By Pesi Fonua
From the House. Minute No. 19, July 29, 2011

During the last sitting of the Tongan Parliament on 28 July, before it went out for a one week break, it struggled to find its footing, to keep the proceedings in order and to make definite decisions.

Top on the agenda of the House on that day were five amended Regulations: the Business Licences Regulation 2010, the Companies Regulation 2010, the Incorporated Societies Regulations 2010, the Industrial Property Regulations 2010, and the Fisheries Management Regulations 2010.

Normally, Regulations should have their first reading in Legislature before they are tabled into the Whole House Committee for debate; and after that moving on to their third reading in Legislature.

This time the right of the House to process the Regulations was raised as a point of contention.

The Minister of Land, Survey and Natural Resources, Lord Ma'afu queried the logic of the House having to approve Regulations. He pointed out that Regulations for Acts are drafted by the Ministers and Ministries, because the regulation outlines how they implemented the Acts. He did not think it was relevant for the House to spend valuable time debating the Regulations.

Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, the Chairman of the Whole House Committee told the House that though Cabinet Ministers drafted the regulations but they become part of the Acts and they have to be presented to the House in order to be enacted.

General discussion

The floor was opened up for what it became a general discussion, until the former Speaker, Lord Tu'ilakepa moved a motion for the Rules of Proceeding of the House to be amended, allowing members to speak more than once in Legislature. He pointed out that under the old Rules of Proceeding in Legislature, a member could speak three times.

The Speaker apologized for allowing the discussion to proceed that they finally discovered themselves in the middle of nowhere.

There was a consensus in the House for the five amended Regulations to be tabled into to Standing Committees, to process, and then later presented to the House for debate and enactment.

The Speaker called for votes, for the House to have a break during the following week, giving time for the Standing Committees to work on the Regulations.

The vote on the House to have a break was carried 15-0.

Extended break

The House was scheduled to reconvene on 8 August, but the break was extended for another week, until 15 August.

The House has seven Standing Committees. In order to deal with the five amended Regulations five of the seven committees were activated. The Standing Committees that have been in session after the House broke up on 26 July were: the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts; the Standing Committee on Social Services; the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; the Standing Committee on Environment and Climate Change; and the Standing Committee on Privileges.

Members of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts are:
'Aisake Eke, Chairman; Lord Lasike, Lord Tu'i'afitu, Lord Vaea, Lord Fakafanua, Hon. Sunia Fili, 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Uliti Uata, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, Mo'ale Finau and the Auditor General.

Members of the Standing Committee on Social Services are: Hon. Dr 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki, Chairwoman; Lord Lasike, Lord Tu'i'afitu, Lord Tu'ilakepa, Hon. Fe'aomoeata Vakata, 'Akilisi Pohiva, Dr Sitiveni Halapua and Sione Saulala.

Members of the Standing Committee of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade are: Hon Lisiate 'Akolo, Chairman; Lord Lasike, Lord Tu'i'afitu, Lord Ma'afu, Hon 'Isileli Pulu, Hon Dr Viliami Latu, 'Aisake Eke, Sione Saulala, Semisi Tapueluelu.

Members of the Standing Committee on Environment and Climate Change are: Lord Ma'afu, Chairman; Lord Lasike, Lord Tu'i'afitu, Lord Vaea, Lord Tu'ilakepa, Lord Fakafanua, Hon Fe'ao Vakata, Semisi Sika.

Members of the Standing Committee on Privileges are: Lord Lasike, Chairman; Lord Tu'i'afitu, Lord Fusitu'a, Hon Samiu Vaipulu, Hon. William Clive Edwards, Hon Sunia Fili, Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, Hon. 'Uliti Uata, Semisi Sika.

Members motions

The Speaker called for the reading of six Resolution Motions that had been tabled into the House.

1. A motion, claiming that a company Tongasat had been carrying out illegal activities, and it was calling on the government to take legal action against Tongasat.
The petition was signed by 'Akilisi Pohiva, Semisi Sika, Sitiveni Halapua, 'Aisake Eke, Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, Sangster Saulala, Sione Taione, Semisi Tapueluelu and Mo'ale Finau.

2. A motion calling on the Attorney General to take legal action against the former Prime Minister Dr Feleti Sevele for lying to the Harbour Board. For the House to stop the construction work on Vuna Wharf and information on the government loan from China for the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa to be presented to the House.

3. Motion for the establishment of Community Company

4. Motion for the Appointment of an Attorney General

5. Motion for the introduction of a Code of Conducts.

The motions were signed by 'Akilisi Pohiva, Semisi Sika, Sitiveni Halapua, 'Aisake Eke, Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, Sangster Saulala, Sione Taione, Semisi Tapueluelu and Mo'ale Finau.

Objection

Clive Edwards objected to the reading of these Resolution Motions. He said that members did not have copies of some of what had been read out. He said that the motions sounded like propaganda, and they were saying that people were guilty of crimes that they had not been tried for. He said that the issue of Tongasat was dealt with years ago, and he did not why it was raised again.

The PM pointed out that government had nothing to do with Tongasat, a private company.

There was confusion in the House on what to do with the motions. Some members proposed for the motions to be withdrawn to be redrafted and others for the motions to be tabled into the Whole House Committee.

In the midst of discussion over the logic of the motions and how genuine were the Members who had put their signatures on the motion, the Speaker called on the clerk to read a letter of request to the House.

Aussie Rules

A letter requesting for financial assistance from the Tonga Aussie Rule Football club for $12,000 to send a team to participate in the AFL Cup 2011 competition.

The letter was tabled into the House by Lord Ma'afu who suggested for each constituency to donate $1000 each from the $100,000 that were given to them for community project. There was a debate over the proposal, some were suggesting for the $12,000 to come out of the allocation for the Constituency of Vaini, where Lord Ma'afu comes from.

To sooth the tension, the Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano told the House to give the letter of request to the Ministry of Finance.