By Matangi Tonga Editors
The Office of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga has advised the Matangi Tonga Online to retract its report of 22 August 2023 titled Parliament goes dark while Auditor General's Report exposes financial “weaknesses”.
Their advice was issued in a Press Release published on the Fale Alea website on 30 August.
It concerned the events of 15 August when there was no live broadcasting of parliament on either of the two radio stations that support the broadcasting of the daily proceedings in the House.
Our article stated that the radio had been silenced during debate on the Auditor General's Report.
This was an error – the disruption was not during debate. Although the Auditor's 156-page special report had been tabled to the House on 8 August, and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts had returned it to parliament on 15 August, it was not debated on that day. We have corrected our sentence to read:
“The live broadcasts on the radio were disrupted during the week when the Auditor General's Report for 2020/2021 and 2021/ 2022 was returned to the House for debate.”
There were no live radio broadcasts on 15 August, and no timely Hansard available to the public or the media. (The Hansard Minute #29 of 15 August was published on the Parliamentary website 16 days later, on 31 August.)
One reason for the lack of a live broadcast on 15 August was given by the Speaker on 16 August. Our article of 22 August reported that reason:
“The announcement by the Speaker of the Tongan Parliament, Lord Fakafanua in Parliament on 16 August that the House is no longer funding the daily radio broadcast of the Proceedings of the House, surprised members of Parliament.”
In the same article, we also reported a summary of revelations exposed in Auditor General's Report. The report had become available after it had been returned to the House for debate on 17 August and we managed to get a copy, independently.
The summary of the Auditor General's Report is interesting and important.
The article is free to view at Parliament goes dark while Auditor General's Report exposes financial “weaknesses”
Background: Auditor General's Report to Parliament
- In June the Auditor General, Sefita Tangi, signed his report, to be submitted to Parliament
- Tuesday 08 August (Minute #27) - The Auditor General's Financial and Compliance Audit Report for 2020/2021 and 2021/ 2022 was tabled into parliament. The Speaker referred the report down to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on the same day for review and to report back to Parliament. The Speaker said the committee would finish their work and then hand the Auditor General's report back to the House when the Minister of Finance was present, for the House to continue their debate on it. Parliament was adjourned until the following Monday to enable the Finance and Public Accounts Committee and other committees to work before reporting back to Parliament.
The next sittings of Parliament:
- Monday 14 August (Minute #28). The Auditor's Report is highly anticipated, but was not on the day's agenda.
- In a letter dated 15 August, the Chairman of Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Dr 'Aisake Eke, wrote to the Speaker that the committee had done their report according to the law and the Auditor's Report for 2020/21 and 2021/ 22 was returned to parliament.
- Tuesday 15 August – Parliament goes dark: there is no live broadcast of parliament by either Radio Tonga or Broadcom. (The Hansard Minute #29 was not released by Parliament's website until 16 days later on 31 August).
- Wednesday 16 August – (Minute #30). The issue of live broadcasting of parliament is raised in the House. The Speaker tells MPs that the House is no longer funding live broadcasts. However, a broadcast of the Proceedings of the day was resumed on one radio station.
- Thursday 17 August – (Minute #31) The Auditor General's Financial and Compliance Audit Report for 2020/2021 and 2021/ 2022 was returned to the House. Live broadcast of the Proceedings of the day continued on one radio station.
On Friday 18 August. The Auditor General's report became available outside of the House.
On Wednesday 30 August, the Parliamentary Minutes no. 27, 28, and 30, 31 were available on the Fale Alea website. However, Minute no. 29 of 15 August was skipped. [refer screenshot below].
The Office of the Legislative Assembly posted its press release advising Matangi Tonga Online to retract its article “Parliament goes dark while Auditor General's Report exposes financial “weaknesses’ ”. The Clerk also stated in the press release that the Hansard records of proceedings in Parliament were available for free access by the public on their website.
On Thursday 31 August, Matangi Tonga Online wrote and asked Parliament's Office why Minute no. 29 was missing. There was no response to our query, but Minute no. 29 appeared on the Fale Alea website, later on the same day.
