Editor,

IF the editor's latest report (Parliament Standing Committee, 23/6/10) reflect the current state of discussion in parliament, then what we are looking at is a dysfunctional parliament. I have questioned in one of my previous letter (MT: Letter & Comment, PR quest for power . . . 13/6/10) the ability of most members of the House especially the People and Noble Representatives to conduct a well focused and intelligent debate on budget, and this concern is to some extend confirmed by the editor's report. It only shows that this session is an expensive campaign gimmick for some members of parliament.

When I lamented for "God help us" (MT: Letters & Comments, Parliament fails to . . . 1/6/10) I did not mean for the Chair of the House to seek divine interventions to sort out the mess of our parliament. For forgiveness from God is conditional on the fact that, "for they know not what they have done". When parliament knowingly misled the people of Tonga on the status of our preparedness with the legal groundwork for political reform, it cannot satisfy the given condition for God's mercy. In this sort of human affairs such as politics, the godly part is to ask for Courage of heart and mind to make a presentation to His Majesty Tupou V to Dissolve Parliament as soon as the budget vitiation is finished.

Where is the eagerness for change? Get on with our "last supper" and allow the new parliament to undertake extensive measures to reform the democratization process. For what we have achieved so far is a step backward along the pathway to democracy laid by Tupou I and Shirley Baker since 1875.

What the leader of the defunct pro-democracy is doing is to push the Chair and Parliament to penalize him for anything regardless of how foolish it would be. He will then take any penalty and twist it into a patriotic enterprise on behalf of the people in public. He has perfected this method over the years, and going through the motion this time as if the people of Tonga are not any wiser and remain gullible for this form of political ploy.

By forming a Standing Committee is exactly what this PR wants and I agree with Clive Edwards. Thus what the parliament needs is not to waste any more money in committee.

Instead of distracting the public by enquiring about everybody else wages, why don't the people's or nobles representatives, for the sake of fairness and transparency, inform the public of their entitlements from the last marathon parliamentary session. In addition, for accountability, a list for the public of all those (individuals, groups and organizations) who receive any money from the Commonwealth Parliament grant of ($200,000/year) plus ($500,000 for outer island PRs 09/10) that was supposedly for community development projects in each of your constituency. Does Parliament have an audited financial report? Or you have exempt parliament from transparency and accountability similar to your salary being exempted from taxation.

Tu'a 'ofa atu

'Inoke Fotu Hu'akau

inokefotu [at] 2000fm [dot] com