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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-06-14 Daily Xml
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KING GEORGE TUPOU V

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:15): I move:

That this house notes the passing of His Majesty King George Tupou V and expresses its sincere condolences to the people of Tonga and the Tongan community of South Australia, and pays tribute to the late monarch for his commitment to implementing democracy in his nation.

The Pacific island nation of Tonga and the small but energetic Tongan community of South Australia recently experienced a period of mourning. They observed a period of mourning for a man of exceptional courage and vision, His Majesty King George Tupou V. The King passed away aged just 63 in a Hong Kong hospital on 18 March this year. He was loved, respected and admired by most of the Tongan population of 104,000 people. As I saw for myself, he was held in high esteem by Tongans and other Pacific islanders living in our state.

His Excellency was a remarkable figure and his reign will be remembered as a period of political change and rapid reform. To some onlookers, the King seemed slightly eccentric. He maintained a certain aloofness from his people, a style synonymous with Tongan monarchs going back many generations. He often wore elaborate uniforms, and he was fond of being chauffeured around the capital of Tonga in an old-fashioned London cab that he had imported.

As a boy, he attended private schools in New Zealand and Switzerland. This was followed by stints at Britain's Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and at a foreign service course at Oxford University. The King read music, played piano and double bass, conversed in German and French, and was still able to write the Latin he learnt at school. In later life, he served as Tonga's minister for foreign affairs and defence.

When he assumed the throne in September 2006, he did so in the middle of a period of political unrest. A process of reform had started in 2005 in response to protests and strikes. Not long after King Tupou V's accession, Tonga's capital was wracked by riots that left eight citizens dead. The decision to allow the appointment of MPs to cabinet, rather than outsiders hand-picked by the royal family, did not fully satisfy Tongans.

The King was alert and sensitive to the underlying cause of the turmoil, so when he was officially crowned in August 2008 he announced fundamental political reforms. His stated aim was to meet the democratic aspirations of the Tongan people by ushering in a more representative and open form of government. He said at the time that Tonga's political system had not evolved quickly enough. It had not kept pace with the economic changes that were occurring in Tonga and that were helping to bring the nation into the 21st century. He also felt that the monarchy was an instrument of change, not an obstacle to it.

When the body of King Tupou arrived in Tonga from Hong Kong, thousands of Tongans lined the route from the airport to the royal palace. When he was buried in catacombs on 27 March, traditional Polynesian rituals and Christian hymn-singing were blended. One thousand pallbearers took it in turns to carry the King's casket from the palace to the burial ground. A 21-gun salute boomed across the capital; mourners wore black and purple, and two pieces of music by Richard Wagner were played. The official mourning period ended on 31 March.

The King has been succeeded by his younger brother, Crown Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka. His Majesty Tupouto'a Lavaka is Tonga's former high commissioner to Australia, and he visited Adelaide in May 2009. I understand that as part of that trip he met with South Australia's Lieutenant-Governor, Mr Hieu Van Le, and the member for West Torrens and minister for corrections at that time. They discussed the potential to improve the quality of the South Australia-Tonga relationship.

South Australia is home to a small yet very active Tongan community, one that our Speaker, I understand, has had positive dealings with over the years. As the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am well aware of that community's desire to not just practice the traditions of its homeland but generously share them with us all. The community regularly takes part in major public events across the city, such as the Australia Day parade and the dawn service on ANZAC Day. It also broadcasts long-running radio programs on Friday afternoons on 5EBI-FM.

Just on ANZAC Day, it is worth noting that Tongans fought alongside New Zealanders in both world wars. Also, Tonga is one of the very few nations in the world, besides Australia and New Zealand, that observes ANZAC Day with a public holiday.

In light of the standing that the Tongan community enjoys in our state, I recently acknowledged the death of King George and commiserated with local Tongans at a memorial service at the Payneham Uniting Church. My letters of condolence, along with those of the Lieutenant-Governor and our Speaker, were read out at the function.

It has been a sad duty but a rewarding one nevertheless to lead this house in formally marking the passing of His Majesty King George Tupou V. He was the progeny of a very long-established royal family, but he will forever be associated with change, reform and with seeking to expand the day-to-day rights and freedoms enjoyed by Tongans. I wish the people and the nation of Tonga all the best for the future and look forward to seeing and working with members of our state's Tongan community for many more years to come.

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen—Leader of the Opposition) (12:21): It is my pleasure to rise both as the Leader of the Opposition and as the shadow minister for multicultural affairs to support the condolence motion moved by the minister on the passing of His Majesty King George Tupou V and express the sincere condolences of the Liberal Party to the people of Tonga and the Tongan community of South Australia. I am sorry that I was not able to attend the recent memorial service that was held at Payneham.

