From the House, Minute No. 28. Monday August 2.

- Queries over why government made a new tobacco law, when the existing law could not be enforced.

Speaker ...– said that the current administrative staff of the House would finish their term of office at the end of this year's session and vacant posts would be advertised early next year. He said that they would then be more specific with regards to qualifications and job descriptions.

He called for proceedings to start with the Tobacco Act.

The Legislature dissolved and the acting Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Noble Tu'i'afitu took his chair.

Chairman ...– Called for the proceedings to start with the Bill to Amend the Tobacco Act 2004.

Minister of Health ...– explained that the principal act was passed in 2000 and implemented in 2001 but it needed to be amended to be in line with international Conventions with regards to advertising and the labelling of cigarette packets. He said that the amendment aimed to prevent youth and non-smokers from taking up smoking.

Chairman ...– called for debate to focus on Clause 5.

Dr Feleti Sevele ...– pointed out the fact that under the existing law health warnings must be printed on the packet, but he said he had with him three different packets of cigarettes which were on sale in Tonga without any health risk warning. He queried the logic of making laws that could not be enforced. He said that the worst offenders were cigarettes from Asia. He said that if the existing law could be enforced there was no need for this Bill.

Minister of Health - said the amendment was to update the Tongan Tobacco Act to be in line with the Third world Convention of Tobacco Control signed by 192 countries. He said that the amendment and a Regulation would complete Tonga's Tobacco Act and would make sure that tobacco manufacturers displayed the health risk warning on the packet more prominently.

Minister of Police - wanted to know the importer of the Winfield cigarettes that did not have proper labelling.

Minister of Health - said that the agent for Winfield in Tonga was TCF, and the kind of labelling they were using was acceptable in 1991 but not today.

Dr Feleti Sevele - referred back to the meeting that the Minister of Health had with representative of the British Tobacco Company, he wondered if he had met a representative of the local tobacco company, because he said there was no health warning in their packets.

Minister of Health - said he had not, but under this new legislation all tobacco manufacturers must abide by the law.

The House closed for lunch. After lunch it did not get its quorum, so it closed for the day.