Fuel crisis looms large in the Pacific, NZ and Tonga PMs pressed on supply
Wednesday, 18 March 2026
NUKU'ALOFA, TONGA | ANALYSIS: Leaders of Pacific nations are reassuring their populations that fuel supply is OK ‒ for now ‒ as the energy crisis drags on.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sat down with his Tongan counterpart, Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, in Nuku'Alofa on Tuesday afternoon to discuss transnational crime, immigration and the war in Iran.
It was only a few months ago that people in Tonga were left queuing at the pump due to fuel shortages caused by reduced storage capacity onshore and shipping disruptions.
Luxon spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the energy crisis before heading to Samoa, then Tonga, this week.
Read more:
Christopher Luxon tight-lipped on 3am bid to scrap matai title
Luxon in Samoa: Up against it in the Pacific as cocaine trafficking skyrockets
It's clear Pacific leaders are in regular talks as they closely watch the crisis and try to best prepare the public for what might come.
Fakafānua put it simply when he said it was all that those living at the bottom of the world could do.
'As a government we can manage people's expectations. A lot of what's happening in the region, and obviously as an impact of the Strait of Hormuz, are restrictions beyond our control.
'My concern is about ensuring that we have enough energy for the country in the meantime and for now, we seem to be OK.'
The crisis has serious implications for the vast Pacific network, with a huge Pacific diaspora in New Zealand.
Luxon was asked by Tongan media if Air New Zealand would keep flights running into Tonga, off the back of the airline cutting flights due to increased fuel costs.
However, the airline's former chief executive could give no such assurances.
“I know the [CEO of Air New Zealand] is deeply committed to doing everything he can to maintain airlinks into the Pacific, people know how vital that is.”
Luxon said domestic fuel supplies were “in quite good shape” and New Zealand would continue to share intelligence on the energy crisis with Tonga and others in the coming days.
In the meantime, the Government has announced a suite of funding for Tonga's health, climate resilience and infrastructure programmes.
It's investing $5.25 million over five years into Tonga's health system, $5m for climate adaptation and mitigation and $20m over two years into the Joint Policy Reform Matrix ‒ a Tongan government plan supported by international partners to improve the local economy.
Luxon left Apia a Samoan matai yesterday but not without a protracted did-he-didn't-he drama over the prime minster wanting to be bestowed the honorary title.
The New Zealand Government initially appeared to have settled Samoan Prime Minister Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt's claims Luxon had personally asked for the honour.
A statement from the Samoan Government that landed before Luxon's ava ceremony retracting the statement appeared to set the record straight ‒ but clarity didn't last long.
On Tuesday morning, the Samoan Observer reported that Schmidt told guests at a reception dinner he had received a phone call about 3am from Samoa Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade chief executive Peseta Noumea Simi, informing him Luxon did not want to proceed with the matai ceremony.
Luxon and his wife Amanda were in attendance.
The Samoa Observer reported Schmidt said ‒ in Samoan ‒ he had asked why and was told Luxon had decided not to go ahead because of “too much interference on social media”.
It was all incredibly messy but if it bothered Luxon, he didn't let on ‒ staying tight-lipped when probed as to what was behind the phone call.
'I'm sorry guys, I'm just not going to go there,' he told New Zealand reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
The prime minister clearly chose to rise above the drama and left Apia with his head held high though it was no doubt an unwelcome distraction and bound to sting a little.
He has one more day on the ground in Tonga before returning to Whenuapai airbase late tonight.