In my view, it is disingenuous for Mr Goldstern to characterize what was a genuine act by the Honorable PM in his first trip to the Kingdom. I suggest that Mr. Goldstern should read up and understand the History between NZ, Australia and Tonga. - M. T. Tuaileva
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Results for Opinion
Thursday 16 July 2009
Honolulu, Hawaii
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Wednesday 15 July 2009
Sydney, Australia
'Etita, 'Okumalie ngaahi feme'a'aki he Fale pea fakamalo atu ho'o 'omai ke mau lave ai. Ka 'oku fakatupu fifili e ngaahi me'a 'oku hoko hotau Fale'eiki. -Samiu Sika
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Tuesday 14 July 2009
Tonga
Ko e liliu ki he Temokalati he 'ikai ngata pe he liliu ki he Pule'anga pe ko e liliu ki hono faka-lele 'o e Fale-Alea 'a ia ko e Konga 2 ia 'o e Konisitutone. Ka kuo pau ke toe kau atu ki ai mo e Konga 3 'a ia ko e Fonua pe Kelekele kae toki kakato 'o Faka-Lao mo Faka-Konisitutone 'a e liliu. 'I he Konga 3 'o e Konisitutone 'a ia ko e Fonua pe Kelekele ko hono Pule'i mo e Mafai 'oku 'i he Kalauni pe ko e Tu'i pea ko e Kalauni pe Tu'i na'e toe Taki he Pule'anga pea ko 'e ne kakato ia ko e Pule'anga mo e Fonua. Ko ia ai 'e anga fefe ha Faka-Lao mo Faka-Konisitutone ' a e liliu kuo fai pe ko e ngaue 'a e Palemia mo e Pule'anga? - Sioeli F. Helu
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Tuesday 14 July 2009
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
It is with some interest that I read Prime Minister Key's announcement of aid contributions for Tonga. The first aspect I find amusing is the absence of any recognition, in the announcement, that this is money being collected from citizens of New Zealand in taxes and therefore is coming from the people of New Zealand for the people of Tonga. Instead he gives the impression that this money is the result of his/government's generosity. - Peter Goldstern
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Tuesday 14 July 2009
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
New Zealand producers added wealth to their economy by exporting goods to Tonga. Tongan producers duplicated the same in their economy by consuming the goods, and traded back products that New Zealand producers could not produce at affordable costs. - Sione A. Mokofisi
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Sunday 12 July 2009
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
It is with some interest that I read Prime Minister Key's announcement of aid contributions for Tonga. The most interesting aspect is that, in fact, the amount of NZ annual aid to Tonga comes very close to the total tax revenue that the NZ government would have collected in income tax from income derived in NZ on the NZ$70 million of exports to Tonga in 2007. - Peter Goldstern
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Friday 10 July 2009
Salt Lake City-Utah, USA
Tonga's so-called pro-democracy camp whined like spoiled brats who expected attention from the NZ PM's state visit NZ Prime Minister visits Tonga, 08 July, 2009), but who were left irrelevant in the cold. -Sione A. Mokofisi
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Saturday 4 July 2009
Australia
You do have to hand it to the Australian and New Zealanders, they comprehensively outmanouvered and outplayed their Pacific counterparts. Critical to this was the removal of Roman Grynberg from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Dr Grynberg has long been a thorn in the side of Australia's trade ambitions with his expertise and strategy in negotiations, particularly in providing assistance to the under resourced Island Countries. - Adam Wolfenden
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Saturday 4 July 2009
Kailua Kona, Hawaii,USA
However, I would suggest to the Nuku'alofa rebuilding committee that every new building should designate the ground level for parking. Building parking structures will alleviate roadside parking. Prohibit parking along the main roads in Nuku'alofa between 7:00am - 7:00pm. - ‘Aisea T. Tu‘ikolovatu
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Wednesday 1 July 2009
Auckland, New Zealand
During a live television interview here in New Zealand on 21 June I made a thoughtless remark which has caused great offence to Tongans both within the Kingdom and elsewhere. When I became aware that I had caused offence to my fellow law practitioners in Tonga, I immediately wrote a letter of apology to the Tonga Law Society, sections of which appear in a Press Release by the Tonga Law Society published in Matangi Tonga. - David Garrett
