Photos by Pesi Fonua / Matangi Tonga

From the House, By Pesi Fonua

HM King Tupou VI chastised and challenged Parliament, directly questioning members' honesty, their mission and abilities to run the government, in a remarkably frank and hard-hitting speech from the throne, to open the Legislature's 2021-22 session this morning.

“The House is not fulfilling its responsibility to oversee the work of the government of the day,” King Tupou VI warned the members of parliament.

The King also had a direct message for the people of Tonga: “The government is in this House, and that is the government that you have elected!”

His speech was received by grim-faced MPs and Ministers, who appeared to know what their sovereign was talking about.

The opening of parliament’s 2021-2022 session was not accompanied by the usual fanfare of brass bands and marching school children, due to the current COVID-19 health restrictions.

The King presented his speech virtually and it was shown on screen in Parliament House. Attendance was limited to members of parliament, the diplomatic corps, heads of government departments and top government officials, staff of the House and news media.

Conflicts of interest

The King’s opening speech focused on his concern over how the government is managing the affairs of the country.

He warned the public to be vigilant when they elect their representatives to the Tongan Parliament. Tonga will have a general election later this year

King Tupou VI stressed that it is very important to know that the responsibility of the government is to run the government, rather than for members to participate in businesses.

“There have been numerous attempts to run businesses, which in most democratic countries is the responsibility of private businesses.”

The King also expressed his displeasure with the way the government boards are administered and apparent interference by board members in the operations.

“It is very important to pay special attention to government boards, because some board members are running the daily operation of the boards, but they have no experience in the area.

“The board should focus on the financial results for the shareholders, but leave the daily operations of the board to employees who have been specially trained to do the job.”

Not fullfilling promises

The King stressed that it was not comforting to find that the House was not fulfilling its promises, in their response to issues that were highlighted at the opening of the House every year. It is unfair.

Annually the focus is on three fundamental issues:

1. Healthy Living;
2. Education;
3. The Economy.

“Annually, the response is the same, but there is no new innovation,” he said.

Failing to counter illicit drugs

The King said that recently the biggest challenge facing Tonga is illegal drugs, but pointed out that the war against drugs was underfunded.

“But it is obvious that it is either too small or no budget allocation by the government to counter this massive challenge. On the frontline are the Police and their working partners.”

Lack of transparency

Honesty had been traditionally highlighted as the working theme of those who wanted to be elected into the House, said King Tupou VI.

“Where are the annual reports of the Cabinet Ministers?”

Value of Pa‘anga dropped

He also asked why government had eliminated opportunities from the Private Sector.

“If our economic situation is fine, then why has the value of the Pa‘anga dropped, against our foreign trading partners?

The King asserted that the prices of imported food products had gone up, but it could have been lowered if we used local food products, butit is not supported by the government.

He said most of these local companies are heavily in debt or have been closed down.

Vote carefully

“The House (Parliament) is not fulfilling its responsibility, which is to oversee the work of the government of the day. Therefore tax payers and the people who elect members of parliament need to vote carefully, because they elected the government that is in power.

“The government is in this House, and that is the government that you have elected.”

“God and Tonga is my inheritance,” King Tupou VI concluded.

The full text of the King's speech in Tongan:

KO E FOLOFOLA ‘A ‘ENE ‘AFIO TUPOU VI, KO E TU’I ‘I HE HUUFI ‘O E FALE ALEA ‘O TONGA
‘AHO 6 ‘O MĒ 2021

‘Oku ou fakafeta’i ki he ‘Otua ‘oku tu’u ai ‘a e lelei ‘a Tonga, pea mo ‘Ene tauhi ma’ae kakai ‘o e Fonua,

‘Oku laumalie lelei ai ‘a e ‘Eiki Sea ‘o e Fale Alea, ‘Eiki Palemia mo e Kau Minisitaa ‘o e Kapineti,
Kau Fakafofonga ‘o e Hou’eiki Nopele pea pehe ki he Kau Fakafofonga ‘o e Kakai.

‘Oku ‘ikai fakafiemalie ‘a e ‘IKAI ke fakahoko ‘e he Fale ni ha ngaue, hili ‘a e ngaahi palomesi mo e tali ki he Huufi ‘o e Fale Alea ‘i he ta’u takitaha.

