Hon. Prime Minister received misleading request for a Press Conference Featured
Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva
17 April, 2016. The Hon Prime Minister was greatly disappointed to learn that the request for a press conference made by Mrs Viola Ulakai in an email on 2 March 2016 to Mr Claude Tupou , and signed on behalf of the Tonga Media Council was not endorsed by the Council but it was in fact Mrs Ulakai’s own personal request.
The email was addressed to Mr Claude Tupou, the then Acting Chief Executive Office for Education and Training, and was copied to a lot of addresses including the officials at the Office of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, requesting for a press conference regarding issues related to the Ministry of Education and Training.
The Hon Prime Minister is greatly concerned with actions of individual journalists that tend to create unnecessary tensions between the media industry and the Government that seem to portray misleading discernments that the Government is unwilling to discuss with the media. It can possibly create negative perceptions of Government by stakeholders that are assisting Government Ministries in technical areas.
The Hon Prime Minister and the Government is committed to a more accountable and transparent form of administration and it will continue to discuss with the media issues and decisions of mutual benefit to the public.
The Government is in discussion with the Tonga Media Council to establish clear line of communication and point of contact for all future request of this nature. This would assist in reliability of correspondence and to ensure that Government, stakeholders and the public are not misled by the actions of anyone person.
Last year the Hon Prime Minister held three separate conferences with the media to elucidate on several national issues and to respond to questions raised by the media. In fact, it was apparent that the media had misused these opportunities by tossing in unnecessary near-personal trifling questions.
The Prime Minister’s Office wishes to clarify that the Hon Prime Minister is not accountable to Mrs Viola Ulakai, as a person, and he suspects that the issues and questions raised by her are not of her making but rather are those concocted and tailored by Government opponents who have recently retired from the Ministry; all for the purpose of discrediting and running down this Government.
The Hon Prime Minister appeals for the public to trust in this Government and reassures that its activities, policies and programmes continue to focus centrally on the general public interest.
11 comments
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Ko e taimi ni, ko e ngutu o e kau ngaue Potungaue Ako oku i he Palemia. Ko honau 'atamai 'oku 'ia Piveni. Koia ai finito ai 'etau talanoa he koe sino pe 'o e kau ngaue 'oku 'alu 'o ngaue 'ikai toe malava ha toe me'a.
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Hypocrisy not democracy
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‘Oku ha mai ia heni, koe loto mamahi ‘ae Palemia ia koe ‘ikai ke endorse ange he’e Tonga Media Council ‘ae kole konifelenisi ne fai e Viola Ulakai. ‘Oku mahino foki koe e-mail ia ‘a Viola ki Mr Claude Tupou, ikai koe Palemia. Koeha e palopalema? ‘Oku ‘iai ha Policy ia ‘ae Potungaue Ako ke toki tohi nage pe ha kosiliso pea toki tali? Ko e ha e tali kia Viola Ulakai fekau’aki mo’ene e-mail? Pe koe toki tali pe ‘eni ia kuo tuku mai he Media?
Kapau ‘oku pehe he’e Palemia ‘oku tukupa ke taliui mo ho’ata ki tu’a hono fakalele ‘oe Pule’anga (“committed to a more accountable and transparent form of administration…”) kofe leva ‘ene kaveinga ngaue fakaongoongo “Communication Strategy” ke mea’i he’e kakai pea ke mahino e founga oku fai’aki e ngaue. Ne tau fanongo mo lau e lea ‘ae ‘ene fale’i fakamitia malolo ( former Media Advisor), Kalai Moala, ‘ene fo’i hono fakafe’atungia’i ia he’ene feinga ke fakahoko ‘e ngaue ke ho’ata ki tu’a. Pea ko’ena kuo faksfisi ia ka ‘oku te’eki ai pe ke mahino mai e founga ngaue ia.
‘Oku totonu ke tukuange mai he’e Palemia moe ‘ene pule’anga e founga ngaue ke ilo ki ai e kakai kotoa, he ‘oku ‘ikai koe Tonga Media Council pe ‘oku fie fetu’utaki mo kole ha ongoongo mei he Palemia moe Pule’anga, koe fe taliui ia kihe KAKAI KOTOA kuo ‘ai ai pe ke taliui pe kihe Tonga Media Council? Ne tala he’e PTOA, lolotonga e kemipeini fili, kuo nau ‘osi maau mo ‘enau palani ke fakalele’aki e Pule’anga, hili ko ia koe a’u mai ‘eni kihe ta’u hono ua, ‘oku kei fakalele kuikui pe e ngaue. Kofe e palani?
