Tongan Parliament

The $4.4 million new complex will be built on the Nuku'alofa waterfront.

Consultant Project Coordinator, Dr Faka’ilongatonga Taumoefolau said, “This will be part of the environmental impact assessment carried out to determine the negative and positive impacts the building will have on residents, businesses and offices that are located within the vicinity,” stated Dr Taumoefolau.

The consultation is being carried out in two parts, there is an online survey as well as the face to face survey.

It was submitted on Thursday by the People's Representative for Tongatapu 2, Semisi Sika, and signed by 10 MPs.

Because it came on the last sitting day of parliament for the year the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, ruled that a tentative date for the motion to be tabled in the house would be the next sitting day, 12 January 2021.

Fakafanua ruled it complied with constitutional requirements and that it must be tabled between 5 and 14 working days after submission.

The government had tried to push them through under urgency in March, claiming public consultation had already been done by a previous government.

The bills include giving the government control over key judicial and police appointments, rather than the King.

An opposition MP, Lord Fusitu'a, says the government was strong armed into consultation which showed a strong backing for the status quo.

"It's an overarching statement by an overwhelmingly large majority," he said. "The people have spoken and have rejected six bills, including the constitutional amendment."

The committee is currently carrying out an investigation into a motion that was presented to the House for the impeachment of Lavulavu, Minister of Infrastructure and Tourism, for alleged nepotism, and misuse and mismanagement of government’s properties.

The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Privileges, Lord Fusitu’a told the House that since 19 August, when the House agreed to give the minister a chance to have a dialogue with the committee, they had not been able to meet him.

The Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva responded to Lord Tu’ilakepa’s revelation by saying that he would do something about the salary of his media adviser.

However, he told the House that the paying of extremely high salary to advisers has been carried out before in the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that during 2012-13, an adviser in the PM’s Office was paid more than $468,000 (US$220,474) per annum. It was later reduced to more than $364,000 (US$171,480). “It is not new,” he said.