Results for Opinion

When the Prime Minister told the House this week that the Reserve Bank should tell the commercial banks to reduce their interest rates and to reduce their profit to not more than $2 million pa’anga per annum - one wonders if the Prime Minister had discussed the issue with his Minister of Finance? Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.

The first modern King of Tonga, George Tupou I, foresaw that there would come a day when his people would be “destroyed for lack of knowledge”. We ask the Honorable Members of Parliament, do not let this prophetic statement come true. Safeguard and preserve the Popua Sia for future generations and find another site for housing developments. - Lea Kauvaka Hauula, Fiji. Petitioning Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva and Members of Parliament, Kingdom of Tonga.

Tu’utu’uni ‘a e Tama Tu’i Tupou VI ki he Kapineti ke holomui meihe teu fakamo’oni ‘a Tonga he CEDAW, he ko e toko tahamano tupu ‘o e kakai ‘o Tonga ni na’a nau tohi tangi ange ke ‘oua ‘e kau ‘a Tonga ni ‘i he CEDAW . . – Sione Tu’itupou Fotu.

It should not take a rocket-scientist to see that in vain we claim to build a Pacific Nation's economy when the biggest chunk of the budget goes into payroll. Investment is where we should spend most of our budget instead. - Desert WarLord

We are concerned at a few levels about illicit trade of cigarettes being imported into Tonga without health warnings and certificates of origin. - John Paul Chapman.

‘Oku ‘iai ‘a e hoha’a ‘a e Women and Children Crisis Centre ki he fakamatala fekau’aki mo e tohi tangi kuo tufaki holo ‘i Tonga ni ‘i he fanauako ke nau fakamo’oni ki ai ke fakaha ‘aki ‘enau ta’eloto ke fakamo’oni ‘a e Pule’anga Tonga ki he CEDAW. - 'Ofa Guttenbeil, WCCC.

‘Oku faka’apa’apa ‘a e Pule’anga kihe vakai ‘a e Hou’eiki Taki Lotu, ka ‘oku ne kei tui ta’etoeveiveiua, ko e faingamlie mahu’inga eni ke fakaha mo fakapapau’i ai ‘e Tonga ki mamani lahi ‘a ‘ene taumu’a ngaue faka-molale, mo e loto mo e faka’amu, ke ta’ofi ‘a e ngaahi founga ‘oku fakafaikehekehe’i’aki ‘a e hou’eiki fefine ‘i Tonga ni, tukukehe pe ‘a e ngaahi faka-ngatangata kuo ‘osi fakaha mahino, felave’i mo e totonu ki he Taloni, ngaahi hingoa mo e tofi’a faka-nopele tukufakaholo, pea mo e hohoko kihe kelekele tukufakaholo, pea ‘e ‘ikai ke ngaue’aki ‘a e Konivesio ke faka-ngofua ‘a e fakato-tama mo e mali ‘a fefine mo e fefine, pe mali ‘a tangata mo tangata. - Hon Sosefo Fe'aomoeata.

Kuo tukumai ‘e he kau Taki Lotu ‘ae ‘ikai kenau loto ke tali ‘e Tonga ‘ae CEDAW. Ko e makatu’unga tefito ‘I he’enau lau, koe’uhi pe koe ngaahi faka’uhinga ‘oku fepaki ‘ae ngaahi kupu ‘e ni’ihi ‘oe CEDAW mo e tokateline ‘oe Lotu. Ko e Kupu 10(h) mo e 12(1) ‘oku faka’uhinga’I ki he fakatotama pea pehe ki he Kupu 16 ‘oku faka’uhinga’I ‘oku fekau’aki mo e mali tatau. -Tito Kivalu

The current incessant pressure applied by proponents to ratify CEDAW takes me back to Mary Fonua’s account (Feb. 12, 2015). She wrote that CEO Lōpeti Senituli assembled a group of educated and prominent ladies, as “relevant stakeholders” to decide the fate of CEDAW. - Sione Ake-mei-hakau Mokofisi.