From the House, translation and summary by Pesi Fonua

Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 14, Thursday June 23, 2005.

- Tongan vanilla growers will receive a $1 million subsidy for green vanilla from government, after People's Representatives pushed a growers' petition. The Minister of Finance accepted a motion by Samiu Vaipulu to increase the budget of the Ministry of Finance by $1 million, so that government can subsidise a drop in the price of vanilla.

- Motekiai Tutu'u (4), does not qualify to be sent by government for heart surgery overseas.

- 'Akilisi Pohiva queried the delay in the reply from the King to the Petition that thousands of people marched and presented to the king's Private Secretary, calling for the return of power generation from Shoreline to Government.

- 'Akilisi Pohiva expressed his concern over the millions of pa'anga that Shoreline transferred overseas with the approval of the Reserve Bank for the purchase of goods that never arrived.

- PRs queried why the big increase in the budget of the Tonga Defence Service for the purchase of uniforms, ammunition, rifles and new vehicles.

- 'Akilisi Pohiva felt insecure with the building up of the Tonga Defence Services.
 

Petitions

The Acting Minister of Health, Litili 'Ofanoa told the House that he had received a report from the king's physician that the king had recovered from his illness and he was doing fine in Auckland.

The 'Eua People's Representative, Sunia Fili, requested for a letter of petition from the vanilla growers to be read.

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Siosiua 'Utaikamanu, requested a report from the Ministry of Agriculture on the status of the vanilla industry.

A Tongatapu People's Representative, 'Isileli Pulu, requested financial assistance from government to send a young boy, Motekiai Tutu'u, for heart treatment in New Zealand. He said that the family could afford only the airfares but not the $20,000 for the treatment.

The Acting Minister of Health responded that Motekiai did not qualify to be sent for treatment overseas. He said that there were issues to be considered such as the usefulness of the treatment and how long the patient would live after the treatment.

A Ha'apai People's Representative, Fineasi Funaki expressed his concern over the authority of town and district officers to decide that foreigners may run a business in their villages. He considered such a practice to be racist.

The Prime Minister, HRH Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata said that the district and town officers represented the voice of the people. Their recommendations represented the interests of the community, a key element on whether a licence was given by the Minister of Labour.

Petition over Shoreline Power

A Tongatapu People's Representative, 'Akilisi Pohiva commented on how there had not been any reply to the petition that he presented to the Private Secretary of the king. He asked Cabinet Ministers to tell him and the people who marched, what is the government's decision on the request by the people for the electric power supply to be taken back from Shoreline to the government.

'Akilisi said that three ministers had been appointed to work on the Shoreline issue, and he suggested that a representative of the people and the nobles should be in the group. He said that the 11 seniti government subsidy on electricity charges was not accepted by the people.

The Prime Minister reminded the House that the PRs supported the idea to privatise government enterprises. If 'Akilisi caome up with investors and the money he would let him run the power. He said that the people made a big mistake by electing 'Akilisi into the House. He said that 'Akilisi had already taken a pension and he should retire. 'Akilisi had not achieved anything in the 18 years he had been in the House. He asked Clive Edwards to say something because he was on the Board.

'Akilisi said that the people were very concerned about the fact that Shoreline had transferred million of dollars overseas. He asked the PM for an audited account of Shoreline to be presented to the House.

The PM said that Shoreline was a private company and it had nothing to do with government.

The Speaker reminded PRs that their letter of petition was presented on May 26, less than a month ago, and they should be patient and wait for a reply.

The Speaker dissolved the Legislature into Committee and the Chairman of the Committee Noble Tu'iha'angana took his chair and called for vote on Vote No. 12 of the Crown Law. It was carried 25-0.

Tonga Defence Service

Proceedings continued with Vote No. 13 of the Tonga Defence Service.

'Isileli Pulu queried why the big rise in the allocation for uniforms, which went up by $479,847.

The Prime Minister explained that in recent years the Tongan soldiers served in the Solomons and in Iraq, and there was a need for them to wear bullet-proof vests and special helmets, suitable for the Iraqi desert.

'Isileli reminded the House that Tongan soldiers were going to the Solomons on peace keeping duties, and not to war. The PM reminded the member that soldiers were still being killed while on peace keeping duties. He said that it was cheaper to equip them with protecting clothing, rather than waiting for them to arrive in coffins.

'Isileli also expressed his surprise at an increase in the allocation for ammunition of $330,000 up from $200,000 last year. He wanted to know if the TDS was buying a new tank or was it just buying ammunition for their target shooting.

The PM said that it was only for ammunition, because if it was for a tank, there would be nothing left for his salary.

'Isileli wanted to know what the PM was going to use the ammunition to shoot at. If it was not to shoot him then whom was he going to shoot at? He asked for the PM not to answer his questions, which were directed at the Minister for Defence.

The PM said that he was responding on the behalf of the former Minister of Defence, Fetu'utolu Tupou, who passed away, and he thought he could give him a softer answer than the Minister of Defence.