Of the many leaders who have graced the world stage, I struggle to think of any as colourful and as eccentric as the late King George Tupou. He was a man who had a foot firmly planted in both the past and the future. On the one hand, His Majesty revelled in the bygone era of colonial rule, his favourite attire a full colonial uniform complete with pith helmet and shiny brass and his favoured mode of transport a personalised London cab. Yet, on the other hand, he was a man who will be remembered as a great reformer who understood that the establishment of democracy was the only way to secure a strong future for his people.

Before I reflect on the great political legacy King George Tupou has left Tonga, I would like to touch upon some of the many stories that abound of his quirks and eccentricities, his unique style and his love of the weird and the wonderful. At the tender age of five, a young George Tupou enjoyed his first alcoholic drink while attending a garden party held in his family's palace grounds to welcome Queen Elizabeth. By all reports, he enjoyed his first tipple so much that it marked the beginning of a lifetime of indulgence and unfortunately, in his later years, a nasty case of gout.

After completing his secondary education in Auckland, George headed to England, attending Leys School at Cambridge and a brief stint at Sandhurst, which he said taught him not to take life too seriously, which seems an odd thing to have learnt at Sandhurst. His time in the UK left the young Crown Prince with an immense fondness for Britain, which never waned.

Indeed, in another nod to his unusual wardrobe, he preferred to wear suits fitted for him by the tailors of Savile Row rather than the relaxed, loose clothing worn by most Tongans to cope with the nation's tropical weather. He brushed aside criticism of the purchase of the London cab by claiming:

An English taxi is extremely easy to get in and out of wearing a sword, a spiked helmet or spurs. I realise these are not primary considerations for buying a car for most people but they are for me.

Other interesting habits and hobbies he brought back to the South Seas island chain included sailing model boats in the palace swimming pool and the hosting and staging of lavish Agatha Christie murder-mystery nights, attended regularly by the Tongan elite and overseas guests. I do not know whether anyone has ever done these murder-mystery nights, but they are rather fun.

Clearly, he was a man larger than life. He was a great contributor to his nation's government, playing a prominent role in Tongan politics from the 1970s until his coronation on the death of his father in 2006. He was also deeply in tune with the mood of his people. Sensing a groundswell of discontent and a subsequent push for change, just two months after becoming King he had to deal with angry mobs rioting in the streets, raucous resentful and demanding reform. In the face of such national turbulence it would perhaps have been easier and politically more expedient to shut down the protest with an iron fist, but it was a desire to honour the wishes of his people that lead King George Tupou V to his defining moment. He immediately began work on significant democratic reform—his sweeping changes resulting in a major transfer of power to a largely democratically-elected parliament.

Under the new constitution of Tonga voters for the first time were able to choose representatives for the 17 seats with nine to be reserved for nobles. That sounds like a good system. On the eve of his nation's first democratic vote, His Majesty claimed, 'In the future the sovereign shall act only on the advice of his Prime Minister'. Now, let us go back to 1975 in Australia and put that in context, shall we?

It was indeed a watershed moment for a democracy in the South Pacific—a constitutional monarchy replacing a 165-year-old kingdom ruled by a few. It was a brave and courageous move and earned King George well-deserved accolades from around the world and the respect and admiration of the residents of Tonga. A ruler, a reformer, at times a radical, His Majesty will go down in history as a great leader who put the welfare of his people before his own.

With these words, I endorse the motion and pass on the opposition's condolences to his family and the Tongan community, particularly that in South Australia, at this sad time.

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (12:26): I am pleased to join my parliamentary colleagues today, including the Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, in noting the passing of the King of Tonga, His Majesty King George Tupou V. As minister Rankine highlighted, the relationship between Australia and Tonga is a very special and respectful one, and this very much extends here to all of us in South Australia.

A wonderful example of this is the 10-year initiative that has been running between the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service and the Kingdom of Tonga. The Sustainable Development Program is part of the commitment by the Australian states and New Zealand through the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council to support the South Pacific island nations.

The program was initiated through a memorandum of understanding developed by the MFS Chief Officer Grant Lupton and the Tongan Fire Service Chief Fire Officer, Mr Poutele Tu'ihalamaka. With the support of the South Australian government, the MFS has donated used fire and rescue equipment, as well as 13 used fire appliances surplus to needs to the Kingdom of Tonga. A further four are due to be handed over later this year. The cost of shipping the donated fire appliances and equipment from South Australia to Tonga has been covered by the Tongan government. This serves as a true partnership and ensures that both parties have a true commitment to the program.

