From the House by Pesi Fonua

A motion by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Clive Edwards, for a Parliamentary Select Committee to find out why protesters burnt Nuku'alofa on 16 November 2006, was withdrawn by order of the Acting Speaker yesterday, after 'Akilisi Pohiva pleaded with the Prime Minister to ask the Acting Speaker to have it withdrawn.

The motion was the main issue of discussion when the House resumed its deliberation of the select committee's report of how the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation had administered the government's $119 million loan from China for the rebuilding of the Central Business District after the riots.

'Akilisi Pohiva pleaded with the Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano for the Minister of Justice, Clive Edwards, to withdraw his motion. He said it was important for the House to forget the past and to look forward, and that to dig up what had happened in the past was a task for academia to deliberate over and analyze.

The Prime Minister suggested that the select committee report be handed over to another committee to work on. He agreed for the House to move forward. He told the Acting Speaker Lord Tu'iha'ateiho to withdraw the motion.

But there was an objection from Lord Nuku who had seconded Clive Edwards' motion. Nuku reminded the Acting Speaker that the motion had been tabled into the Whole House Committee.

The Legislature dissolved into committee.

In the Whole House Committee Lord Nuku reminded the chairman that according to Clause 82 of the Rules of Procedure and Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly, the mover of a motion into the House should be the person to withdraw his own motion.

NDC Committee report

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo, moved for the House to take note that they had received the report of the Select Committee on the NDC, and then warned that if the House agreed to pursue the recommendations of the select committee in the report, it would be a very expensive exercise.

Dr Sitiveni Halapua in an emotional statement praised the foresight and leadership qualities of the Prime Minister in initiating the formation of the Select Committee and the committee for the writing of the report. He said that the Prime Minister had set a precedent, a "Makamaile".

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Lord Vaea, interrupted and reminded the member that the term "Makamalie" was normally used by other people about the great achievement of others, "you don't normally describe your own work as a Makamaile."

Dr Sitiveni Halapua responded that what he had said was from his 'heart' and that was his sincere feeling about the Prime Minister and his leadership, and his reference to a Makamaile was about the Prime Minister's foresight to form the committee to produce a report to inform the people of how the government loan was spent.

Flattery

The Minister of Finance expressed his doubt if the member really meant all the praising that he had just given to the Prime Minister as a great leader. He reminded the member that they had tabled a Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister.

There was an uproar as members who supported the Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister wanted to speak out.

Dr Sitiveni Halapua insisted that he was speaking out what was in his heart, and said, "you can not tell what is in my heart."

House votes on motions

While in the Whole House Committee, the Chairman called for votes on the three motions.

Motion No. 3 by Lord Nuku for the select committee report to be given to the Attorney General for his advice on the legality of the decisions that were made by the former government prior to the political reform program that was introduced in late 2010. Voting for the motion was only one person, Lord Nuku himself, and no one else voted for or against it.

Because Nuku was the only one who voted, we take it that he lost that motion.

Motion No. 2 by 'Akilisi Pohiva for the House to finish the reading and debating on the select committee report, before it was presented in full to another committee. For it were 10-0.

Motion No. 1 by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo, for the House to take note of the select committee report, and then delete recommendations 1 to 4, before handing over the select committee report to the Finance Committee of the House. For it were 8-0.

We take it that because Motion no. 2 had 10 votes, while Motion no. 1 had eight votes, that Motion 2 was carried and the House will have to finish debating over the select committee report before it is handed over to another committee.

The Whole House Committee was dissolved into Legislature and the Acting Speaker took his chair.

Clive's motion

The Legislature returned to the debate on the motion of the Minister of Justice, Clive Edwards for the select committee to investigate why protesters burnt Nuku'alofa on 16 November 2006.

Lord Nuku reminded the Acting Speaker about Clause 82 of the House's Rules of Procedure.

The Prime Minister told the House that he had discussed with the Minister of Justice about withdrawing his motion, which he had agreed to, but the Minister was not well and he had gone home.

'Akilisi Pohiva thanked the Prime Minister.

The Acting Speaker terminated Hon. Clive Edwards' motion, and the House was closed for the day.