From the House, by Pesi Fonua

During the Budget session, Mo'ale Finau, the No. 12 People's Representative for Ha'apai was ordered out of parliament this morning, June 16, by the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, after accusing the government of failing to distribute food to the needy in Ha'apai immediately after Cyclone Ian in January.

While the House was in Legislature the Speaker gave the member an opportunity to speak on a matter that he said was very urgent.

The member then began to narrate about how Cyclone Ian struck the Ha'apai Group and how he and others were facing a very difficult time when their properties were destroyed. As he continued, it became evident that the moral of his speech was to blame government for not going out to hand out food and offering assistance to people, as has been done by members of the LDS church of which he is a member.

The Minister of Justice, Hon Clive Edwards asked the Speaker to stop the member from making such a speech. He suggested that what he should have done was to present a motion to the House on any issue of his concern for the House to discuss, but not to just get up and make accusations like that.

In the midst of the Speaker trying to get Mo'ale to sit down, the PR was speaking out at the top of his voice, drowning out the Speaker's voice. When they finally settled down, the Speaker ordered the PR out of the House, but he also said that he disagreed with the Minister of Justice.

The Legislature dissolved into the Whole House Committee, and the proceedings continued with the Budget Statement of the Minister of Finance, Hon. 'Aisake Eke.