From the House

By Pesi Fonua

Tonga’s participation in the Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games in August this year will depend on whether the Tonga Amateur Sports Association (TASA) can comply with demands by the International Olympic Committee IOC before 15 February, Hon. Fe’ao Vakata, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Sports told the Tongan parliament this morning.

The Minister said that one of the IOC requirements is for TASA to amend its constitution. The IOC was also still waiting for TASA to respond to offers of scholarship allocations for Tongan athletes.

TASA needs to meet the IOC demands within ten days.

The issue was raised in the House during the week because of the visit to Tonga by a Papua New Guinea Delegation to assess Tonga’s needs to be able to host the 2019 Pacific Games.

TASA came up in the House again today after Lord Nuku queried TASA’s status, because Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva told the House the day before that TASA was bankrupt.

This morning, PM Pohiva, again told the House that TASA is bankrupt, and they can’t even pay their electricity and water bills.

Today’s agenda of the House was supposed to include a question and answer session, which normally takes place after lunch.

However, Lord Nuku fired three questions at government following the roll call and it took the House until they broke for morning tea at 11am to deal with those questions.

Lord Nuku’s other two questions, related to an allegedly unaccounted for $4 million for the reconstruction of Ha’apai after cyclone; and if there was a Ministry Tourism budget allocation to pay for the Forbes magazine interview of the Prime Minister that was published at the end of June 2015.

Tourism Ministry

After morning tea, the legislature dissolved into the Whole House Committee and the Chairman, Hon. Semisi Sika took his chair.

A 2016 Bill to amend the Public Service Act 2002 took up the rest of the day’s proceedings.

The amendment will enable the Prime Minister in Cabinet to delete or establish a new government ministry or agency without seeking the approval of Parliament as is the practice at the moment.

In addition is the deletion of the Ministry of Tourism from its merger with the Ministry of Infrastructure, and for a new Ministry of Tourism in itself.

According to an explanatory notes to the bill – the Act will commence retrospectively from 27 November 2015, which is the date of the decision made by the Prime Minister to remove the Infrastructure portfolio from Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu.

Strong in opposition to the Bill were Lord Nuku, Lord Tu’ilakepa, Lord Fusitu’a and Samiu Vaipulu.

The Chairman of the Whole House Committee queried, why the change?

Lord Fusitu’a argued that the proposition for the PM and Cabinet to add a government ministry or agency without the approval of parliament as it is the practice at the moment was unconstitutional.

Lord Tu’ilakepa argued that the PM and Cabinet was taking away the authority of the House.

Samiu Vaipulu said that in bypassing the House, there is no "check and balance".

Lord Nuku queried the logic of the change and the introduction of a new ministry at the end of the financial year. Why not wait to the new financial year? He also queried why the introduction of a new ministry is decided only by the PM and Cabinet, excluding Parliament? He said there will be a lack of transparency, because the people will not know why a new Ministry is formed.

The only answer that the PM could give was that they want to speed things up.  He said that by following processes and laws “slows things down”.

The Public Service (Amendment) Bill 2016 was carried 17-0.