact”. The truth is that the “flight” bringing home 50 overseas Tongans from Auckland, described in detail at the press conference, was just their flight of fantasy. Overseas Tongans will not be coming home this week.