$1.3 million death grant insurance for Tongan soldiers [1]
Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - 13:29. Updated on Monday, May 5, 2014 - 16:06.
From the House, Minute No. 22. Wednesday July 21.
- Proposed amendment of the Regulation for the Ship Registration Act was to enable the Fuakavenga II to be registered in Tonga.
- Tonga pays $1 million to the Pacific Forum Line and $1 million to the Hartman Shipping Group of Germany so that Tonga may have the option of buying back the ship after eight years.
- The Regulation and the Act have been amended and the ship was reregistered earlier this year but the amended regulation was brought in for the House to approve.
- Death Grant of $15,000 for soldiers who die on the battlefield or during a military exercise, in addition his next of kin will be paid his pension from government.
- If all the 45 Tongan soldiers in Iraq die government will pay out $670,000, but if the Death Grant and his pension was doubled as it was proposed then the total amount would be $1.3 million.
- The amendment to the Regulation for the Newspaper Act was withdrawn because a judicial review, challenging the amendment of Clause 7 of the Constitution has yet to be heard in August.
Speaker ... reminded the House that starting the following day, in the afternoon, there would be Question time on a trial basis. He said that because it was only on a trial basis they would have to put aside the Rules and Regulations of the House. He said that the Law Committee was working on how to amend the Rules and Regulation of the House in order to adopt question time as part of the agenda of the House.
He called on the clerk to read Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 32 of September 11, 2003 with a Regulation to regulate the collection of government revenue, 2003.
After its first reading it was passed 19-0.
Trevor Guttenbeil - After its second reading requested for the Regulation to be tabled into the Whole House Committee for debate.
The Legislature dissolved into the Whole House Committee and the Acting Chairman of the Committee Noble Tu'i'afitu took his chair.
'Uliti Uata ... asked for the Minister of Marine to explain the intention of the proposed amendment to the Regulation. He said that the intention of the amendment was to enable the cargo ship Fuakavenga II to retain its overseas mortgage but at the same time be able to be registered in Tonga.
He said that the regulation is part of the Shipping Act which had been amended in 2002, 2003 and now 204. He asked for the Minister to clarify the logic behind this latest amendment.
Minister of Marine ... said that the Fuakavenga II is owned by the German company Hartman Shipping Group but the ship may be bought by either Tonga or Pacific Forum Line after eight years. He said that in order for the ship to fly the Tongan flag the Tongan Ship Registration Act must be amended to in line with ship registration act of Europe.
He said that the upgrading of the ship registration Act has been made and the ship has been made by Cabinet and the ship has been reregistered in Nuku'alofa some time during October or November last year. The regulation had also been amended but it was brought into the House for confirmation.
'Uliti Uata ... was still unsure about what would happen to mortgages on ships which are registered in Tonga if the regulation was amended.
Chairman ... called for votes and Gazette No. 25 was passed 19-1, objection was 'Uliti Uata.
He called for proceeding to continue with Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 4 of 7 March 2003, relating to the pension of the Tonga Defence Services.
Minister of Justice ... outlined the amount of money that will be paid out to a soldier who dies in the battlefield and the amount of money that will be paid to his wife and children. He said that this is different from the government Retirement Fund and life insurance for public servants.
'Uliti Uata ... wanted to know if the Death Grant that they were talking about applied only to soldiers who died in the battlefield and it does not include soldiers who died in Tonga.
Minister of Land ... said that the Death Grant may also be awarded to soldiers who died in Tonga and in other places while on military exercises. He said that during the past five years Tongan soldiers have been encouraged to make a will. He said that this practice is enforced on soldiers who leave for duty and for military exercises overseas.
'Isileli Pulu ... wanted to know the difference between the figure of 55% of the salary of the deceased soldier will be paid out to next of kin, and the sum of $15,000 will be paid out to the next of kin of a deceased soldier.
Minister of Land ... said that the point was the inclusion of an unmarried soldier.
Fineasi Funaki ... wanted to know if the amount of $15,000 is to be paid out only to soldiers who die in Iraq, or it is for all Tongan soldiers.