'Isileli wanted the new Minister of Defence to tell the House about the $300,000 vehicle that TDS was buying.

The Minister of Defence, Hon. Tu'a Taumoepeau Tupou, said that the new vehicles were to replace old vehicles, which thanks to their mechanics, still managed to keep running. He said that the TDS vehicles were also used for distribution of relief following a natural disaster.

Sunia Fili commented on how the allocation for salaries of $1.5 million was about the same as the $1.1 million for the feeding of the soldiers.

The Minister said that soldiers were paid very low wages and their food ration help to prop up their wages. He said that when a person enrolled with the TDS he must choose a line of study - technical, computer, academic, electricity and others. He said that 80 to 130 of these soldiers were sent overseas every year for training, and they returned with qualifications from Australia, New Zealand and the USA. He said that the intention was that when they left the army they could get a job, and this program had been in operation successfully since the 1980s.

'Isileli Pulu wanted to know if the army was also in preparation in case of a civil uprising.

The Minister said that was to be dealt with by the Police.

Outer islands patients dying

Fineasi Funake proposed for Tonga to improve its Homeland Security, and to deal with matters closer to home. He said that there were numerous cases of people dying while trying to get from the outer islands of Ha'apai to hospital, and there was a need for the Ministry of Health to have a boat that operated a service between the islands.

The Acting Minister of Health said that the Ministry had made an arrangement with the Mormon Church that in time of need their boats may be used, and they had offered a cheap rate.

Fineasi queried the logic of spending thousands to send soldiers to defend Iraq and the Solomons, while people were dying here because of a lack of public transport to transfer them to hospital.

The Prime Minister said that if the member wanted him to take care of the transporting of patients he was willing to do that but he said that they should get back to Vote 13.

'Akilisi Pohiva expressed his worry about the TDS. He said that military parades were no longer something that he was proud of, instead it made him weary. He said that one night a person telephoned him and later told him to wait because he was coming over. He said that the children dispersed, and one of his sons stood under a banana tree while he and his wife went into a church nearby. He said a van arrived later and a man hopped out with a gun and called for him, then he drove off. 'Akilisi said he returned from the church and was standing at the neighbour. The man returned and walked around the house and then left and made an announcement on the radio for them to meet the following day, but 'Akilisi did not go.

On a different issue, 'Akilisi said that he had a Privy Council Paper, which reported that in 1989 when he visited the United States on an invitation of the US government a person was sent to follow him around. Government could not afford to send the person to the mainland so he ended his assignment in Honolulu where he filed his report, which said that "this person, we have plan of what to do with him, and what is awaiting him is the barrel of a gun." 'Akilisi said that he considered this to be an assassination in the making.

The PM queried what was the connection between the two matters that 'Akilisi had just raised and what was before the committee.

The Minister of Defence said that there was a law that regulated anything that had to do with ammunition and guns, when to use them and where to keep them. He said that the member should take the person who threatened him to court.

Vote 13 was carried 21-0.

Vanilla subsidy

Vote 14 for the Ministry of Finance.

The clerk read a letter of petition from vanilla growers that was presented to the House by Sunia Fili, Vili Kaufusi Helu, Samiu Vaipulu and Fineasi Funaki.

The letter proposed for government to subsidise the price of green vanilla by $15 or $20. It also proposed for the House to find a way top buy all green vanilla harvested in 2005.

A Vava'u People's Representative, Samiu Vaipulu, proposed for the House to increase the vote of the Ministry of Finance by $1 million and to use that amount to subsidise the price of vanilla.

The Minister of Finance expressed his concern that his budget would not be balanced but he accept the proposal and asked to give him time to consult with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on where to get some money.

Noble Veikune asked the Minister of Finance to clarify the government subsidy of $3.2 million for non-financial public enterprises.

The Minister wanted to make some corrections to figures, to change $1.967 million to $4.167 million, and the transfer to non-financial public enterprises which amounted to $3.2 million to change it to $686,000, and the transfer to other enterprises which was zero to change it to $250,000.

The break down of the transfer to Non Financial Public enterprises of $600,000:

$50,000 - repayment of loan to the World Bank.

$36,000 - to Fisheries

$400,000 - Tonga Corporation

$200,000 - Tonga Broadcasting Commission.

He said that he was informed the day before that the Tonga Corporation was winding up, and they were in the process of selling its assets and paying its debts. He said that government so far had spent over $200,000 on the Tonga Corporation.

Other allocations -

$250,000 - for Business Development Scheme.

Export Diversification Fund - He said that for the Export Diversification Fund, government had given money to six projects, two government and four from the Private Sector. There was $300,000 left, which he was thinking of giving to the vanilla growers.

Samiu Vaipulu moved for vote on his proposal to increase the Vote No. 14 by $1 million, and for the House to accept the letter of petition from the vanilla growers.

It was carried 24-0.