Results for Parliament

In a year that has seen a dramatic increase in armed robberies in Tonga, parliament voted to massively reduce the penalties for the illegal possession of firearms - slashing the maximum penalty from $5,000 to only $1,000 and from five years imprisonment to only one year.

By the end of this week the Cabinet should make a definite decision on whether parliament should close on October 20 before it reopens again in February, or just take a long break to February before closing, the Minister of Justice, Hon Clive Edwards told the Tongan parliament on Monday, 10 October.

Although Tonga's Legislative Assembly discussed and criticized the practice of campaigning by members during their annual parliamentary tour to their constituencies, which is paid for by the House, no action was taken to curb the practice. Some PRs went out to hear what their constituencies needed, but one PR said he had a different approach and he went out to tell constituents what the government and house needed. The House ended up arguing about the burning of Nuku'alofa before abruptly changing the subject. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

The issue of members of parliament being paid without doing any work was a matter of great concern to some members, when the Tongan parliament reconvened on 19 September after a three weeks break.

Falisi Tupou of Tatakamotonga is the new Tongatapu 9 People's Representative to the Tonga Legislative Assembly - winning 745 votes during the constituency's By Election held today, Thursday September 15.

A parliamentary committee, formed on July 26 to produce a report on how the Nuku'alofa Development Corporation administered and spent a $118 million pa'anga loan from China on the reconstruction of central Nuku'alofa, remains in limbo.

The 'Ikale Tahi's participation in the Rugby World Cup 2011 "is not in doubt", the International Rugby Board stated yesterday, 24 August, after seeking "urgent assurance" from Tonga's Prime Minister that there had been no government interference in the composition of the board.

About 30 Tongan seamen have lost their jobs because Singaporean registered ships had rejected their seamanship certificates issued by the Tonga Maritime Polytechnical Institute, the Minister for Training, Employment, Youth and Sports, the Hon. Fe'ao Vakata told parliament on Tuesday, 16 August.

A Bill to terminate the government's contribution to the Retirement Fund Scheme for Public Servants was unanimously voted for by the Tongan Legislative Assembly 10-0 on Monday, 15 August.