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Sunday 28 June 2009
Auckland, New Zealand
The comments by this David Garrett in the New Zealand parliament and his defence to the media of what he muttered are signs of a person who is desperate and an attention seeker. Unbeknownst to this person who is clearly not Tongan, he has brought shame to us Tongans here in Zealand and it gives out a picture that harassment is a norm in the Tonga work place environment. - S. F. Fonua
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Sunday 28 June 2009
USA
It is disheartening to hear the more we are struggling for change, the more things remain the same in Parliament. It is also fair to say that I am grossly disgusted with the hard working members of our Parliament who lackadaisical join the House at their convenience, but rush to claim overtime pay when they are needed to do what they were elected to do in the first place. It stinks to high heaven, and it shows their greed and their love of power more than upholding the duties they campaigned for. -TamaFoa
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Thursday 25 June 2009
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
One reads with the greatest concern the statement by a NZ ACT Member of Parliament, David Garrett (ironically, an employment lawyer for over 10 years), trying to justify lewd remarks that he made to a female worker, asserting that "I'm on a very steep learning curve, I now understand very clearly that the kind of thing that might have been okay in a law firm in Tonga is not okay in Parliament." (NZ Herald, 23/06/09). - Sitiveni Finau
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Tuesday 23 June 2009
San Diego-California, USA
Faka'of'ofa 'aupito 'a e me'a 'oku lau ki ai 'a Siua Lafitani fekau'aki mo e founga fakatikitato 'oku fai'aki 'e teu liliu ko 'eni.
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Tuesday 23 June 2009
Kenipela, 'Aositelelia
'Oku fakaha mai he tu'unga 'o e liliu fakapolitikale he 'aho ni, mo e te u fakahoko 'a e ngaue mahu'inga taha hotau hisitolia 'o e 20-21 Senituli 'a e anga fakatikitato, ta'efakapotopoto mo ta'efakatemokalati, pea kapau 'oku pehee pe 'a e kamata huanoa katau ka to atu ki he namo mo e moana loloto, ko 'ene fehalaaki pe 'e to e kovi ange 'a e kaha'u ia mo hono ngaahi nunu'a.
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Sunday 21 June 2009
Suva, Fiji
Many of your readers will, I know, share the sorrow and regret at the news of the passing of Emeritus Professor Ronald Gordon Crocombe on Friday, 19 June 2009 in Auckland en-route to Rarotonga from Nuku'alofa. He will be remembered most of all by the thousands of people whose lives he touched through his teaching and writing on the Pacific and through the person he was. -Morgan and Eileen Tuimaleali'ifano
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Saturday 20 June 2009
Salt Lake City-Utah, USA
Your report (Fix it with flowers, 19 June, 2009) best illustrated the People's Representatives anti-growth mentality, lack of business knowledge, while salivating for Big Government to control business and finance. -Sione A. Mokofisi
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Friday 19 June 2009
Standord, California, USA
A huge and a standing ovation is here now extended to Sione Posesi Bloomfield for his achievement as a Harvard Graduate. Posesi's (name best known in high school) achievement means a lot of things. - Lucia
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Friday 12 June 2009
USA
Kapau 'oku tau kumi ki he lelei tahá, 'e 'ikai kovi nai ke kau mo e palemiá he fili 'e he kakaii?
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Thursday 11 June 2009
Auckland, New Zealand
You have been uncomfortable with the push to implement the changes and never mind the consequences. This report shares your long-held view and congratulations. I am particularly impressed that the Commission recognized the need for a more informed electorate and that our communities need to be better informed so that they can better anticipate the changes and its impact on their lives. The wider concern over land tenure is a welcome surprise at this late stage. - Sefita Hao'uli
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