Results for Pacific Islands

There were a number of big issues raised by Members during question time in the Tonga Legislative Assembly yesterday, 15 February. But the most sensitive questions were those asked about the Prime Minister, who has been absent from the House for over three months. MPs wanted to know more about the disagreement between King Tupou VI and his Prime Minister that has dragged on for two weeks.

Luxury villas, under construction at the Royal estate Polata’ane, on the Nuku'alofa waterfront, are being built under a partnership project between the Tonga Development Bank, the land owner, and a mystery investor. The Bank says they will be opened on 1 July this year.

A new “state-of-the-art” 2MWh Cummins Genset generator, commissioned at Tonga Power Ltd's power plant at Anana in Nuku'alofa, yesterday, 14 February, will help meet peak demand on Tongatapu. The generator, worth about $1.038 million pa'anga, was commissioned by the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Rachael Moore.

Tonga Fire & Emergency Services were fighting a large fire, early this afternoon, that was engulfing a warehouse storing Chinese imported products, at Fangaloto, Tongatapu. Black smoke covered the area and could be seen from the CBD in Nuku'alofa.

The Legislative Assembly of Tonga held its first sitting for 2024, on Monday 12 February, with the Acting Speaker, Lord Tu'iha'angana swearing in Tonga’s new Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Siale 'Akau'ola.

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga observed one minute of silence in remembrance of the former Member of Parliament, Lord Fusitu’a (51) who died in Auckland at the weekend, after a long illness.

A total of 18 players have been chosen by Head Coach, Mark Uhatahi to represent the Kingdom in the upcoming Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Men’s Championship League, set to begin on Saturday 17 February.

The first Blue Talanoa in Tonga, a forum for local activists and government officials to discuss issues facing the ocean, in Tonga and the Pacific region, was hosted by the French Embassy from Fiji. The Deputy Head of Mission in Fiji, Laurence Brattin-Nerriere, led the Blue Talanoa sessions, held on 9 February, at the House of Tonga, Nuku'alofa.

The PM and his Cabinet should remember the uniqueness of our kind of democracy. Ours is not like the British democracy where the King has no executive power. Ours is a democracy under Constitutional monarchy. The King has the ultimate executive authority over the Government. He can dissolve Parliament if it deems necessary as he has done with 'Akilisi's government back then. Our Constitution, and especially Clause 51 retains the King's authority over Cabinet by giving him authority to endorse ...the appointments of Cabinet ministers. So, it will be good for the current administration not to resist the authority of the King in this matter. - Rev Dr Ma'afu Palu