Results for Parliament

After two days of camping at Pangai Si'’i in central Nuku'alofa, without receiving a response from Cabinet, Tonga's Constitutional change campaigner, Laki Niu, stepped up his call for democratic changes to the Tongan Constitution today by marching with 30 supporters to the parliament house.

The Tongan people must be set free from a 1,000-year-old bondage, says Laki Niu, a Tongan lawyer, who will camp at Pangai Si'i with a loud speaker tomorrow morning demanding that the Tongan government agree to a new proposal for constitutional change.

Tonga's Prime Minister Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, told parliament last week that the country cannot afford to pay for the demands won by civil servants. He said that during the six week strike the Government's stance was to maintain peace. They could not afford the demands they had agreed to and that was basically what the country would find out.

The two former People's Representatives who were appointed to the Tongan Cabinet in March have rejected claims that they had done nothing for the people.

People's Representatives were upset last week when the House adjourned again for another fortnight, after only one day's session.

The smell of victory for the PSA and the public servants must be sweet and delightful and at best, a means but not the end. Is it too soon to rejoice or is it too soon to lament?

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.

The Prime Minister Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata warned parliament that soon government would have to make a decision on the strike, either before an arbitrator arrived or after. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 24, Tuesday August 16, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

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.