Another key commitment and component of the MFS Sustainable Development Program with the Tongan Fire Service is the ongoing exchange of knowledge and fire officer training programs. The training ensures ongoing efficiency and assists in prolonging the life of donated equipment. Assistance has also been provided through live fire training, delivery of road crash rescue equipment for each of the six Tongan fire stations and 60 breathing apparatus sets. Surplus computers from the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission are also supplied to establish a computer-training facility for the Tongan police and fire service compounds in Nuku'alofa.

In 2006 at a time of civil unrest two MFS officers were quickly sent to Tonga to assist in victim recovery of the nine people who tragically died and assisted the Tongan service with the clean-up. As the program has developed over the last 10 years, 12 senior officers from the Tongan Fire Service have travelled to South Australia to receive training on seven separate occasions, ranging from two weeks to two months. Most recently, in November 2011, two fire officers from the Tongan Fire Service visited Adelaide for three weeks, and in that time they had access to workplace training programs, as well as curriculum development for staff to adapt to their training needs locally. In a show of support the local Tongan community have billeted the officers when they have visited South Australia.

There is no question of the special friendship shared by our state and the Kingdom of Tonga; and, as we do with all our good friends, we share their sadness in this time of loss. As minister Rankine said, His Majesty King George Tupou V made a very positive difference to the lives of so many Tongans by paving the way for a more democratic, transparent and fair country for his people both currently and for many future generations. Long live these elements of his legacy.

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (12:30): I note the passing of His Majesty King George Tupou V and extend my condolences to the people of Tonga and also to the South Australian Tongan community. I join the house and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs in commending His Majesty for his commitment during his lifetime to implementing democracy in Tonga. His Majesty's commitment to democratic reform was so strong that in 2010, after 165 years, feudal rule was ended, as Tonga held its first vote for a popularly elected parliament.

I had the opportunity to visit Tonga in 2007. I was invited to stay with a local family. The family were neighbours of my cousin, who spent two years in Tonga as an Australian volunteer teaching business and computer applications to young Tongan women. We were warmly welcomed by the family and embraced as extended family members.

I experienced firsthand that family, food and worship are at the forefront of Tongan life. I also learnt that family separation is common to Tongans, as Tongans seek work abroad in the United States, Australia, New Zealand or other Pacific islands. This was certainly the situation for the family I stayed with. The grandmother was the matriarch of the family, and she raised four children on her own as her husband spent more than 20 years working in Australia sending money back for his family.

Tonga is a small nation with a population of just over 100,000 people. Its economy depends on remittances, foreign aid and exporting primary produce. There are many challenges for the Tongan community, the most significant being poverty, which is caused mainly by limited work opportunities. Often, several members of each extended family work on their bush plot to provide root crops, fruit and vegetables for the extended family. The few who have paid employment must provide telephone, electricity, transport, clothing and church commitments for all in the extended family.

As I have said, many Tongans work overseas and send a significant part of their income home with remittances. They also have challenges in the changes to their ecosystem, which will happen as a result of global warming and rising sea levels. They have a limited economy, and many attempts, including by the King, have been made to find new products and new markets. Japanese squash was a major crop in the mid-nineties, taking the opportunity of a niche market in Japan. However, this wealth was foiled when Mexico realised the opportunity. Copra, soap and oil are all produced from the coconut palm, but all on such a small scale that they struggle to be economically viable.

As there are only three post secondary trade schools in Tonga, education opportunities are rather limited. Two universities are represented, however, including the University of the South Pacific with a base on the mainland. So there are limited opportunities to achieve skills required to improve the economy. The scheme which allows Tongan workers to obtain visas for seasonal work, such as in Robinvale in Victoria, may help to overcome skill shortages in the production of food. Roughly 100 islanders are settled and farm in Tonga, so transport costs have an effect on sale of produce.

There are many Christian denominations represented in Tonga, and religion plays a very strong part in the community. The Wesley Uniting Church, Catholic and Mormons are the most popular churches, but there are many other Pentecostal and charismatic churches. Most denominations also provide schooling.

On a more positive note, education is highly valued, with numeracy and literacy for Tongans recorded at more than 98 per cent. It is also stated that Tonga has the highest rate of PhDs per head of population than any other nation. Tourism is a potentially great industry for Tonga but it is less developed than its neighbours, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. It will require significant investment and mentoring to fulfil this opportunity. Tonga requires that any tourism venture must have a Tongan partner.

In South Australia we have a small but proud Tongan community of 200 people. The most prominent community member is Dr Tangi Steen, an Associate Professor at the University of South Australia. Dr Steen is the head of Tongan Community Radio, and he recently became the President of the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters Council.

My memories of my time in Tonga included the amazing feasts I was served, the traditional dancing and singing. On our last night with the family we were treated to an umu (a ground oven), with roast suckling pig, which had happily been running around the house just the day before, and lu sipi, a wonderful traditional dish of onion, coconut cream and mutton, wrapped in taro leaves and banana leaves and cooked in the umu. That was one of my favourites.

