Tonga parliament

Siale 'Ilolahia says the early election in November is an opportunity for Tongan women to come forward.

There is just one-woman MP in the current parliament - and only five have been elected since 1951.

She said a recent call for more women to become politically active resulted in 40 attending a meeting and eight women signalled their intentions to stand in November.

Ms 'Ilolahia said the challenge now was to support the women, and hopefully others, to sign up as candidates.

Kaniva News reports the votes were 15-9 in favour of the budget.

The amount is 10% more than the budget for 2016-2017.

The Pacific Games Organising Act 2013 has also been repealed by a vote of 13-10.

Parliament has adjourned for parliament visits and it will resume on July 31.

HM challenged legislators to refocus their 2016-17 session improving the country’s health, education, and the economy.

The 2015-16 session will go down in history as the year of unprecedented battle to cleanup corrupted practices in which a certain Cabinet member, and a Member of Parliament, was impeached on campaign bribery charges. Former Cabinet member ‘Etuate Lavulavu escaped a lengthy House corruption investigation on misappropriation of Government funds and properties in 2015, but was found guilty on campaign bribery in the 2014 election.