MELBOURNE: A Tonga cabinet minister taking a newspaper to court has sparked calls for better handling of complaints about the media.
Tonga's Public Enterprises Minister Clive Edwards is alleging the Kele'a newspaper defamed him by suggesting he was part of a secret political party formed by the then government.
The story was published the day before November's election, and Edwards lost his bid to win a seat in Parliament, although he was subsequently appointed to cabinet by the prime minister.
Lisa Williams-Lahari from the Pacific Freedom Forum, a regional media freedom organisation, says there needS to be better and less expensive forums to resolve complaints about the media than using the court system.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Lisa Williams-Lahari from the Pacific Freedom Forum
- Radio Australia Pacific Beat/Pacific Media Watch
Listen: www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201102/s3130400.htm
Pacific Media Watch