‘Io, ne ‘iai e ngaahi media conference ne fakahoko he 2015, ka na’e fakalele fakatikitako pe ia, he na’e fiu e mitia ia e feinga atu ke ‘eke ngaahi fehu’i felave’i mo’ene founga tu’utu’uni (i.e tautea’i ‘o Lavulavu) pea ne matu’aki ta’ofi mai pe ia. Ka ko ‘eni ‘oku kei vilo holo pe fo’i tu’utu’uni ko ia pea ‘o hoko koe faka’uli’uli latai he ‘ene (PM) fakahoko ngaue.
‘Oku fiema’u ke fakamanatu kihe Palemia, ‘oku ke taliui kihe kakai, kau ai mo Viola Ulakai, pe koha taha pe ‘oku ne fiema’u ha fakamatala fakama’ala’ala ho’o fakahoko ngaue. Koe ‘uhinga ia ‘oe taliui moe ho’ata ki tu’a e ngaue. Koe me’a ia na’ake fakamalanga’i pea na’a mau pehe ‘oku ke ‘ilo hono ‘uhinga ka ko ho’o fakahoko ngaue ‘oku hange ‘oku ‘asi mai ia ‘oku ‘ikai teke ‘ilo ‘e koe ‘uhinga ‘oe ngaahi fo’i lea koia. Koho fatongia ia kuo tu’utu’uni atu he’e Konisitutone keke taliui kihe kakai kotoa ‘oe fonua.
‘Oku hange hono tuku mai e kii Press Release ko’eni meiho ‘Ofisi ko ha’o “ whitch hunt” keke hanga ‘o fakangali kovi’i mai ‘a Viola Ulakai tokua nene ngaue hala’aki e hingoa ‘oe Tonga Midia Council pea koe ‘uhinga ia ne ‘ikai ai keke tali e kole (request). Palemia, ‘oku hala ia, ne totonu ke response ‘a Claude Tupou ia kia Viola Ulakai ‘o fakama’ala’ala ange ‘oku totonu ke fou mai e “request” meihe Tonga Media Council, kapau koho’o fiema’u ia. ‘Ikai ngata ai, ‘oku hange na’e toki fakahoko tomui atu kia koe e request ia ko’eni, kou laka ‘eni ia e mahina ‘e taha moe konga e-amil atu a Viola peake toki hu mai koe ‘o fakaha mai ho’o loto mamahi? ‘Oku totonu keke ‘uluaki lotomamahi koe ki ho’o kau ngaue he: 1- ‘ikai ke nau fakahoko kia Viola ‘ae founga totonu e ngaue, 2- Ko hono fakahoko tomui atu kia koe e request. ‘Oku hoata mai ia heni ‘oku hanga ho’o lotomamahi a koe ‘ia Viola (personal issues with Viola) ‘one uesia ho’o fakahoko ngaue (professional performance).
Palemia, ‘e lava ke mau falala atu ki ho’o fakalele e ngaue kapau teke muimui kihe ngaahi “Principles” na’ake malanga’i mai e ngaahi ta’u lahi ‘o makatu’unga ai e mau falala atu keke hoko koe Palemia he ‘aho ni. Ka kuo ho’ata mai ia kuo tuku e ngaahi principles ia ko ia kake fou koe he founga kehe. -
'Oku 'ikai ke mahu'inga ia pe ko hai na'a ne 'eke e fehu'i, pe na'e endorse 'ehe Media Council pe 'ikai, 'oku 'ikai koe poini ia. Koe poini koe 'eke 'ehe citizen 'o Tonga ni e me'a mahu'inga fekau'aki moe ako 'etau fanau. Feinga mu'a koe PM ke tali e ngaahi fehu'i he 'oku fakafofonga'i atu 'e Viola e matu'a 'e laungeau he hoha'a ki he tukunga 'o e ako moe Potungaue Ako he 'aho ni. And Viola is a journalist in her own right, and she can ask any questions with or without the endorsement of the Media Council. Kuo 'ikai toe ha ki'i 'uhinga ma'ulalo hono toho hake 'ehe palemia kae tuku e poini mahu'inga ia. Koe ki'i founga motu'a ai pe 'a 'Akili mo 'ene kau ngutulau, tuku e mo'oni ia kihe tafa'aki kae feinga ia ke taki e tokanga he feit'u kehe. Tali e ngaahi fehu'i pea tuku e toe hipa takai holo.
