Economic growth will be on the top of the Tongan government's working agenda during the next financial year, HM King George Tupou V said when he opened the Tongan Legislative Assembly's 2010 session yesterday, June 10.

The King also briefly outlined some of the important issues that government will have to deal with in the coming months and years.

To attain economic growth he said that bills would be introduced to amend the taxation system, to secure the savings of people in the banks, and to secure the interests of borrowers who were having problems repaying their loans. He said that government would also review regulations for insurance companies.

Water supply

King George also made a surprise announcement that with foresight to secure a cheap source of electricity and to provide clean drinking water for the people in the future, Tonga would embrace nuclear energy as a source of cheap electricity. He said that in the USA work was underway to build nuclear facilities capable of producing 30 megawatts, far cheaper than what a diesel generator could produce. He claimed that with cheap electricity Tonga then would be able to turn sea-water into fresh drinking water. The king said that Tonga's underground water supply would become very polluted with the increasing of use of chemicals for agriculture.

Political reform

With regards to the political reform that is scheduled to take place in November, the King expressed his gratitude to the House's willingness to amend only the Constitution, instead of writing a new constitution. He explained that under the existing constitution Tonga has been ruled by a minority government, and it will continue to do so. He said with such a form of government neither the Noble's Representatives, the People's Representatives, nor the Cabinet dominate parliament.

The King said that new legislation will be introduced to safeguard the independence of the judiciary, and to terminate the authority of the Parliament to impeach judges.

He said that a new post for a Lord Chancellor would be established to head the judiciary.

This year's parliamentary session is historically significant because of the few changes to the composition of the Tongan government and the Tongan parliament.