Long speeches with lots of tears were made to us. Tongans are a nation of orators and love their speeches. Most importantly I remember the warmth of the people. They have limited material possessions, yet are a very happy people and are prepared to share with you whatever they possess. My thoughts are with the Tongan community at this sad time.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (12:36): I will not hold the attention of the house for too long, but I wish to share with the minister, the Leader of the Opposition and other members who have spoken on this motion, and pass on my condolences to the Tongan community in South Australia, recognising that the loss of His Majesty King George Tupou V was significant. I have never had the experience that other members have had of visiting Tonga, but recently it was brought to my attention what a loss this has been in my life as one of my staff members took two weeks off recently to go to Tonga with the UN development program and some of their partners to do some work in Nuku'alofa. Priya Pavri reported back to us in fact that the bungalows and shops of Nuku'alofa are covered in purple and black at the moment in mourning for the loss of King George Tupou, and it is a significant loss to that community.

Working with the UN Youth Association and the development program, I know there is a lot more work to do in Tonga to ensure that the work the late king, who was instrumental in developing democracy, is continued so that true democratic values and not just the rhetoric is a lived experience of the Tongan community in Tonga. There is certainly a will there at the moment. Priya was working a lot particularly with young women, and their life experience is very different from that experienced by those in our community.

I know that Priya learnt a lot and I hope the young women she acquainted herself with over there benefited from the experience of a young woman growing up in a democratic society such as ours with the culture of democracy that is ingrained in our education system and is understood by all of those who grow up in our schools, that everybody grows up with equal opportunities and equal rights, whether they are born man or woman, and in whatever strata of society they grow up. With those words, I also express my condolences to this country for the loss of its monarch and share my condolences with the Tongan community in South Australia.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (12:39): I also support this motion; it is a good motion. The deceased monarch was a colourful character; indeed, the Tongan nation has a long history of royalty being very much leaders of that community. I am unsure how many members of the chamber or the parliament have actually visited Tonga. I visited Tonga in 1969 on a cruise ship, and we came ashore—

Members interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: No, it wasn't my honeymoon, no. It went ashore there to Nuku'alofa, to the wharf. The wharf had just been completed because they had actually had a royal visit from the royal family from Britain. When I went to New Caledonia we had to go ashore on the ship's boats, but Nuku'alofa and the Tongans particularly were incredibly proud of this new wharf for the cruise liner—it was the Himalaya, as I recall; it was a long time ago. They were incredibly proud of this facility.

We had a day ashore, from memory, and we did a bus tour and went to some of the coastlines. The people were fantastic. There were pictures of Queen Salote, I think, although I just cannot remember now as it is so long ago. The royal family there was held in extremely high esteem. They were wonderfully friendly people. Clearly, numbers of Tongans, Samoans and Pacific islanders have now come to Australia. Indeed, they were coming to Australia a long time ago when they worked in the sugarcane fields, but that is another story.

I think it is most appropriate that this house supports this motion. I have listened with interest to what other members have had to say this morning. It is very much a bipartisan approach. I have great pleasure in supporting the motion.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (12:41): I would like to join in support of this motion. I am moved to speak about this for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I would much rather be speaking about this than other matters. More particularly, I have been spared by the member for Finniss, whose contribution was provoked by a visit to Nuku'alofa in 1969 on the Himalaya. I have to tell honourable members that I was not on the Himalaya in 1969, but I was on another vessel in 1971, when as an infant, really, I went there. I have recollections of the—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Fond memories?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —fond memories indeed—marvellous hospitality of the people of Tonga and the great reverence with which they held their King. He was a very colourful character, as I am sure you have heard many times, but the main thing I wish to share with the house is that I was at a function some years ago when the former prime minister of New Zealand, the Hon. David Lange, was present. David Lange was something of an after dinner speaker, and for those who did not have the privilege of hearing him, he was extremely witty.

Mr Lange explained to us at this gathering that he had had many enjoyable moments as prime minister of New Zealand and that one of the more enjoyable moments was attending one of these Pacific Forum meetings where everybody dresses up in a batik shirt and sits around and talks about Pacific issues. He said they were at a particularly dull function in the context of one of these things and that people were given coconuts to drink from, green coconuts. Each person in their batik shirt was given a coconut with a straw and whatnot.

The function went on for a period of time and he said that the King of Tonga appeared to be enjoying the function a lot more than anybody else. He asked the King, 'Your Majesty appears to be having a great time. Why is it you are enjoying this function so much?' Apparently, His Majesty replied that he had brought his own coconut. There you are—a colourful man.

Motion carried.

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