Media Release
3 June, 2009
Visit to Tonga
Today I am in Nuku’alofa on my first visit to Tonga.
This morning I met with Prime Minister Sevele and had the honour of addressing the Tongan Cabinet, thanking Tonga for its support for RAMSI and in relation to Fiji and reaffirming Australia’s support for Tonga’s program of constitutional and electoral reform.
These meetings also provided the opportunity to talk about the Australia–Tonga Partnership for Development, to get a first hand account of how the global recession is affecting Tonga and to discuss the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Cairns in August.
This afternoon I met King Tupou V and several of Tonga’s nobles and Peoples’ Representatives and had the opportunity to further discuss these issues.
This morning, I presented nine police vehicles to the Tonga Police Force as part of Australia’s and New Zealand’s contribution to the Tonga Police Development Program.
This program, jointly established by Australia, New Zealand and Tonga, aims to improve community confidence and the capacity of the Tonga Police.
These vehicles will have an immediate impact on the ability of the Tonga Police to perform key operational and community policing duties. In particular they will improve response times and assist in improving the management of traffic regulations. This increased visibility and capacity of the Tonga Police will contribute to the growing sense of safety and security in the community.
Australia has been greatly encouraged by the impact that the Tonga Police Development Program has already achieved in its first phase. As the program progresses, the provision of much needed equipment, infrastructure and technical skills will continue to improve the capacity of the Tonga Police.
I also visited the Tonga Health Promotion Foundation and met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, Dr Villiami Tangi.
Australia is contributing $20 million over four years to the Pacific Non-Communicable Disease Program, and providing $525 000 to establish the Tongan Health Promotion Foundation. The Foundation is working to reduce diseases such as diabetes that are a real problem in many Pacific Islands.
Media inquiries:
- Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500
- Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555