10. Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) Link to this
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
What steps has the Government taken to implement the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee Inquiry into New Zealand’s relationship with the Kingdom of Tonga, presented in August 2005?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs) Link to this
The Government’s response to the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee inquiry was tabled in Parliament on 3 February 2006. In most cases, where the recommendations were directed to the Government, it was considered that ongoing activity within the bilateral relationship met the committee’s concerns. In respect of the recommendation that the New Zealand Government support change towards representative democracy, the Government’s continued support for democratisation was affirmed, whilst recognising that the process was one that Tonga had to manage as a sovereign nation. The Government is working on a number of other recommendations, as well.
With regard to the Government’s response to recommendation 16, relating to change towards representative democracy in Tonga, that it “supports this recommendation and is already taking steps to implement it”, what specific steps has the Government taken, and have they been accelerated in the light of recent events in Tonga?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
The New Zealand Government has been proactive in its support for peaceful democratic reform in Tonga. Along with Australia, New Zealand has supported financially the work of the National Committee for Political Reform, and we offered the services of a New Zealand mediator to assist with the public service strike last year. Our consistent position has been, however, that the pace and timing of reform must be determined by the Tongan people themselves. It is appropriate that the process of democratisation be handled by Tonga as a sovereign nation.
H V Ross Robertson
Madam SPEAKERRt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
I do not mind answering the question, because a so-called expert in Pacific affairs wrote just that the other day. I want to say that in the long history of protests and marches in Tonga, they have never ever been violent. In this case the march was one towards reform, happening in respect of a Cabinet that had not decided against reform but yet had risen for the day. It was not an event that we could predict—nor, I believe, could any others have predicted it, because if they did, then they did not tell any nation, including New Zealand, of the likelihood of it.
Is the Minister satisfied that the current Tongan Government, led by the current Prime Minister, is acting in a way consistent with recommendation 16 of the select committee’s report regarding moves towards democratisation, and what steps is the New Zealand Government prepared to take to assist the Prime Minister and his Government achieve that objective?
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS Link to this
The facts are actually quite tragic, in the sense that we put together support for a reform inquiry. This was conducted by the prince who, tragically, died in San Francisco. That report came before the Tongan Parliament, I believe, in August, which is not a long time to assemble the findings from it. The Tongan Cabinet was deciding on that issue on the very day that the protest happened. I understand that certain demands were being acquiesced or agreed to when what began as a reform march all of a sudden turned quite ugly. Certain incidents that I cannot describe to this House suggest that certain planning was afoot—planning totally dissociated from the reform process—but it got out of hand.