Minister of Finance asked to walk, and you have to wonder how long the Minister had been waiting for the 'cut-off' date to be rung?

Unfortunately for the former Minister of Finance, who seems to have been within the few generally respected both in and out of government, he was just too willing to let the opposition thinking be aired, and especially on the ever popular Tonga-Now (morphed) Tonga Review.

Good luck to Mssrs 'Utoikamanu and his family.

With downtown still empty, the rubble cleared out, but the emptiness still leary we have been getting a regular dose of patriotic fervor from government publications, but especially television broadcasts sponsored through the Prime Minister's Office. At first, the patriotic (were they patriotic or self-serving) broadcasts were interesting if not repetitive, but now they just aren't even interesting at all (even if you really wanted to learn about whatever it was they were reviewing.)

The Public Servants Association (PSA) were allowed to air a program last night, and things were quite refreshing.

1st, let's just be plain clear that I have serious differences with Mele 'Amanaki. We grew up together some time in the past but we have definitely divergent paths.

The Government broadcasts are articulate, but difficult to follow. Hey, I'll admit that probably the poetry and visualisms in the language are beyond my uneducated years.  Mele 'Amanaki and Vili Vete were not only articulate but made a whole lot of simple sense (leaving your biases away for a minute or two.) Listening to Mele and Vili present their arguments you really have to worry if you were in government. If these two can make an impact with listeners (although as unlikely their petition will get another airing as opposed to government spots going on ad-nauseam) then we have another ball-game starting soon.

There were admitable blots in the presentation, like a lack of repetition of who was being boycotted. But I presume those who follow the PSA know who they are going to boycott.

The PSA brought up some serious accusations or questions that need answering from Government. The following points are what I could pick up from Mele and Vili's presentation

1. Common Courtesy, Contracts do not apply to the Governance of Tonga.
2. The efficacy of the selection process for the Public Service Commissioners.
3. Petitions don't mean much

Common Courtesy, Contracts do not apply to the Governance of Tonga.

A review of the signed Memorandum of Understanding between the PSA and Government/Cabinet indicates that Government have selectively ignored important sections of this document, and worse will not respond to enquiries by the PSA to why Government has chosen to ignore their agreement. (Of course, we are not hearing which parts of the agreement the PSA and Government workers have broken or not kept in good faith.)

Key positions? The redundancies were supposed to be a review of unnecessary posts, but they seem to have specifically targeted PSA members in that a good majority of the offers of redundancy can be attributed to PSA members, and more importantly there are supposedly unnecessary posts still in place because they include supporters of Government.

Key political aspects of the MOU were ignored and only afterwards were PSA executives informed on a this is what we have done, take it.

The efficacy of the selection process for the Public Service Commissioners.

Government quickly came out with a statement last week that the Public Service Commissioners are legal positions and accusations (listed with the above statement) are groundless and will be ignored (my wording)

Mele refers the points mentioned in the Government Press Release as disagreements PSA have running with Cabinet, with whom they made the Memorandum of Understanding, whilst the key problem PSA (and a number of people I have met) is that no-one believes that a sound methodology was used to select these commissioners.

Colloquially:

How in the hell do people who have always lived in the Private Sector, have no human resource management background, get pre-selected to positions of reviewing Public Servants ? Otherwise known as, are these people in place because they are good friends of the Prime Minister ? 

Petitions don't mean much

800+ signatures (presumably of Public Servants, but not specifically stated) were supposedly collected in their petition to Government. In response, Government makes a press-release that is not in the true spirit of the petition.

The Minister for Public Enterprises will be ready to meet with the Executive Committee of the PSA and discuss their concerns if this can bridge the relationship between the PSA and Government.

[ref: link]

 You gotta love the big state mentality in our small country. Like, it's three appointments, two nations away to grab these people and just talk it out ? Geezzzz, you don't even have to like them, or agree with them, but you can sure as hell get them if you want.

You'd think with the way we're running our hands-off between Government and detractors that it is really hard to get time for these people to get together. Really people, if you wanted to talk to the PSA executives, they are frikkin' government employees, you can force them to sit at the table with you because you run their daily agendas (or am I mistaken and Government employees in Tonga don't have executives above them, and therefore just sit under the coconut tree all day?)

Let's see:

Mele 'Amanaki works for government, Vili Vete works for government, other PSA executives work for Government.

Minister in charge of negotiations calls Minister in charge of Mele 'Amanaki:

"Set Mele's appointment so she can be in this office this afternoon, 4:00 pm"

Minister for Mele: "I think she's not going to be in the office"

"Did you hear me say please?"

Minister in charge of negotiations calls Minister in charge of Vili Vete:

"Set Vili's appointment so he can be in this office this afternoon, 4:00 pm" 

Minister for Vili Vete: "Sorry dude, we suspended him for some reason"

"Fishcakes Foobar, well send one of those drivers you have to his house and tell him I'll talk with him this afternoon 4:00 pm"

Minister in charge of negotiations secretary says: "But Minister, you're scheduled at the buffet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Australia."

"Girl/Dude the frikkin reason everyone's visiting us all the time is because I haven't met with these ornery folks! Go get me some coffee and get someone in here who can tell me what's been happening the past six months."

Probably took me longer to dream up the above scenario than for the action to have taken place.

Go read Government's take on the whole story.

Go Tonga!!!

ABC Radio Australia Reports

 Pro-democracy Tongans criticise China loanA bid by the Tongan government to secure a big loan from China has been criticised by the country's pro-democracy movement.

The loan is expected to be announced during a visit by Tongan Prime Minister Fred Sevele to the Chinese capital Beijing this week.

