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Results for From the House

Wednesday 5 September 2007
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The House appeared to have got off to a wrong start today and the fault lay with those at the helm, the Speaker Noble Tu'iha'angana, Chairman Noble Lasike and the Chief Clerk of the House Tevita 'Ova. The Speaker and the Chairman were not able to keep the debate on track allowing PRs to wander and get lost, while the Clerk let some questions be asked several times. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 2 July 2007
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Minister for Youth and Sports said that only about 10% of school leavers could find employment locally. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Saturday 23 June 2007
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele told Parliament there will be no reconciliation, until there is a confession, and a submission for wrong doing by those who initiated the destruction of November 16. However, 'Akilisi Pohiva expressed his fear that if they confess, "we may all end up in Tolitoli" [prison]. From the House.
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Wednesday 8 November 2006
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When the Tongan Legislature reconvened on Monday, November 6, after being in recess since October 23, members were told that they had only eight working days left this year. Faced with a overwhelming workload they immediately spent half a day getting heated up over the agenda and the impact of their 60% salary rise on their reputations, and then they had to close the House for another half day while they all cooled down. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 10 October 2006
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Legislative Assembly on Thursday will go into a fifth day of deliberations over the recommendations of the National Committee for Political Reform that has proposed the formation of a new and elected 26-member parliamentary structure for the kingdom.
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Thursday 10 August 2006
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s Parliament claimed today that they are working for an extra 30 minutes a week, and they do no’t want the public to get the impression that they are working less because of their new three-day week. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 9 August 2006
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
In one of its first big decisions of 2006, Tonga's parliament has decided to work less for more pay. The working days of the legislative assembly have been reduced from a four-days week to three-days week, starting on August 1. But there has been no move to reduce the parliamentarians' salaries to match the new hours. By Pesi Fonua.
Tuesday 13 June 2006
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
In a name-calling press release yesterday Tonga's new Minister of Tourism Hon. Fineasi Funaki, has labeled some of his fellow MPs as, "a bunch of Pharisees." His remarks were directed at one noble and eight of the People's Representatives who are suing the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House and the Government of Tonga, over a claim that the opening of parliament by the Princess Regent, Princess Pilolevu on June 1 was illegal.
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Monday 19 September 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Before it went into recess four weeks ago, the House continued its debate on a Letter from the Prime Minister responding to the House's resolution for Cabinet to action the petition that was presented by the PSA to the House demanding a salary increase and 11 other proposals in order to end the strike. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Friday 9 September 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Cecil Cocker, expressed his disappointment that the striking Civil Servants were encouraging Tongans in New Zealand to demonstrate against the king in Auckland. Akilisi Pohiva reckoned that if government would not give in to the demand by the Civil Servants, the country would be destroyed. From the House. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 27, Monday August 22, 2005.
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Wednesday 31 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Minister of Health outlined salary rises that had been given to 823 of his staff, including 49-100% for lower levels, while some People's Representatives were still calling for a return to the old salary scale. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 16 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
On August 1, before the House decided to go into recess due to the ongoing civil service strike, the Prime Minister, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, expressed his dismay with what Clive Edwards had been saying on television, calling on the strikers to do something about public servants who were not on strike but were still working for government. He thought it was unusual for a former Minister of Police to say things like that. He said that what Clive was doing was inciting people to riot. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 22, Monday August 1, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Thursday 4 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A private bill aimed at reducing the new consumption tax was rejected by the House after its first reading. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance won a new Regulation giving the Chief Commissioner discretion to exempt organizations from CT - despite protests that it was illegal.
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Monday 25 July 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
'Akilisi Pohiva wondered why the police arrested Piveni Piukala for a small crime and yet the Shoreline Chairman and Director who had committed bigger crimes were not arrested. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 20 July 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongan vanilla growers will receive a $1 million subsidy for green vanilla from government, after People's Representatives pushed a growers' petition. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 20 June 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The People's Representatives' Private Bill to amend the Consumption Tax will be a crunching issue before the House, which should start debate on it soon, possibly before the end of the month, meanwhile, members debating the Budget said CT was badly timed and was imposed on a struggling economy. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 7, Monday June 13, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 15 June 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Minister of Finance spoke of a $7.1 million salary rise for civil servants, and three new costly projects, the rebuilding of the Hu'atolitoli Prison, the building of a new Royal Chapel, and more money for the Tonga Defence Service to prepare them for Peace Keeping Duties. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 5, Wednesday June 8, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 14 June 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Vava'u No. 1 People's Representative, Samiu Vaipulu, called on the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Cecil Cocker, to resign over alleged illegal handling of the Missing Trust Fund in 1994. While the Deputy Prime Minister was in a state of shock over the allegation, the House proceeded with what was to be its main agenda for the day, the electing of its staff. Once the staff were elected the House then settled down to do some real work, and the Minister of Finance presented his Budget Statement for 2005-06. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 4 , Tuesday June 7, 2005. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 8 June 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
On Monday, Tonga's former Speaker was refused an opportunity to rebut a claim by the House Finance Committee that about $108,000 was unaccounted for during the change over period to the new Speaker. Both the Chairman of the House and the Speaker denied a request by the former Speaker, Noble Tu'ivakano, to reply to what he said were damaging allegations made by the Finance Committee. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute no. 3, Monday June 6, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 8 June 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's new 15% Consumption Tax launched on April 1 came under attack from two fronts this week. In the House of the Tonga Legislative Assembly the People's Representatives have tabled a new Private Member's Bill aiming to amend the Consumption Tax Act extending some exemptions and reducing the tax to 10%.
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