Tonga's costly civil service payrise; wet dreamers; and deputy PM behaves during NZ foreign minister's visit

Dr. Sitiveni Halapua, a member of parliament, admitted last week that the settlement he helped negotiate in 2005 between the Tongan government and striking civil servants was economically unsound. The superintendent of prisons complained to Radio Tonga News that he has not enough money to run the prisons. Of his department's T$2.1 million budget, sixty percent of which will be spent on wages and salaries. That is the net result of the 60%, 70%, 80% pay rise. But, according to Dr. Halapua, he did it for peace. What peace? One year on and a much bigger crowd assembled on the same spot and tried to hold the government to ransom. Quite a number of familiar faces from the previous year, many from the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement, were there. When their demands were not met, they started burning the Chinese-owned businesses. In her speech at the Tonga Broadcating Commission fiftieth anniversary, TBC chairperson Lady 'Eseta Fusitu'a said that the establishment of her organization came about because " a dreamer dreamed the right dream." More often it is the dream or dreams of the advisers to the decision-maker. The problem arises when the advisers dream wet dreams. Aside from the Cabinet members, Tonga's Prime Minister is also advised by three wise men: a former pilot, a former journalist and a town planner. Let us hope they are not whispering fantasies in the PM's ears. Last week NZ foreign minister Murray McCully visited and was seen listening attentively to Tonga deputy PM Samiu Vaipulu. This was worrying to some as there was a petition against him three months ago alleging that Vaipulu showered kava drinkers in Neiafu with expletives one evening; then went to a nearby village where he tried unsuccessfully to solicit a kiss from a girl who was serving kava.there. In front of Mr. McCully however and to everyone's relief Vaipulu behaved honourably and did not do either.