Tonga parliament

Kaniva News reports the House was scheduled to sit today Monday 10 after King Tupou VI opened it last week.

King Tupou VI opened the session on Thursday with a strong speech highlighting his concerns about national issues that he repeatedly raised.

The king said the Legislative Assembly gave him the same responses every year after he raised his concerns over issues regarding education, health, war against drugs and the country’s economy but it appears they did nothing about it.

Clause 89A of the constitution, which requires judges to consider custom and tradition in their rulings, was passed without going to public consultation.

The move has been strongly criticised by the Tonga Law Society.

And the director of the Women and Children Crisis Centre, Ofakilevuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, has grave concerns about how it might impact on their work to stop sexual and domestic violence.

The amendment added on a clause 89A to allow undefined Tongan “tradition” to be used in the power of courts and tribunals, without applying rules of evidence.

There was no public consultation. The amendment goes to the King before it can be gazetted.

“Clause 89 - Power”, of the Tongan Constitution reads "The judges shall have the power to direct the form of indictments to control the procedure of the lower Courts, and to make rules of procedure.”

Minister of Finance, Tevita Lavemaau said the reports completed the legal requirement for the government ministries.

He suggested to leave the Auditor’s General reports of June 2019 and June 2020 for the House to examine.

The Speaker ordered for the Auditor’s General June 2019 and June 2020 to be put aside, then called for votes on the rest of the Annual Reports.

It was carried 16-0.

The government-owned airline made two emergency flights to transfer three sick people from the northern islands to Vaiola Hospital in Tongatapu.

Two patients were from Niuafo’ou and one was from Niuatoputapu.

“The seriously ill patients are now recovering. The Lulutai did a good job,” Tu’i’onetoa said in Parliament Monday.

The Minister of Health, ‘Amelia Tu’ipulotu and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vatau Hui were also part of the rescue mission.

Prime Minister, Dr. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa confirmed this in the session Monday.

He said the bill is to address the misuse of social media- Facebook.

Tu’i’onetoa also said that the government has been working on the bill over the past 11 months.

He informed Members of Parliament that he would brief Parliament weekly on the achievements made by the Government before releasing information to the media.

Only two of the 18 Bills have been passed.

The House passed the Income Tax Bill 2020 and the Consumption Tax 2020 Bill.

The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua deferred the proceeding of the House until Monday 21 September, in response to the Prime Minister’s withdrawal of the other 16 Bills for Cabinet to “have another look at bills 5.1 to 5.16.”

Lord Fakafanua announced that was all they had on their Working Agenda for the day.

They are the Water Bill 2020, Mental Health Bill 2020 and Food Bill 2020.

The Revenue Collection Bill was returned from the Privy Council to be amended, so that a Head of a Tribunal, who may oversee any dispute over the Revenue Collection Act, is to be the Chief Justice, and not a Cabinet Minister.

The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua announced that the Bill had to be submitted to the Finance Standing Committee.

This follows a request letter written by the Prime Minister, Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, to withdraw the six bills tabled by the former government.

Dr Tu’i’onetoa and four of the 12 current Cabinet members were part of the previous Cabinet that tabled the bills.

He pointed out that the intention of the Bills was to diminish the authority of His Majesty and the Nobles.

However, Cabinet is now convinced that they could develop the country under the current structure.

The Speaker accepted the request that was put forward by the Prime Minister.

The Ministry of Finance receives the biggest allocation with $73 million, while education and health get over $32 million and around $31m respectively.

The Covid-19 economic impacts have struck the kingdom as well as uncertainty over a change in government approach since the death of the late prime minister 'Akilisi Pohiva last September.

Since coming into power seven months ago Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa declared the formation of a new political grouping and selected a new cabinet.