Radio Television Tonga International (RTTI) has described a Parliamentary press release about paying for MP Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa’s medical expenses while he was in Australia as misleading.
The broadcaster has also claimed that Parliament’s responses to the issue showed it was favouring some politicians.
As Kaniva News reported recently the Chief Clerk of the Legislative Assembly issued a press release saying it had not paid any costs incurred by Hon. Tu’i’onetoa in 2017.
“This allegation is false”, the Parliamentary statement said.
“The Legislative Assembly refutes false claims made against the Assembly and its Members. It is important to rebut false allegations and misinformation as it is in the interest of the public who rely on such information”.
RTTI, which was formerly known as Tnews, said in Tongan this was misleading.
“It is very wrong for the Parliament to say it did not pay for Tu’i’onetoa’s Australian medical costs”, the broadcaster said.
It insisted that Tu’i’onetoa’s Australian medical costs were paid from the people’s tax money.
Kaniva News has Hon. Tu’i’onetoa’s own word from an interview in 2018 that his expenses were paid for from taxpayers’ money.
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After the broadcaster posted the press release to its Facebook account, many viewers said they also thought the statement was misleading.
One commenter said in Tongan:
“The Parliament was right when it denied claims it paid for Tu’i’onetoa’s Australian medical costs in 2017. That’s right. However, the medical costs were paid from the Treasury.”
He went on to describe Parliament’s response as “fishy” and “half cooked.”
In Tongan the commenter said: “Postlady oku ou fie lave atu au kihe issue faka-medical ‘o Tuionetoa ihe 2018 a eni oku fakapapaui mai meihe ofisi oe Falealea na’e ikai totongi ehe falealea. Mooni aupito ia…. However… Nae totongi mei Falepaanga e fakamole fakafaitoo ‘o Tuionetoa ‘i Australia ihe 2018.Ko e mea ia oku ou pehee ai. Koe taimi pe tali fehui mei he ofisi ‘o e Sea Falealea oku namunamu bias…half-cooked mo fakapolitikale. Oku tonu pe enau tali ‘ikai…he oku nau uhinga ki he vote a Falealea! Ka oku loi he ne totongi mei Falepaanga e fakamole ‘o e 2018”.
Another commentater said that if Hon. Tu’i’onetoa was still receiving his pay while he was in the United States then Parliament should have declared this immediately.
You can follow RTTI Facebook account here.
“The press release sparked an outcry because it does not reveal all the truth surrounding the issue. It only revealed what looked good for the other side and not the bad side of it”, one commentater said.
The broadcaster accused the Parliament of being selective in its response to issues being questioned by the public in relation to its operations and duties.
It said there were many questions from the public about Parliament’s responsibilities to which it had not responded.
RTTI said it wanted to know why Parliament has issued a number of statements on Hon. Tu’ionetoa’s medical expenses in the United States being paid for by his family
It said the series of statements released by Parliament showed its intention was not to release the whole truth surrounding all of Tu’ionetoa’s medical costs. It was only released to deflect news articles being shared on social media which dealt with issues not in favour of the Parliament.
RTTI said Tu’i’onetoa was entitled to receive his salary while he was in the US for medical treatment. It said the way Parliament had released its statements meant it had been seen as being selective and biased towards pro-liberal MPs, especially the PTOA.
However, not everyone agreed with RTTI. Some commentaters stood by the Parliament’s release and said the law for parliamentary medical expenses was fair. They said there was nothing illegal about Tu’i’onetoa’s pay while he was in the US. They said the Late Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s medical expenses in New Zealand were paid by the government.
