Goff shuns interfering big brother approach over Tonga

By HELEN TUNNAH

New Zealand will not act like some "neo-colonial power" threatening small neighbours like Tonga despite worries about risks to freedoms there, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff says.

"The fact that it is a neighbour and the fact that it is very small does not give me any greater power to dictate to it.

"We walk a fine line between standing up for universal standards that all countries sign up to and not threatening a country smaller than us or unduly interfering in their local politics."

The lack of democracy in the kingdom has come under international scrutiny since King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV's Parliament, dominated by nobles and his appointed Cabinet, announced plans to change the constitution to prevent his decisions being reviewed by the courts and to curb media freedoms there.

Although a ban on the Taimi 'o Tonga (Times of Tonga) newspaper was lifted yesterday, there has been no public backing away from the planned law changes.

The Herald this week published details of a report written by New Zealand's former High Commissioner in Tonga Brian Smythe, who in 2001 highlighted concerns about corruption, royal instability and the influence of China in Tonga.

New Zealand will host Tonga at the Pacific Islands Forum in Auckland in August, but Mr Goff said yesterday that formal talks about the constitutional changes were not planned.

Traditionally each member's internal politics are left off the agenda, and Mr Goff said it was likely any concerns would be raised only at an informal level.





Yesterday, the minister was grilled about Tonga when he appeared before Parliament's foreign affairs, defence and trade select committee.

United Future leader Peter Dunne, the committee chairman, told Mr Goff it was noble to want to overthrow tyranny in Iraq, but Tonga was a problem which lay much closer to home.

But Mr Goff said there could be no comparison.