By Linny Folau

King Tupou VI, in a message for the closing of the Tonga Legislative Assembly's 2018-19 session today, said there was a lot of work to be done to develop our country. The king's short message, delivered by Lord Vaea, urged all Tongans to be prepared for the effects of climate change, and stressed that the work of Parliament and Government must be carried out in accordance with the Constitution and with dignity.

King Tupou VI was concerned with national issues, and pointed out the incomplete recovery efforts in the aftermath of two Tropical Cyclones as well as the need to set up independent commissions to probe into the 2006 riots that burnt down the Central Business District and the Tongan passport saga.

Tongan nobles, Lord Vaea accompanied by Lord Tu’iha’ateiho and Lord Ve’ehala delivered the king’s address at Parliament House this morning, March 28.

The King said that we are near the end of our cyclone season and because of climate change it is vital that we be prepared. Tonga has been hit by two severe tropical cyclones, Ian in Ha'apai and Gita mostly affecting Tongatapu. However, recovery efforts from TC Ian had still not been completed up to now and in TC Gita's case, it was evident there are many families and schools that still need assistance, he said.

The longer it was prolonged the more recovery efforts that needed to be done.

Accountability

He then said when receiving assistance from foreign governments or donors for development, there needed to be an account of the works done with their assistance.

The work of the Legislative Assembly and that of Government need to be carried out in accordance with the Constitution, and it is essential for deliberations of the House to be respectful and keep the dignity of the gathering, he said.

The King reminded members, that it is unconstitutional to first sign regional or international treaties/agreements, without completing the due process, for example in CEDAW and PACER Plus.

He said it had been a few years since accepting the need to set up independent commissions to look into the Tongan passports issues, and also the riots that burnt down the Nuku'alofa CBD.

“The funding must come from Government and these commissions must be independent,” he said.

Illicit drugs

King Tupou VI said Tonga was in challenging times in relation to illicit drugs and its harmful effects and there needed to be more work done and to equip agencies with the funding required, because drug use is rising.

He then raised the issue of providing training for Tongan workers to international standards so that they may be able to read and speak in English, because there are a lot of employment opportunities for Tongans overseas.

“If we value this cooperation, we must train and prepare our workers to meet the market demand. There is a lot of work to be done to develop our country,” said the King, before extending his good wishes to the House and its future work for the betterment of the country. 

The Prime Minister Hon 'Akilisi Pohiva was not present at the closing.

Meawhile, Parliament will have a state opening of its 2019-20 session on May 30.