Results for Parliament

The government can’t do much to help people in the flooded areas of Nuku’alofa because government has no money, the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva told parliament yesterday, Monday 13 June. He said that the newly constructed roads in the areas stopped the floodwater from flowing out of the areas. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The Budget debate in the Whole House Committee of the Tongan Parliament was stymied yesterday, as questions piled up in a 150 minute brain teaser - whereby the Minister of Finance was not allowed to answer until members had no more questions. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The most serious challenge confronting the Tongan society today is the physical health of our people, HM King Tupou VI said, when he opened the 2016-17 session of parliament this morning, 2 June, in a thoughtful speech that also challenged legislators to educate Tonga's children for global employment, and urged them to engage with all stake holders in the economy and not unilaterally change operating conditions, that may stifle growth.

The 2016 Session of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga will have a state opening on Thursday, June 2 at Parliament House.

The Tonga Government is currently negotiating to sell some of its shares in Tonga Cable Ltd. to Digicel to cover a shortfall in the funding it needs to connect Vava’u and Ha'apai to the submarine fibre optic telecommunications cable network that has linked Tongatapu to the rest of the world since 2013. Parliament was surprised to learn of the negotiations yesterday. From the House, by Pesi Fonua

An international rugby test match between Tonga's ‘Ikale Tahi and Wales at Teufaiva Stadium in early 2017 is now in doubt. There is uncertainty over whether the upgrading of the stadium will be completed in time, the Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva told the Tongan parliament yesterday, 15 February. From the House by Pesi Fonua.

Members of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga today 8 February received around 50 new copies of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Handbooks tailored specially for them by Tonga Red Cross Society. The Speaker Lord Tu'ivakano said parliament would take action to ensure Tonga is a party to IHL treaties.

The Tongan Parliament today was struggling with a multitude of problems: reporting five cases of the Zika virus; worrying about an over-weight population with a shorter life expectancy; realising that education was not making people smarter; and noting a palpable frustration among the people that had even led to threats on the life of the Prime Minister Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

Tonga's Parliament started its 2016 proceedings this morning 1 February, by pondering its casualties over the holidays. The speaker, Lord Tu’ivakano informed members that since parliament’s closure in October 2015 two of the 26 members of the House had lost their seats. From the House, by Pesi Fonua