Minister of Land ... said that it is applied to all Tongan soldiers.
Fineasi Funake ... said that in other countries money that is paid out to those who died in action is more than those who died at home. He proposed that they should specify two separate payments.
Sunia Fili ... wanted to know what the calculation of 55% will be based on, he pointed out that in the English version of the regulation it said that 55% of the average rate of pay. He wondered if it is 55% of the soldier's basic per annum.
Minister of Land ... said that it is 55% of his average salaries during all the years that he has been with the Tonga Defence Services.
'Akilisi Pohiva ... proposed for all the entitlements of a soldier who died in Action to be doubled.
Trevor Guttenbeil ... supported the member's proposal but he wanted some clarification. With regards to the Death Grant did he mean to double the Death Grant for both the soldiers who are in the battle field and those who are in Tonga and in Military Exercises. Secondly by doubling these figures was he referring to all the other entitlements such as public service life insurance policy.
'Akilisi Pohiva ... said he was referring only to the Death Grant for those who died in the battlefield.
The... House resumed with its afternoon session at 2pm.
Speaker ... told the House that they will go their annual tour of the islands, starting on August 23 until September 5. He said that the tour for this year was scheduled for August 16 but it has been delayed to coincide with the Agriculture Show which will start at the Niuas on August 25.
'Akilisi Pohiva ... emphasised that his motion to double the payment for deceased soldiers was specifically for those who died in the battlefield.
Minister of Land ... explained that the payment to soldiers who died in line of duty remained as it was in the regulation now. In the case of payment to widows of a dead soldiers, the payment ceased if she remarried and the maintenance for children would also cease once they reached the age of 16. He said that the only new addition was the $15,000 death grant.
'Akilisi Pohiva ... said he was satisfied and withdrew his motion.
Trevor Guttenbeil ... moved that there should be a rise in the entitlement of a soldier who died in battle, but he asked government to present a sample case of a single officer to enable the House to have a rough idea of the actual amount the next of kin of a soldier who died in action.
Minister of Land ... gave a break on the figures. He said that the $15,000 death grant would be paid to the next of kin of a soldier who died in action. In addition a widow without any children will be paid 55% of her husband's salary on the day he died. If the widow has children she would be paid 50% of her husband's salary and 7.5% to the eldest child and 3.5% for the rest of the children. In total a widow with children would get 78.5% of the husband's salary and shared among themselves. He said that if the father died leaving behind children without a mother 34.5% of the father's salary will be shared among the children.
Trevor Guttenbeil ... said that calculation made based on the percentage figures that were given by the Minister, the total amount is still very small. He moved for an increase of all the figures by 50%.
Chairman ... reminded the House of a mocking local song about the Second World War which said that America and Japan fought for souvenirs but Fiji and Tonga fought for tinned fish.
'Uliti Uata ... told members to be generous, but to be also realistic. He reminded the House of the over generous pension that was offered by government but later they were in debt of $30 million to the public servants. He said that if the Minister of Finance introduced a new tax in order to meet these extra expenses he reckoned that the House would be up in arms.
Fineasi Funaki ... wanted to know if the UN would pay anything if a Tongan soldier will die in Iraq.
Minister of Land ... replied that the UN is not paying for anything.
Minister of Finance ... told the House that if all the Tongan soldiers in Iraq died, that total amount that the government will pay out will be $670,000. If the House would approve a rise of 50% then government will pay out $1.3 million.
Chairman ... called for vote on the motion to raise all the figures by 50%. It was passed 15-0.
Chairman ... called for vote on the amendment to the regulation for the Tonga Services Act. It was passed 23-0.
Chairman ... said for the House to proceed with the Regulation of the Newspaper Licensing Act.
Minister of Justice ... introduced the regulation.
'Akilisi ... moved for the regulation to be withdrawn because a Judicial Review relating to Newspaper Act will be heard next month and they await the outcome of the Judicial Review.
Deputy Prime Minister ... agreed for the regulation to be withdrawn.
The Committee dissolved into Legislature and Extraordinary Gazette No. 25 had its third reading. It was passed 19-0.