Tongan media unhappy with level of govt transparency

Transcript

The Prime Minister's Office and Chief Secretary in Tonga have come under fire from the media for supposedly lacking transparency and good governance.

A number of Tongan media outlets have expressed concern about the lack of cooperation they receive from the Chief Secretary Palenitia Langa'oi and others at the office.

Koro Vaka'uta reports.

The media operators and a publisher who worked for the government until a few weeks ago, have expressed dissatisfaction at the way the Prime Minister's Office and the secretary operate.

The editor of the Kakalu 'o Tonga newspaper 'Ulu'alo Po'uhila says he has only had one email enquiry replied to since the beginning of the year, and that was only because he complained about the issue on Facebook.

Mr Po'uhila says the lack of cooperation has impacted on his coverage.

"There are so many allegations that have been thrown around in Tonga.  We have given the government, especially the Prime Minister's Office, their right to reply to the allegations. However if they are not replying to the questions we send, we can't run one-sided news.  That's my experience with them and it's quite a concern."

Kalino Latu from the news website Kaniva Pacific says the approach allows rumour and speculation to flourish.

"The emergence of the social media at the moment.  Everything leaks.  When it leaks out, people will take it to social media and it is our role as professional people from the media to find out the truth about that information."   

Former adviser and publisher Kalafi Moala says he noticed while working with the government that incorrect information was distributed by the office.  Mr Moala also indicates information was often suppressed.

"There is just so much information.  When we asked if we can release it in the press releases that come from the government, these are held up or we are told just to hold it.  The more things are being held, the more we begin to realise that there is a deep violation of the principles of transparency at the Prime Minister's Office."

Mr Moala says the government hasn't lived up to the expectations of a much heralded pro-democracy government.

"This is the government that promised transparency from the first day and this is the government that says we want to talk to media, we want media to talk to us.  We want to be transparent.  We adhere to good governance and it is this government that has become far less transparent than previous governments."

The Tonga Media Council's Pesi Fonua, who also runs the Matangi Tonga website, says things have slightly improved compared to previous governments.

"...but still the problem now is that they answer it but you can't rely on their answers.  Whereas before there was just nothing coming out.  Now there is something coming out from the office but you can't trust it."  

Kalafi Moala says the Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva is not to blame, but the processes of the past and leadership of chief secretary Dr Langa'oi should be looked at.

However Mr Fonua says the responsibility lies with the Prime Minister.

"He selected them.  They are all under him so he's the one responsible for it and if they are not then how did he hire them and what's the procedure and all that.  I think it is entirely the responsibility of the Prime Minister and he should correct his staff if he sees them doing something wrong."

Mr Fonua says the Prime Minister has told him he will be looking into the concerns while efforts to get a response from the chief secretary's office proved fruitless.