Editor,

WHEN the country is in dire straits economically, the parliamentarians have kept on squeezing the near empty coffer for every penny in guise of the term "entitlement".

Parliament of Tonga has come out of the longest parliamentary session probably in our history. The outcome of this two years session is a political joke; and financially, qualifies this parliament as the most wasteful ever. With the unfinished business of the longest session, they have called for another session this year specifically to discuss the 2010/2011 budget. Based on most of these parliamentarians track record on budget debate throughout their political career, topped by the 2009/2010 session where the budget debate became an attachment to their Mokohunu License and private business, this coming budget session will be a total waste of money and time.

It is also a case of parliamentary hypocrisy, for they have known about the current financial crisis well before the close of parliament in April/May. Why didn't they call the Minister of Finance back to parliament then? With total disregard to the welfare of the people and country, they blatantly ignore the financial crisis and staggered onward with a political reform agenda that will see Tonga demoded from the senior to the beginners' class of international politics.

These parliamentary hypocrites will dig deep into the empty coffer again this week using the Budget as the main reason for another double session of parliament. If we take the last decade as reference, they will draw their full parliamentary salary (rough estimate of $55,000.00) in the first week of July and survive on committees and overtime until the close of parliament August or September. Is this session of parliament necessary? No! Tonga would have saved a lot of much needed money for services, if the Privy Council and Cabinet continue with their economic (beggarly) revival strategy (in a mini budget) and prepare a full budget for the new parliament in November. The only other option is to limit the session to the Appropriation Act and only that. If the Minister of Finance was recalled to parliament then (April/May), they would have known that it was necessary to push on from May to June for the Government to submit their 10/11 budget before closing parliament in June after the budget is done. And then we prepare for the November election. But I forget that they would not have another chance to dip into our near empty coffer for another TOP$55,000.00 comes July.

The parliament was warned by the Constitutional Commission about the marathon parliamentary session. The Commission's recommendation and advice on this issue was ignored. If the parliament and government are ready with all legislations for November as announced to the world; if the current parliamentarians are so confident that the new form of undemocratic government is an improvement, then please allow the reformed entity to face the music as a matter of urgency. But the fact is, when every government department tightens their belt on expenses, which is currently impacted on all services to the people; our new parliament will come close to double the current budget. Didn't these PRs announce their intentions to be in the new parliament? Yes, they have. But if the people they have fooled for so long put them back into the new parliament in accord with their premeditated plan, that would be another TOP$55,000.00 in their already well stocked pocket for Christmas.

If we continue on along the money trail then the integrity of our parliamentarian has become highly questionable. I send an electronic letter of enquiry to the Clerk of the House on 4th February 2010 and I am still waiting for a reply. Out of the 5 issues raised in my letter, I will briefly mention three of them: (i) did members of the house draw their full salary on the first week of July 2009? (ii) With this type of extended parliamentary session, how is their salary calculated? One full year salary and the rest becomes overtime etc. (iii) The TOP$200,000.00 (donated by the Commonwealth Parliament Assoc. annually) which parliamentarians shared between their constituencies (Niuas, Ha'apai, Vava'u, Ha'apai, 'Eua and Tongatapu) during their annual tour of duty for the past 10 years. This fund was topped up by TOP$500,000.00 in a pledge by the PM in 2009/2010 for the outer islands. Where can I get the following information: Who or what group they distributed it to? When? And, what was the amount given? This request is based on the fact that only on rare occasion that one comes across groups that have been granted any money from these funds for community development as it was intended for. Small portions of this fund have been sparsely splattered around, but most of it is kept from the public all these years for whatever reason, no one knows. Transparency and accountability means that distribution of such fund should be published on print media after closing of parliament every year. This fund is not to be accumulated; it is not for community reunion or political campaign.

The fact of the matter is that the principles of mode of operation for democratic form of government such as transparency, accountability, fair distribution of power and check-and-balance were all taken out of the reform agenda in the last five years. The reform agenda has been dominated by the PRs quest for power. I have to congratulate our parliamentarians, for that is all they get out of this reform, power for themselves. When power is all that you strive for, the only way to succeed is to sacrifice the other principles of democracy as mentioned. That is exactly what our parliamentarians have done. They have failed Tonga and its people in everything else. The people of Tonga well deserved a public apology from its parliament.

When the democratic principles are missing from any democratic reform, we have to prepare and ink the Corruption Stamp for we will need it more than ever.

Tu'a ‘ofa atu,

'Inoke Fotu Huakau

inokefotu [at] 2000fm [dot] com ( inokefotu [at] 2000fm [dot] com)