Heads roll over Tonga's airline debate

By STEPHEN COOK

Two members of Tonga's Royal Cabinet have been given their marching orders and another is facing the axe following a messy revolt over the introduction of a new domestic airline service.

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister, Clive Edwards, confirmed last night that Justice Minister 'Aisea Taumoepeau had resigned this week while Labour Minister Masaso Paongo had been told to either quit or be sacked.

Mr Edwards believed the axe was also hanging over his head, but said he was still awaiting word from King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV about his future.

The king left Nuku'alofa yesterday for the northern islands and could not be reached for comment.

However, Mr Edwards said if he was asked to resign he would go.

"If I am asked to go I have no option but to stand down. I will accept the decision," he said.

"As a minister in Tonga if you are asked to leave you must go. But saying that, I am not sure what I said about the airline that was wrong.

"I think the airline issue has been blown out of all proportion."

The bloodletting follows controversy over a decision to award the sole licence to fly domestically in the Kingdom of Tonga to the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Tupouto'a has a half-share in the airline Air Peau, which flies two 70-year-old DC3s in the islands. He charters the small planes from New Zealand's Pion Air.

The introduction of a new airline service follows the collapse earlier this year of Royal Tongan Airlines, which operated between New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Islands and Tonga as well as domestically.

Mr Edwards, Mr Taumoepeau and Mr Paongo had opposed a monopoly airline when it was debated by the 12-man Tongan cabinet headed by the King's youngest son, Prime Minister 'Ulukalala Lavaka 'Ata.

The trio believed there was also room for Air Niu, which is owned and operated by former staff of Royal Tongan Airlines.