Parliament passes two bills at special sitting [1]
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - 23:02. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
In a special sitting today the Tonga Legislative Assembly passed two bills - the National Spatial Planning and Management Bill 2011 and a National Retirement Benefits Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2011.
The Whole House committee deliberated the first bill from 2:00-4:00pm, before the house adjourned to resume at 6:00pm, and passed both bills unanimously before 10:00pm.
The House started at 10:00am and observed a minute of silence in respect for the passing of the late King, HM George Tupou V.
The Speaker of the House Lord Lasike told the House that the Special Session was to consider Reports from the Legislation Standing Committee on the National Spatial and Management Bill 2011, and a National Retirement Benefits Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2011.
The Legislature agreed for the two Bills to be tabled into the Whole House Committee for deliberation, but while in Legislature other issues were raised by members and the House did not get back to deliberate on the two Bills until the afternoon.
When the House reconvened after lunch at 2:00pm, the Whole House committee, debated on the National Spatial and Management Bill 2011.
The Deputy Prime Minister Samiu Vaipulu said that this bill was aimed at providing a proper framework for land use planning and development in Tonga.
Debate continued into an evening session.
The Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano commented that the going on about the Bill was unnecessary because work on the Bill had been carried out by the Standing Committee on Legislation. He queried the logic of establishing standing committees which were supposed to deal with all the trivial details before bills were presented to the House.
The Minister of Land, Lord Ma'afu also pointed out that the two nobles who opposed the Bill, Lord Fakafanua and Lord Lasike, were away overseas most of the time, and were not in Tonga when consultation on the Bill was in progress.
Then either by design or default the House was going to work overtime to pass the Bills.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu moved for the House to reconvene at 6:00pm, and the Speaker agreed. About four hours later, just before 10:00pm, the House unanimously passed the two Bills with votes of 22-0 for each.
Nuku'alofa reconstruction
Earlier, in the morning, other matters raised by members included a query from the Minister of Justice Hon. Clive Edwards on the status of a report on the Nuku'alofa Reconstruction and its expenses that had been assigned to a parliamentary committee.
The committee chairman 'Akilisi Pohiva said they had no expenses in their work and that the English version of the report was finished. He said they had intended to submit the report in the morning, but it had not been translated into Tongan. The report was being translated for submission to the house this week.
Another issue raised by a Tongatapu MP, Sione Taione, regarded the cost of leasing the land area for the Fua'amotu Airport from Lord Kalaniuvalu.
Soft Closing
The 2011 parliamentary session will be officially closed at 10:00am tomorrow, May 2.
The Speaker reminded the House that the King had agreed for the House to be formally closed the following day, by the Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala, Noble Nuku and Noble Vaha'i.
One of the nobles will deliver King Tupou VI's message from the throne during the "soft closing" ceremony.
The official opening of the 2012 Parliamentary Session would be on a date to be confirmed by King Tupou VI.
The House was not officially closed last year, but took a break for the Christmas Holidays on 18 December, 2011 after passing the final report on the Constitution and Electoral Commission.