Hon Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, the Tongan Parliamentarian of the year

From the House, by Pesi Fonua

At the end of the Tonga Legislative Assembly's 2012 session, early today, Hon. Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, the Chairman of its Whole House Committee was named by the Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano, as the Tongan Parliamentarian of the year.

In a speech to the House before it finished its October 17 sitting after mid-night last night, the Prime Minister praised the quality of Siosifa's performance.

It was an interesting endorsement from the PM considering that Siosifa was one of the 10 signatories to the Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet – the divisive issue that has taken up most of the working hours of the House this year. On August 8 it was finally rejected with a vote of 13-11.

Siosifa is the People's Representative for Tongatapu Constituency No. 6

Controversies

Hard debates in the Tongan Parliament are carried out in the Whole House Committee, and during the 2012 parliamentary session there were a number of controversial issues that the newly structured parliament, which turns two years old next month, has had to deal with.

Parliament not only had to pass decisions on the controversial Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister and his cabinet, but also on the report of a parliamentary select committee on how the former government had administered a $119 million loan from China for the reconstruction of the Nuku'alofa Central Business District after it was burned on 16 November 2006.

After more than a month of debating over the NDC Report of the parliamentary select committee the House voted 8-7, in favor of a motion by the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu for the Report to be handed over to another Independent Select Committee.

Lost seat

The administration of proceedings in the Tongan parliament became even more complicated when the former Speaker of the Tongan Parliament, Lord Lasike lost his seat upon his conviction for the illegal possession of ammunition by the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on July 9. (In a further complication this judgment was overturned by the Court of Appeal early this month).

Lord Fakafanua was appointed Speaker on July 19, and helped the Chairman navigate the way forward for the Tongan parliament during the rest of its difficult 2012 session.

Other controversial bills were the reintroduction of a Bill to reduce the penalty for the illegal possession of Arms and Firearms; and a Bill to increase the government expenditure for the 2012-13 financial year by about $4.1 million so that government could pay for the lease of the airport, and increase the budget of the House by $300,000.

Chairman's vote

The votes of the Speaker and the Chairman played a critical role in split decisions.

When the House last week voted on the Bill introduced by Cabinet to reduce the penalty on the illegal possession of arms and ammunitions it was a tie 10-10. The Speaker was among those who were voting against the Bill. The Chairman, Siosifa, made his casting vote and the Bill was rejected in Committee. When the Bill was presented for its final reading in Legislature on the following day, Friday October 12 it was again rejected 10-6.

With the Bill to increase government expenditure for 2012-13 by $4.1 million, the Speaker voted in favour and it was carried 12-9; part of the money was to pay for the expenditures of the House, which included the salaries of the parliamentary select committee to write the NDC report, 'Uliti Uata's medical bills and members' expenses on their coming trip to China.