COMMENTARY: Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa‘s answers to Kaniva News over the death of a woman who was killed in a two-car crash show he needs to learn to show empathy and sensitivity to his people when they are in trouble.
The Prime Minister’s response was defensive and will appear to many as an attempt to deflect criticism from highly questionable practices at the Ministry of Transport.
His comments will also be seen as showing little sensitivity or understanding of the feelings of the dead woman’s family.
The Prime Minister’s controversial response was made after we asked him to comment after the Ministry of Transport issued a fake driving license to a handicapped man, allowing him to drive on the road. A court case which was reported by Kaniva News recently revealed that he had killed a 76-year-old woman in Tongatapu.
The man told the court he did not sit any driving tests and his license was issued at the counter through his mother.
In sentencing the driver, the Lord Chief Justice said: “Having regard to his physical and mental handicaps (particularly that he has the ‘mind of a child’), it is extremely regrettable that he was ever allowed to drive a motor vehicle in the first place.”
Questions and responses
Tu’i’onetoa was asked if any action had been taken against the staff who issued the license.
He was also asked to comment on the victim’s family considering legal action against his government because of how the license contributed to the death of their mother, Sitela Fungavaka, who is survived by her husband and their children.
In his response the Prime Minister e-mailed us and said: “It is not prohibited in Tonga to issue a driving license to a person under 21. Discriminating against the disabled is not allowed in the world including Tonga. There are many disabled around the world including Tonga who have been issued with driving licenses if they fulfilled all the legal requirements. Therefore the law rules. The law makes the decision. And the law makes the conclusion”.
The Prime Minister also said: “That’s why the judiciary system is in place to resolve disputes. It was a good idea to make use of the court as that was why the constitution was written and there is the third power (the courts) to resolve our disputes.
He also said: “It is not new to have vehicle crashes which claim many lives. The same thing goes to disabled and able-bodied. There still crashes and deaths on public roads. It is not a bad thing for a person to seek truth and justice in court”.
The Prime Minister’s insensitive comments fly in the face of the serious concerns raised by the Lord Chief Justice about the failure of the government to make sure those who had been issued with driving licenses have fulfilled the requirements by the law.
Good leader quality
One of the qualities of a good leader of a nation is to show empathy when their people are in trouble. In democracies like Tonga where government leaders are accountable to the voters, empathy becomes responsibility.
It is a quality of leadership which is also associated with sympathy and compassion which prove to the people that they can continue to trust their leaders.
Tongans in New Zealand see it
The 80,000 Tongans living in New Zealand have seen this leadership quality when families have lost their loved ones because the government failed to protect them or indirectly caused their deaths.
The best example was when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unreservedly apologised to the Islamic community after the Christchurch terror attack in March 2019 which killed 51 people and injured 40 others.
She admitted the government had failed in the lead-up to the 2019 Christchurch terrorist attacks, after a Royal Commission later recommended a raft of legislative changes to prevent another massacre in the future.
Ms Ardern said there would be accountability and said implementing the recommendations was the “least we owe” those who died in the attacks.
She did not evade her government’s responsibility or ignore the victims and their families.
Lessons for PM Tu’ionetoa
The lesson to be learned from New Zealand is for Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa to commission an independent investigation into what appears to be fraud at the Ministry of Transport licencing unit. He should have done this once the case was revealed in court and reported by the media.
He should consider apologising to the family of the victim and announce any recommendations by an investigation about how to make sure such a tragedy does not happen again.
In doing so he would encourage the public to continue to trust his government and leadership and see him as a leader who is led by his conscience.
The Prime Minister or ‘Etuate
It is still unclear who wrote the Prime Minister’s response.
As reported last week, we queried the Prime Minister after he appeared to have mistakenly sent us an e-mail he intended to send to a person called ‘Etuate, presumably for ‘Etuate to answer Kaniva’s queries.
The only ‘Etuate we know of who was very close with the Prime Minister was ‘Etuate Lavulavu.
We asked him whether he was the ‘Etuate to whom the Prime Minister sent our questions, but he was offended and swore at us.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Tapu ange mo e ‘Eiki Palēmia’ ka ‘oku kau ‘ene tali ko ‘eni’ he ma’olalo pea ‘oku fu’u fehu’ia lahi ai ‘a hono tu’unga falala’anga ko e taki ‘o e fonua’ pea ‘oku ‘ikai ke tau fakaanga he houhau lahi ‘a e Tama Tu’i’ ‘i hono pule’anga’. ‘Eke atu ko e hā e me’a kuo fai ki he ngāue kākā ko ‘eni ‘ikai ke ne tali hangatonu kae fakaloea holo ia mo tala mai ko e mate ko e me’a pe ‘oku hoko pea ‘oku ‘ikai tapui ke foaki ha laiseni faka’uli ki taha henitikepi. Ko ha tali ia ke fai he taimi ‘oku mole ai ha mo’ui he pau’u ‘ene kau ngāue? ‘Ikai ke faka’apa’apa’i ‘e he PM ‘a e pekia’ mo hono fāmili ‘o tali mahino ko e ha e ngāue ‘oku ne fai ki ai he ‘oku fakaongoongo atu ‘a e fāmili’ mo e kakai’ he ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha me’a si’i ‘eni kuo mole ‘a e mo’ui. Ko e tali ‘eni ‘a e Palēmia ‘o Tonga’ ki he fehu’i fekau’aki mo hono foaki fakafufū ‘o ha laiseni loi ke faka’uli ha taha henitikepi ‘i Tonga pea iku mate ai ha fa’ē. ‘Oku fakaloea e tali mo tātākehe ka ‘oku tau maheni ‘i he’ene hoko ‘a e ‘ū me’a peheni ‘i muli’ ni hono fakae’a ai ‘e he kau taki maama mo lotu mo’oni’ ‘a e uho fakalaumālie ‘enau taktaki kakai ‘oku fai’ ‘o nau kole fakamolemole mo fakahā ‘e fai leva ‘a e ngāue ki ai mo hano fakatotolo’i.
