The New Zealand Prime Minister Hon. John Key marked his first visit to the Kingdom by announcing an increase in New Zealand aid to Tonga from $12 million to $16 million during the 2009-10 financial year, and it will go up again by $2 million during the 2011-12 financial year.

At a joint Press Conference with the Tongan Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele in Nuku'alofa yesterday afternoon, July 7 Hon. John Key said that $5 million from the $16 million and another $2.5 million later would go toward the Tonga Police Development Program. This triparte partnership agreement between New Zealand, Australia and Tonga was signed in 2007 to improve the capacity of the Tongan Police following the riots that destroyed the central business district of the capital Nuku'alofa on November 16, 2006.

The New Zealand Prime Minister's 21-hours whirlwind visit to Tonga with a 78-members delegation began when the RNZAF aircraft landed at the Fua'amotu International airport at 12.20pm on July 7. He had an audience with HM King George Tupou V, held a Press Conference, visited the Police Training School, held talks with the local business community, attended a reception at the residence of the New Zealand High Commissioner, then had dinner with the king.

The audience with King George Tupou V at Consular House included the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Hon. Georgina te Heuheu, Maori Party Co-leader Hon. Dr Pita Sharples and the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga Ms Christine Bogle.

Posing for photos with the King at Consular House, the Prime Minister and his party met the king's pet dogs Pulupa and Estelle - who took a liking to Dr Sharples and Ms Christine Bogle.

After that the New Zealand Prime Minister went out to meet the Press on the side of the road (apparently some members of the press with the entourage had not been allowed into Consular House because they were wearing jeans). Mr Key said that the king was very positive about the political reform and that things were on track for election in 2010.

When he was asked about his personal view of the king, he said: "He's a very nice fella . . . I think his command of the English language might be better than mine!"

Forum

Later during the joint press conference with the Tongan Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Feleti Sevele, Hon. John Key was asked if the negotiation over the PACER Plus free trade agreement between Australia/New Zealand and the Pacific Islands Forum countries could proceed without the participation of Fiji.

"Yes, I think the Forum can proceed without Fiji, there are another 15 active members that form the Pacific Forum but obviously it would be our preference that Fiji resumes its place, but for to that to be achieved we would need Fiji to be restored on the pathway to democracy," he said.

Tongan reforms

The Tongan Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele announced at the Press Conference that with regards to Tonga's political reform, a parliamentary election for a new system of government had been scheduled for November 2010. He later told the reception at the New Zealand High Commissions that Tonga's political reforms would be ongoing and incremental. He thanked New Zealand for the 30 % increase in aid.

Economic development

During the afternoon, addressing a meeting of the Tonga New Zealand Business Association at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre, Hon. John Key said the increase in aid would try to ensure that the Tonga government has greater resources for development of better infrastructure.

He heard presentations from representatives of four developing sectors of the Tongan economy; tourism, agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing.

Mr Key said that the question of how to get economic development to happen in a fast and sustainable way in the Pacific would be looked at during the Pacific Forum meeting in Cairns in August. He also reminded business people that they could, "continue to put pressure on your government, as we increase aid, to put some of that to economic development."

The Prime Minister who is on a four-day visit to Tonga, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands., left Tonga early on July 8. Also included in the party was Mr Key's wife Bronagh, former All Blacks Michael Jones and Va'aiga Tuigamala and the hip-hop dance group Prestige.