From the House, Minute No. 72, 3 November 2004

- Reports of a national tour by members of parliament.

- Motion for the Impeachment of the Prime Minister was distributed but was postponed to next year.

- Trevor Guttenbeil announced that he would not stand for re-election next year, he was leaving for further studies overseas.

- The Parliamentary session for 2004 closed.

Speaker - said there was a need to select new staff of the House for next year and he appointed the Minister of Health and the No. 1 People's Representative for Vava'u and the No. 1 Noble's Representative for Ha'apai to select the new staff.

'Akilisi Pohiva - requested for the selection of new staff to be carried out by the members of the House and not by just the three members.

Governor of Ha'apai - supported the move for the House to select the new staff of the House.

Speaker - called for vote on the motion for the House to select the new staff. It was carried 20-0.

The Legislature was dissolved into Committee and the Chairman of the Committee Prince Tu'ipelehake took his Chair.

The proceedings started with the report of the annual national tour of the country by parliamentarians.

The Chairman called on the member from 'Eua to present a report of the 'Eua tour.

Sunia Fili - said that during the year he had made known to the House some of 'Eua's urgent needs, but one specific need that he wanted to highlight in his report was that there was a need by the people of 'Eua for a landing place on the eastern coast line of Tongatapu on Laulea Beach. He said that a landing place at Laulea was needed for the people of 'Eua to land on their small boats when they want to come to Tongatapu.

Chairman - called for vote on the 'Eua report and it was carried 25-0. He called for the report from the Niuas.

Peauafi Haukinima - reported on how thankful were the people that work had started with the extension of the airport and a regular domestic air service to the Niuas would start soon. He also raised other needs by the people of the Niuas, such as providing a reliable water supply, good roads, and telephones in rural areas.

Chairman - called for votes, it was carried 26-0. He called for the report from Vava'u tour.

'Etuate Lavulavu - he asked for a scholarships allocation for Vava'u, and that on their return graduates should go and work in Vava'u. He also asked for a pension to be paid to the elderly, 70 years and over.

Trevor Guttenbeil - said that there was an urgent need by the growers of Vava'u for a storage facility for the preparation of their agricultural products for export. He said that agricultural production in Vava'u has doubled during the past year and there was a need for a facility to prepare these agricultural products for shipping to overseas markets. He suggested that government should establish a market storage in New Zealand for Tongan agricultural products, where it could then be distributed to other parts of New Zealand.

Chairman - called for vote on the Vava'u report and it was carried 25-0.

Fineasi Funaki - he told of some of the problems faced by people on the southern islands of the Ha'apai Group. These are scattered small island communities, such as Mango, Kotu, Tungua, and the most southern island of Nomuka. The two main concern areas were the Beacon light at Muifuiva, a very important directional light which has been out of action for over a year. The other major concern area was the Solar power for the lighting of homes, he said that on the island of Mango, the lights in only four homes were still working.

The island of Nomuka, he said has a lot of potential for development, it was a bigger island with fertile soil.

'Uliti Uata - reported on the islands to the north eastern part of Ha'apai. He said that pressing need on the main island of Lifuka was for a good rubbish dump.

Minister of Land - said that they were working together with the governor, looking for ideal site for a new rubbish dump for Foa and Lifuka.

Chairman - called for vote on the Ha'apai report. It was carried 25-0.

He called for the report on Tongatapu.

'Akilisi Pohiva - he said that the Tongatapu group visited 12 government departments, five villages and two outer islands. Their meeting with villages they tried to explain the government annual budget and how it affected their lives. He said they also took note of the pressing needs of these people. He said that they identified two pressing needs, firstly by the people of the village of Kanokupolu, which was soil erosion, and a good part of the village has been taken away by the sea; and secondly, the living condition of the people of Popua who were settled in this swampy areas a few years ago.

For Kanokupolu he moved for government to buy the village an excavator because the people were willing to do the work themselves, but they needed the equipment.

Deputy Prime Minister - said that they were waiting for response from Japan for a request to build the foreshore at Kanokupolu, but he was aware that the people were keen to go ahead and do the work themselves so he would see if he could get them an excavator while they were waiting to hear from the Japanese.

Noble Nuku - raised a couple of concerns of people in the eastern district of Tongatapu about agricultural production in the area. He pointed out that the Tongatapu report focus only on the problem of Kanokupolu and Popua but nothing on the need for production and export. He said that there was a lot of good farming land in the east and rural roads have been constructed but he moved for electricity and telephone to be made available in these areas to encourage agricultural production.

Chairman - called for votes on the Tongatapu report, it was carried 23-0.

Noble Tu'ivakano - moved for the proceeding wind down and finish off for the year. It was seconded.

'Isileli Pulu - asked the Minister of Finance about the allocation that was approved by the House to be paid out to the Teacher Training College. He said that the House was about to close and the amount has not bee paid out.

Minister of Finance - said that he and the Minister of Education were working on transferring the fund to the Ministry of Education to be paid out to the Teacher's Training College.

Noble Tu'ivakano - moved for Annual Reports No. 5 and 6 to be voted on together by the House.

Chairman - called for votes and No. 5 and 6 were carried 21-0.

'Akilisi Pohiva - said that he noticed that his motion to impeach the Prime Minister had just been distributed, and he interpreted that to mean that they would not deal with it this year, it would have to be next year.

Deputy Prime Minister - said that he had read the motion and it did not really have any substance, and that was why it was not in the House's working agenda.

Chairman - dissolved the committee and the Speaker, Noble Tu'ivakano took his Chair.

Nobles Vaha'i and Noble Tu'i'afitu spoke and praised the success of the 2004 Legislative Assembly session, and they both wished the members, a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

'Akilisi Pohiva - praised the guidance of the Speaker and the Chairman of the proceedings in the House during the year. He called on the Noble's Representatives to be a bit more aggressive in their approach to the proceedings in the House, because if they would not then the People's Representatives would do it for them.

Trevor Guttenbeil - made his final speech in the House. He thanked all the members but he said that he would not be standing for election next year but he wished all the members a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

'Etuate Lavulavu - also thank the members of the House for putting up with him during the past three years, but he said that his parliamentary work had just started, and he wished everyone all the best for the coming season.

Fineasi Funaki, 'Uliti Uata, Sunia Fili and Peauafi Haukinima also thanked all members of the House and wish them all the best during the festive season.

Prime Minister - thanked the Speaker and the Chairman for running the House during the past three years. He said that it might have appeared that the government opposed most of the time motions presented by the elected members but he reminded the House that there was only one table in the House and that they were all working for one country. He wished all the members a prosperous New Year and a Merry Christmas.

Speaker - thanked all the members for the work that the House has achieved during the past three years.

He reminded members of their Christmas Party in the evening following the closing of Parliament on November 10.

He also wished Trevor Guttenbeil all the best for his going away next year for further studies.

The Parliamentary session for 2004 was then closed.