Those following Real Tonga's MA60 debate should check out this link...
http://ma60tonga.com/
This blog started off by focussing on NZ's smaller 3rd level airlines, past and present. It has evolved to trying to present some record of NZ's domestic airline operations and some of the larger charter operators, interesting NZ international airliner movements and photos I have taken around the country. Comments, corrections or contributions are welcome, Steve - westland831@gmail.com
There seems to be a lot of arm twisting between New Zealand and Tonga that predates the MA60 story.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Huffington Post(Feb 2012):
In summary, the Tongan AG finds funds missing. NZ undermines the report. The AG makes a mundane comment about a politician showing different sides to different constituencies. Rather than accepting that freedom of speech is an intrinsic part of a healthy body politic, NZ goes into overdrive, tying up the Tongan government for days, at a time when it has other pressing issues to discuss, including an audit of a multimillion-dollar loan from China.
NZ puts pressure on the Tongan Prime Minister to extract abject apologies from the new Tongan government (which was not in power when the funds went missing), get the AG punished and, as an added touch, NZ asks for its money back. All the while creating the impression that it is the Tongans who are incompetent and corrupt.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cleo-paskal/how-new-zealands-petty-po_b_1266182.html