It has been reported that the low-interest $US50 million loan would aid in the reconstruction of central Nuku'alofa.

The loan has been criticised by Tonga's opposition democracy movement, which fears borrowing such a large amount will increase Chinese political influence in the Pacific state.

Mr Sevele has told Radio Australia he does not believe that the loan would cause a problem.

"We borrow from the Asian Development Bank, we borrow from the World Bank, private companies borrow locally and from overseas," he said.

"So I would say that good, well-intentioned people would not look at it that way.

"The thing to remember here is that we need the injection of such funds to rebuild Nuku'alofa."

Around 80 percent of Tonga's capital was destroyed in pro-democracy riots last November.

There's problems with both sides of this story, but it sure as hell ain't as big as a problem as the one we now have because downtown doesn't exist anymore!!

Some good are good at kissing a**, some people are good at just being it.

Kalafi Moala has a great article on Drinking the Kool-Aid, Inu Lemani Mahi with another perspective on the Pro Democracy Movement in Tonga.

My slant on the cool-aid is not so much that the drunken (as yet to be officially confirmed) supporters, aided the by the adrenaline charged looters, may be drinking the cool-aid. What is beginning to worry me is from all reports that we are hearing from Tonga, and being pushed by the meta-reporting 'journalists,' the Pro Democracy leaders seem to be drinking too much of their own Kool-Aid.

Just as the former Prime Minister 'Ulukalala Lavaka 'Ata screwed up big time by not apologising, acknowledging the failures of the Royal Tongan Airlines/Brunei Airlines screw-up, the cool-aid drinking leaders of the Tonga Pro Democracy Movement can't get their minds around the big f*ck up this whole burning and looting of private property has been in Tonga.

The Pro Democracy Movement would have you all believe that to transition from a corrupt, inept autocracy where you feared for being screwed of your life's earnings is much better than the situation that they have orchestrated. Live in a Democractic Tonga where you no-longer fear of corruption in Government, but you darn sure fear for your life and property, you fear for your family's life, you fear for your friends lives and you fear whether your job will last until tomorrow.

The Government in Tonga continues to be pss poor when it comes to staying in touch with the general populace, relying on the continued good will of the Tongan populace. This arrogance is no more evident than the lack of investment in the Government Press, Tonga Chronicle. If you're going to let that die, you may as well kill it quickly so you can spend better time on talking to the people in other forums.

The Pro Demolition squad are doing a rip-roaring job influencing the sound-byte, meta research journalists. Just today I've spoken with a few people upset with the way the Australian news is representing Tonga (and they too are calling home to double check what the Australian news services are saying.) If you didn't know any better, the picture being painted of Tonga is like Rwanda or Somalia. They have no excuse, but the meta-journalists really are pressed for time, and in their field Tonga is not that important (sad to say?) Government and Pro Stablity people really need to step up the noise mill and get their words out.

When I first read the reports on what the Pro-Demolition Squad were saying, they reminded me of the reports of Germany during Hitler's rise to power, or Russia and Stalin's rise to power. Anything and everything is justified because the faithful believe in their rhetoric. Kalafi's article worries us more by alluding to something/someone more sinister.

In the meantime, watch what you're drinking these days. Some of the stuff offered out there can be hazard to your health, if not to others.

The Drink the Kool-Aid message brought by the People's Temple promised hope, and in this dysfunctional world the dream is alive (with them.)

Required viewing.

One of the last scenes in the trailer, is a view of Jim Jones silhoutted by images of Jonestown going up in flames. Something not too dissimilar with the imagery offered by the Times of Tonga and 'Akilisi Pohiva.

This video explores the origins of the cult responsible for over 900 deaths. It takes you throught its origins as the People's Church in Indiana. Founded by Jim Jones, he moves the group out to California and eventually down to Guyuna, South America.

Brought up in a household where every spare cent/dollar/mattress was sent back to Tonga to help either the family, town, school, church (whichever organisation) it is sometimes bewildering (confusing) how little the Australian community seems to care about their immediate community. (At least the impression of their care seems proportionately lower, and more so taking into consideration their increased wealth.)

Dare Obasanjo (Re: He Bought Houses for the Whole Village) takes up the conversation from Joshua Allen's post entitled He Bought Houses for the Whole Village.

Dare highlights two important items that also goes towards understanding the differences in views that can cause confusion.

Community Heritage. In Tonga, and most of Pasifika(?), the community has a heritage that dates many generations, and in this manner has a much greater influence on personal behaviour (good or bad) than the Western "norm." (good or bad)

Hierarchy of Needs. In Tonga, and much of Pasifika(?), whole communities are bordered between Maslow's hierarchy of needs at between Level 1 and Level 4 (#1: Physiological (biological needs) #2 Safety, #3 Love/belonging, #4 Status (esteem)) and thus a little physical assistance can actually make community wide differences.

There seems to be a significant, visible difference between communities at the four lower levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, than a society at the 5th upper level.

Dare's enlightening observation is helping me understand myself and the different communities I'm living, working with. Possibly this should be prescribed to a lot of the Do Gooders(tm) out there ?

Conversely ?

There seems to be a greater level of nationalism, emphasis/care for the broader community (outside ones immediate surroundings and for people/communities well outside one's sphere of influence/existence.)

As I understand Tongans, we're only truely nationalistic when it is to contrast/combat another national. Whereas we seem to identify much closer to our inner community (township, school.) Of the Australians I grew up with, they would identify themselves closer to their 'nationality' than with their township. The Ethnic Australians identified with their ethnicity whilst in Australia but with their Australianess whilst back in their other home country.

Just boiling down to the world being a truelly complex kaleidoscope to enjoy.