Parliament gives $300,000 to Mate Ma'a Tonga [1]
Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 21:28. Updated on Friday, June 13, 2014 - 19:14.
The Tongan parliament on Monday, October 13 approved a contribution of $300,000 pa'anga for the national rugby league team, Mate Ma'a Tonga, which will represent Tonga in a Rugby League World Cup competition in Europe at the end of the month.
The Mate Ma'a Tonga left Tonga for Australia early in October where they will play trial matches with overseas Tongan league players before a team is announced to represent Tonga in the World Cup competition.
The request for financial assistance was tabled into the House by the Tongatapu No. 3 People's Representative, Clive Edwards, whose son William Edwards is the assistant coach of the Mate Ma'a Tonga.
The request was well supported by the House, and initially the Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele suggested that because the request was urgent and they could not wait for the Minister of Finance and his secretary to return from Japan he proposed for the House to make a contribution of $150,000 and for Cabinet Ministers to try and get another $150,000 from their ministerial votes. The PM told the House that this money could be refunded to their votes following the return of the Minister of Finance.
Another option that was suggested by the Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Samiu Vaipulu was for the Cabinet to come up with $200,000 and the House $100,000.
The Speaker called for votes on Samiu's motion and it was carried 17-0.