Tongan MPs in accepting an invitation to attend this Saturday’s Mate Ma‘a Tonga Rugby League test match in Auckland, New Zealand, are reportedly planning to spend up to $200,000 from the House budget to cover airfares and hotel accommodation for their weekend away.

Mate Ma'a Tonga will play Australia’s Kangaroos on 20 October at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland in a tournament organised by the Australian NRL.

It is understood that last week the House accepted an invitation to attend the match. (We have not been able to identify who invited the Tongan Parliament). However, the House has not made known how many MPs, and which MPs will be travelling from Tonga to attend the match.

Today Parliament's office was still unable to confirm any details of the House’s decision, but believed that the number of MPs travelling would be confirmed by the end of the week.

Estimates floating around are that the rugby trip will cost the House anything between $80,000 and $200,000 pa'anga.

Live broadcast

In another decision last Thursday October 11 the House agreed 16-1 to fund the bill of $20,000 for the Tonga Broadcasting Commission to play a live broadcast of the match on Saturday on Television Tonga.

The Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva proposed for government to contribute $10,000 and the House to contribute $10,000 for the cost of the live broadcast. It was passed 16-1, with only Tevita Lavemaau, a former Minister of Finance, voting against the expenditure.