Results for Opinion

Kataki pe matanga kau faka-tulou atu ki he'ene 'Afio mo Hou'eiki, kia Ha'a Matapule pea moe Tonga kotoa, kae 'ata keta po-talanoa 'i he loto fale ko 'Tau'ataina 'ia Totonu'. Me'apango pe koe 'ikai keu si'i malava 'o liliu faka-Pilitania 'eku fakakaukau ke a'u atu ki ha'a ako mo ha'a 'ilo, kae tuku pe mu'a keu feinga ki he lelei taha…. -Mohetau Kasitati

I thank all contributors and respect all commentaries express in MT Online in regards to CEDAW convention and in particular to the decision made by the House of Legislative on the issue. This debate seems spinning and moving no where. What I was thinking the major reason is our 'Attitude' towards our own interpretation on the issue and 'reaction' to the decision made by the House. - Viliami Tiseli

Fakatulou atu ka e 'ataa ke u lulululu mo Sefesi Lutui (Fakama . . . 05 Nov 2009). Malo 'etau lava tangata. 'Oku ou fiefia 'i ho'o tali mai 'eku tohi. Faka'amu na'ake 'i heni kae palu hata kava. -Sione A. Mokofisi

Like your correspondent Sione Mokofisi from the US, I too would like to see more trade between Tonga and NZ and especially our agricultural exports. It will offer an opportunity for both countries to mitigate what is now a long-running multi-million dollar imbalance in favour of New Zealand. That's a commonly held fact which backgrounds the trade discussions between NZ and Tonga over the years. Which is why I'm surprised at the claims of a trade barrier and price-control policies restricting inflows of Tongan watermelons.- Sefita Hao'uli

Kataki kae faka'au atumu'a 'eku fakamalo 'i he loto hounga mo'oni k he si'i fiekaungamamahi 'oku ha mai mei he Matangi Tonga. akamalo atu kihe 'Eiki Minisista Labor and Commerce, Lisiate 'Akau'ola neu fakahoko 'ene popoaki ki he Kovana 'o Amerika Samoa 'i he Emergency Operation Center (EOC) he pongipongi pe hili 'a e Tsunami, pea lau pe ia ko e popoaki faka pule'anga mei Tonga. -Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa

Your correspondents Kik Velt, Dan Clem and Paul Kidd have all helped us understand a lot more about tsunami and their potential to wreak havoc. What I have taken from their contributions is that mother nature has already provided a perfectly good warning system for tsunamis. It's called an earthquake. We continue to ignore this at our peril.- Sefita Hao'uli

While it is true that in the deep ocean a tsunami's wavelength is so broad that the wave's height is almost imperceptible, we all know that many small Pacific islands are barely above sea level, and many do not have the sheer drop-offs to the seafloor that would prevent a tsunami from slowing down and rearing up into a very perceptible and very dangerous wave. Both of these traits mean that tsunamis can be dangerous to many Pacific islands, whether the tsunami begins nearby or far away. -Dan Clem

The recent red wave (or tidal wave) in Tonga will of course rake up the discussion again whether Tonga should spend money on an early warning system. My answer is clearly and definitely: no; as is very obvious if one considers the physical properties of red waves, which apparently are not very well known.- Firitia (Kik Velt)

The Tongan Parliament is making itself irrelevant to the political reform process that it set for 2010, by failing to agree on the fundamentals for a new system of government for Tonga, and at the same time has left itself out of the decision-making process of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission by not meeting the July 6 deadline for submissions. Editor's Comment.