Ko e ta’u kotoa ‘oku tataki atu ‘a e tokanga ki he ngaahi maka tu’unga
‘e tolu:

Ko e Mo’ui Lelei, Ako mo e Tu’unga Faka-‘Ekonomika ‘o e Fonua, ka ko e ta’u kotoa, ko e TALI TATAU pe, kae ‘ikai ke ‘iai ha ngaue makehe ‘e fakahoko.

Kimui ni mai, na’e tataki atu ‘a e tokanga ki he pole fakalilifu ‘o e faito’o konatapu.

Ka ‘oku ha mai ‘oku si’isi’i, pe ‘oku te’eki ke ‘iai ha ‘INASI ‘e vahe’i makehe ‘e he Fale ni pe ko e Pule’anga, ke fakafepaki’i ‘aki ‘a e pole faingata’a koeni. Oku totonu ke fakamu’omu’a heni ‘a e Potungaue Polisi mo e Ngaahi Va’a ‘oku nau fengaue’aki fakataha.

Kuo fuoloa ta’u ko e tokolahi ‘o e kau Fakafofonga, ‘o kau ai ‘a e ni’ihi ‘i he Fale ni, ‘oku nau taumu’a ‘aki ‘a e Fili ki he Falee ‘a e Kaveinga ‘o e FAI TOTONU. Ko e fee leva ‘a e ngaahi Fakamatala Ngāue Fakata’u ‘a e Kau Minisitaa?

Ko e ha ‘oku to’o ai ‘e he Pule’anga ‘a e ngaahi faingamālie mei he sekitoa FAKATUPU KOLOA TAAUTAHA, ‘aia ‘oku tefito ai ‘a e ngaahi noo mei Muli?

‘Oku matu’aki mahu’inga ke mahino, ko e NGAUE ‘a e Pule’anga ke fakalele ‘a e Pule’anga kae ‘ikai ko e kau ‘i he ngaahi pisinisi. Kuo tu’olahi ‘ene feinga ke fakalele ‘a e ngaahi ngāue ‘aia ‘i he Ngaahi Fonua Temokalati, ko e fatongia ia ke fakahoko ‘e he Ngaahi Pisinisi.

‘Oku fiema’u ke fakatokanga’i lelei ‘a e Ngaahi POATE ‘a e Pule’anga, koe’uhi, ko e Poate ‘e ni’ihi ‘oku fakahoko ‘a e fakalele faka’aho ‘o e ngāue, ‘e he kau memipa ‘o e Poate, ‘aia ‘oku si’isi’i ‘enau taukei ‘i he mala’e koia.

Ka ‘oku fiema’u ke tokanga ‘a e Poate ia, ki he ola fakapa’anga ma’ae kau ma’u ‘inasi, kae tuku ‘a e fakalele ‘o e ngaue faka’aho, ke fakahoko ia ‘e he kau ngaue kuo ‘osi teu’i mo taukei ngaue.

Kapau ‘oku fakafiemālie ‘a e tu’unga FAKA’EKONOMIKA ‘o e Fonua, pea ko e ha leva ‘oku holo ai ‘a e mahu’inga ‘o ‘etau pa’anga, ‘o fakatatau ki he pa’anga ‘a e ngaahi Fonua Muli ‘oku tau fefakatau’aki?

‘Oku toe hiki hake mo e ngaahi mo’ua mei he hu-koloa mei Muli, ka na’e mei lava pe ke holo ‘i he ngaue’aki ‘a e me’atokoni ‘oku fakatupu fakaloto Fonua, ka ‘oku ‘ikai foki ke tokoni’i lahi ia ‘e he Pule’anga.

Ko e tokolahi ‘o e ngaahi ngāue’anga fakalotofonua koeni, ‘oku nau tu’u ‘i he MO’UA LAHI pe kuo nau TAPUNI.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke fakahoko ‘e he Fale ni ‘a ‘ene ngāue ko e VAKAI’I LELEI ‘a e ngaahi ngāue ‘a e Pule’anga ‘o e ‘Aho. Koia, ‘oku taau ke fakakaukau’i lelei ‘e he kau totongi tukuhau mo e kakai ‘o e fonua, ‘aia ‘oku nau fili ‘a e kau Fakafofonga Fale Alea, ke nau fakahoko fakapotopoto ‘enau fili.

He ko e Pule’anga ‘oku ‘i he Fale ni ko e Pule’anga pe ia na’a mou fili ai. ‘OTUA MO TONGA KO HOKU TOFI’A.


‘Ofa atu,

TUPOU VI