Results for Lord Fakafanua

Tonga has many urgent needs and three major concerns for our new Prime Minister Designate, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, are health, illegal drugs and school dropouts. “There's a lot [of concerns] and that is why it's important to have a good team to work with,” he said following his election today. By Pesi Fonua.

Tonga has a new handbook to guide parliamentary reporters. The 88 pages bilingual Tongan/English, “Tonga Parliamentary Reporters’ Handbook” was launched by the Speaker Lord Fakafanua, at Parliament House, Nuku'alofa, this morning, 4 March 2021. But significantly, the new handbook makes no mention of the role of political parties in Tonga’s parliament.

A decision by the Tongan Parliament to hold a secretive session to debate their response to the speech to the nation by HM King Tupou VI on the opening of parliament, is a historical first and a disappointing show for the first sitting of the House of the new government, under the new prime minister. When parliament hides their pondering over the approval of a simple thank you note, then the public cannot hope to see participatory parliament in the future. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The new Tongan government will stretch out its closure of parliament up to eight months. At the request of the Prime Minister, the sitting of the Legislative Assembly has been adjourned to May, Parliament's Office said in a statement today.

A three-day Tonga Youth Parliament started today, November 12 under a theme “Our Parliament-Bringing Parliament to You” at the main Chamber of the Legislative Assembly.

It will cost around $45,000 pa‘anga for the Tongan Parliament to send a delegation of six people, including the Speaker Lord Fakafanua, “to show Parliament’s unwavering support for Mate Ma’a Tonga” on Saturday. But the Clerk of the House said the figure had yet to be finalised as some MPs who are overseas might join the delegation in Auckland.

A Tonga Youth Parliament will be held from November 12-14 and, in preparation, a public awareness program will be launched on October 1 by the Tonga Legislative Assembly, at the Tonga National Centre.

Office furniture worth $110,000 pa’anga for Tonga's Legislative Assembly was donated by the New Zealand Government on June 6, as part of the Cyclone Gita recovery efforts.

HM King Tupou VI has appointed three Nobles of the Realm to close Parliament tomorrow, 15 March. The appointments were announced today by the Speaker of the Tongan Parliament, Lord Fakafanua.