From the House by Pesi Fonua

There was vociferous debate in the House on Monday, 24 June after the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance, Tevita Lavemaau, tabled a report of the Committee on the 2019-2020 National Budget.

Parliament has only two working days left, 26-27 June to pass the National Budget.

While the Standing Committee was supportive of the $599.27 million National Budget total, it also made proposals for a number of amendments to the some of the specific budget allocations.

They disagreed with the government’s taxation system on imported vehicles, the increasing number of old vehicles that were imported into the country, and the traffic jams that it caused, particularly on the bottlenecked entrances into the capital, Nuku‘alofa.

Less for beauty

The committee also suggested that the allocation of $3 million for a beautification program to be reduced to $2 million, and to reallocate the balance of $1 million to other projects.

More for House

The most controversial amendment to the Budget proposed by the Committee was for the House’s own $7.9 million Budget allocation to be increased by $1.1 million.

Under the current budget allocation of the House, there is a Constituency Fund. The Fund allows the 17 People Representatives have access to $200,000 each, which they can use on whatever they might consider will advance the life of people in their constituency.

More for MPs funds

The Committee proposed for each of the nine Nobles’ Representative to also have access to $100,000 each for the same purpose.

The Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva, reminded the House that the National Budget had already been drafted, and he expressed his out-right disagreement with the idea for the nine Nobles’ Representatives to be given allocations similar to the Constituency Fund allocation of the People’s Representatives.

He stressed that the Nobles are supposed to be “the guardians of the country” but the Peoples’ Representatives are “the builders of the country”.

There were a few vociferous exchanges between the PM and Nobles’ Representatives, led by Lord Tu‘ilakepa, Lord Nuku and Lord Tu‘i‘afitu.

Lord Tu‘ilakepa stressed that they were all members of Parliament, and he challenged the Prime Minister’s comment. He said that Nobles Reps are out in the field, working harder to build the country than some of the People’s Representatives.

Lord Tu‘ivakano told the House that he had introduced the scheme, giving People’s Representatives a small amount of the Budget Allocation to use when members go on their annual national tour of their constituencies. In those days it was just a small amount, a donation to the community. But, of course, in the last decade the fund had increased to where it is today, with People's Reps getting $200,000 each.

Lord Tu‘ilakepa, insisted that their proposed $100,000 Noble's Constituency Fund would be left with the House, for specific community projects.

He also expressed his grave concern over how the People’s Representatives were using their large Constituency Fund to campaign for the next election.

The House could not make a decision on the proposal for the Nobles’ Representatives to be given $100,000 for a similar purpose as the $200,000 Constituency Fund of the People’s Representatives.

Day off

Lord Nuku proposed for the House to have a day off, the following day, 25 June, and go to church because the Free Wesleyan Church  of Tonga would elect a new president and the beginning of  the FWC 2019 Annual Conference.

Lord Tu‘ilakepa, Acting Speaker, deferred the proceedings of the House until Wednesday. He reminded members that they still had a lot of work to do, to vote on the Report of the Standing Committee on Finance, the Budget Statement of the Minister of Finance, and to go over and pass the 2019-2020 National Budget on Thursday, 27 June.