Results for From the House

On Tuesday, March 12, Parliament started off with a bang when the Speaker reminded Commoners in the House that they would start with the Land (Amendment) Bill 2013, but under Clause 67 of the Constitution only nobles could debate and vote on matters relating to the entitlement of nobles. The bill was one of three relating to constitutional change regarding penalties for nobles and civil servants who are convicted of an indictable offence. Under the existing law convicted people are disabled from holding government office, voting and being elected, and includes loss of noble titles. The proposed constitutional change applies the loss of rights to only people who are sentenced to more than two years imprisonment. From the House by Pesi Fonua.

The 2013 session of the Tongan Legislative Assembly got off to a lively start on Thursday, 7 March, as members queried who had the right to call for this special and urgent session of the Tongan Parliament, and why? Lord Nuku expressed his astonishment over the fact that a special and urgent session of the Tongan Parliament was called for, while the leaders of the country, the King, the Prime Minister and the Speaker were all away overseas. 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. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

Tonga's government is once again trying to drastically reduce penalties for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, by reintroducing a controversial amendment bill, despite the fact that the late King George Tupou V withheld his consent in 2011 because it was considered to be "inimical to the welfare, well-being and safety of His subjects."

After the Tongan Parliament rejected a motion for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister and his Cabinet on Monday, the House opened yesterday, bubbling with emotions high and low, as members could not wait to let their feelings be heard. From the House by Pesi Fonua

Tonga's Minister of Education in parliament is calling for 'Akilisi Pohiva to apologise to the New Zealand Government, to herself and to the Tongan people for making misleading and unfounded allegations about the donor funding received by the Ministry of Education. From the House by Pesi Fonua.

After spending a month arguing over the report of a parliamentary select committee on how the former government spent a $119 million loan from China on the reconstruction of Nuku'alofa, after it was destroyed in riots on 16 November 2006, Tonga's parliament now simply does not know what to do with the report. From the House by Pesi Fonua

Since Monday, September 10, the Tongan Parliament has been trying to decide what to do with a new motion by the Minister of Justice, Hon. Clive Edwards for a parliamentary select committee to go and find out why protesters burned the Nuku'alofa Central Business District on 16 November 2006. Clive's new motion riled up emotional and aggressive comments from members of the House who reminded him that there were court cases and they had got off, but if he wanted to go back to the past they might get caught this time. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The Tongan parliament was in an uproar this afternoon as members who supported a Motion for a Vote of No Confidence in the Prime Minister were given the floor to counter the written response of the Prime Minister that had been read to the parliament over the previous five days of sitting. From the House by Pesi Fonua.