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Oua e Fiu
Tuku ho'o poupou'i e faihala moe kaunoa'ia ai na naa mo takoto mo Akilisi ha kete taha -
Kau 'ena ia he 'ita maumau taimi Palemia, mo feinga ke afe'i e issue mei he me'a mahu'inga, ki he me'a ta'emahu'inga. Koe poinii, ke tali e fehu'i 'oku 'oatu he 'oku fie'ilo kiai e fanauako, matu'a mo e kakai. Tatau ai ia pe koe 'oatu 'e Viola pe mei he TMCouncil, ka 'oku 'ikai koe poini ia ke 'eke pe koe fehu'i meia hai. Na'e fehu'i atu 'e Vioala e tu'unga 'oku 'iai e ola 'o e sivi he maaka raw, kae hanga mai koe Palemia ia 'o talamai ko e fehu'i pe ia 'a Viola kae 'ikai koe 'omi mei he TMCouncil. Tuku aa e fa'a 'eti faiva ta'ekalaa mo 'ai me'a noa'ia foki moe fakaninimo.
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Totoomui hifo Oua e Fiu he kuo osi iai e tali a Viola Ulakai. Email kihe taha kehe ku halakau mai ai e Palemia ia. Ai na oku mo to'u o ikai fuu mahino e mo'oni'i mea nae hoko. Tohi ia ka Claude Tupou ku kaunoa hake ai. Ai pea ke lea faka'apa'apa teke lava'i ke lea pehee atu ha taha ki ha'o Fa'e pe tuofefine？Ke li kitu'a？Ke hoko pe koe kihe kau Kapineti koeni o ta'etoka'i ta'efaka'apa'apa mo taeofa.
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Ko e me'a ia oku oli ko e request atu e fiema'u e ongongo fekau'aki moe palopalema o e fonua kuo 'ita fakamoko mai e Ofisi e Palemia ia.. Sai na'e toki osi pe 'ena etau longoa'a he fu'u vaeua miliona ne 'ave ki he Forbes koa pe koe ha e kau taha kae fakatalanoa kiai e PM fekau'aki mo Tonga... Hala ha seniti e mole he feinga atu a Viola.. koe feinga atu koe longoa'a 'a e kakai pea ka oku 'ikai ha'o 'ilo kiai 'oua toe fai e faahinga fakanafala ko'eni kae fei mo fai ha tali.. Ko e lipooti 'ena mei he Potungaue o fekau'aki mo ho'o liliu ne fai ki he maaka 'o e sivi kuo mahino oku mou kauhala kehekehe.. Tuku a e saisaiti he oku ke toi mai pe koe kae tekeutua mai ho fu'u fo'i tu'a e vaipalo moe 'ikai ha tali e taau moe fehu'i oku teu ke 'oatu ma'au..hhhh ..Malie PM o Tonga.. kuo ke fu'u vaivai pe pea ikai keke kei taau ke fakalele 'a e fonua ko Tonga....
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Kataki ofisi PM o mihii e manava, fisifisii e kete, pea ai ke mahino koe ofisi taki koe oe fonua. Oua teke toe hifo koe o fktotolo lau holo he emaili ae kakai hange ha finematu'a tae ako. Koho fatongia ia ke tali e ngaahi request atu meihe mitia. Kuo hange hoo hola holo au PM meihe mitia ha taha vale pe'e. Ikai koe hola holo koe avaava e ilo pea ikai ha tali kihe ngaahi maumau kuo hoko kihe potungaue ako moe launga tavale ae kakai. Kuo mou hanga hake eni o personal attack kihe sii finemotua fai ongoongo hono feingai ke sii tuli ihe ngaue. Poto a PM, tuku a e vale he taki. Naake feinga ke tuli tae uhinga a Lady Fielakepa mo Lady Fusitua pea toki osi ni eni hoo ngali vale ai he fkmaau anga. Koe faifai pea fkilo koe ehe Letio, pe ko Viola hoomou feinga violate ene contract ngaue pea ke toe ngali vale ai. Feinga ke high levolo e sipinga taki kae tuku a e hange ha a gossip magazine e personal attack holo he oku ui ia koe harassment moe misuse oe power pea oku moua ia ihe flmaau anga.
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ZKuo Taimi ke li kitu'a 'ae Faiongoongo, 'oku ne feinga ke Takihala'i pea fkmo'oni Loi koe uki mei he Media Council.
Koe case pelepelengesi 'eni 'ihe vakai mai hono ng kau ngaue mei he ng media kehe.
'oku totonu ke kolekole fkmolemle, pea lue leva ki 'api.
Malie tama feinga holo, 'ae Chief Reporter 'ae A3Z. Pea koe taimi totonu eni ke terminate ai 'ene contract.......me'a ta'e fkpolofesinale mo'oni k'ene ngaue.........Koe 'aho fkma 'eni kihe Tonga media coucil.