Hansard text on NZ media freedom questions
Title -- 4044 TONGA: Hansard text on NZ media freedom questions
Date -- 9 May 2003
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Pacific Media Watch, 8 May 2003
Copyright -- PMW
Status -- Unabridged
Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply: www.voy.com/166636/
HANSARD TEXT ON NZ MEDIA FREEDOM QUESTIONS
AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): The full Hansard text of questions by New Zealand's United Future Party leader Peter Dunne in Parliament about media freedom and democracy on 8 May 2003 in Tonga in the wake of the banning of Taimi 'o Tonga:
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader United Future) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Is the New Zealand Government satisfied with the current level of democracy in Tonga?
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade): No. While the Tongan constitution provides for many of the freedoms and rights we would regard as essential for modern democracy, Tonga falls short of the criteria that define a fully democratic State. Executive Government that is not elected by universal franchise and restrictions on the freedom of the press are two examples of that.
Hon Peter Dunne: In view of the curbs on freedom of speech, on the freedom of the press, and on freedom of association that now occur in Tonga, will the New Zealand Government reconsider its overseas development assistance of NZ $5.6 million to Tonga until such time as the State does embrace democratic principles; if not, why not?
Hon PHIL GOFF: The answer is no, because the people the member is presumably concerned about who may be deprived of the rights that he supports would, if we withdrew our aid, also be deprived of basic education, health, and good governance provisions that are designed not to help the Government, but to help the people.
Simon Power: How does the current level of democracy in Tonga benefit from the New Zealand aid payment of $5.6 million in the 2002-03 year, when only $450,000 of that is prioritised for civil society and community-based development projects?
Hon PHIL GOFF: As the member said, a percentage of that budget is designed to help directly with good governance. Another part of it is providing an expatriate puisne judge, and it is important for the justice system that judges of an appropriate standard are appointed there. Two-thirds of the aid that we give to Tonga does not go to the Government at all. It goes directly to non-government organisations and community groups. All of the aid that goes to Tonga is money that we spend that we know the outcome of that is designed to help the well-being* of people and alleviate the poverty that would otherwise exist there.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Has the Minister received any reports from Tonga as to its attitude towards New Zealand&Mac226;s democracy, where, day after day incompetent Ministers cannot answer questions properly?
Mr SPEAKER: No, that is an irrelevant question.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: No, it is not.
Hon PHIL GOFF: Not only is it irrelevant; it is incorrect.
Mr SPEAKER: No, that question is not in order.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. If we can ask questions about our attitude towards Tonga's democracy, then I have a right to ask whether there are any reports in reverse coming our way in respect of its view on our democracy. That is legitimate.
Mr SPEAKER: No, the member cannot ask that.
Keith Locke (Green Party): How will the Government be speaking more publicly about greater democracy in Tonga, such as asking the Tongan Government to abide by the court decision in favour of the Taimi&Mac226;o Tonga* magazine in asking that its distribution in Tonga be allowed to resume, particularly in the light of the fact that the democracy movement wins the majority of votes in the elections they hold there?
Hon PHIL GOFF: I have spoken publicly on that, expressing our concern and regret at the action taken again Taimi&Mac226;o Tonga and our expectation that the constitutional provision in the Tongan constitution about freedom of the press be upheld. I can tell the member too that we are responding positively to requests from the Speaker of the Tongan National Assembly for guidance on measures that will improve the workings of that assembly.
Hon Peter Dunne: What does the Minister say to the people of Tonga who are concerned, and to the Tongan community in New Zealand who are concerned, that the New Zealand Government is not doing enough to promote democracy in Tonga, particularly in view of our historic relationship, and that more attention is required, and maybe the issue of aid ought to be tagged to that?
Hon PHIL GOFF: I am sure that if the member talks to Tongan people, either in Tonga or in New Zealand, they would not for a moment agree with the withdrawal of support of development assistance designed to assist the health and education of ordinary people whose standards of living are well below those of people in New Zealand, including Tongan people in New Zealand. What I need to tell the member as well is that while we can express our opinion and our position against restrictions on freedom of the press, Tonga is a sovereign country. It is not subject to our direction.
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Bushfire Media based in Sydney, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).
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