Parliament attempts to oversee the work of government [1]
Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - 20:17. Updated on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 - 14:04.
From the House by Pesi Fonua
The proceedings in the Tongan Parliament on Monday, 31 May highlighted an attempt by members of parliament to fulfill their duty, “to oversee the work of the Government of the day,” as stated by King Tupou VI when he opened Parliament on 6 May.
What about the Governor?
For a starter, the Tongatapu No. 1 People’s Representative, Siaosi Pohiva, wanted to know what the Prime Minister, Hon. Rev. Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa had done to the Governor of Ha’apai, Viliami Manuopangai Hingano, who was found guilty in the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court on March 2021 and fined $12,500 for unlawful possession of 198kg of turtle meat seized at Queen Salote wharf in 2020.
The Governor of Ha'apai was appointed by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, and was endorsed by His Majesty King Tupou VI on 26 January 2021.
The Prime Minister responded to Siaosi’s query after lunch and pointed out that under Clauses 23, 54, and 55 of the Constitution there is an opportunity for the Governor to appeal to the Court of Appeal, “therefore we can’t interfere with the decision of the court. Let’s remain where we are, and keep the Constitution.”
Where are illicit drugs coming from?
The process of the House trying to manage Government continued after the Legislature dissolved into the Whole House Committee and Lord Tu’i’afitu took over as the Chairman.
The Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, the Ha’apai Nobles No. 1 Representative took his seat in the committee
He proposed to increase the budget allocations of the Police, the Prison, the Tonga Defence Service and the Courts to enable them to counter Tonga’s illegal drugs problem.
He queried, “Where is this drug coming from? Is it made locally?
The Minister of Finance, Hon. Tevita Lavemaau told the House that starting last week, customs officers check all goods that enter the country.
He said that they had been negotiating with the Chinese Government, and they offered to install equipment by the end of this year to scan containers and all products that enter the country.
Major problem
The confrontation between members of parliament and the Cabinet ministers over the proposal for government to restructure their national budget to increase the budget allocations of the Police, the Prison, the Tonga Defence Service and the Courts to enable them to counter Tonga’s illegal drugs problem, went on all day, with no sign that Government was going to readjust their Budget.
The major problem was because government had already decided how much to allocate to ministries, several days before the King open parliament on 6 May and expressed his dissatisfaction with the operation of government, but today that the government was not prepared to adjust their figures in the deficit budget for 2021-22