Results for Parliament

The clerk told the House that the Minister of Lands and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence were away overseas. The Governor of Ha'apai and Noble Tu'ipelehake had asked for a day off. Noble Tu'ilakepa and Sunia Fili were away to the APPU meeting in Palau, and those who did not no answer when he called out their names, were probably coming late. They were the Prime Minister, the Minister of Works, the Minister for Tourism, the Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, a Noble's Representative, Lasike, and People's Representatives Clive Edwards, and 'Uliti Uata.

The highlight of debate was the concern by some members over the membership of the Tongan Parliament in overseas parliamentary associations, and the cost for Tongan representatives to attend some of their meetings. It raised the question: was it worth it? From the House, by Pesi Fonua.

A new political party, called the Paati Langafonua Tu'uloa or "PLT", was officially launched by its president Sione Fonua at the Basilica, Nuku'alofa, on Saturday, August 18.

The House plunged into a debate on the issue of the right of the people to present petitions to the House.

Debates on the Votes of various government ministries would have been a highlight of the budget debate in the House on June 27, but unfortunately it became just a matter of procedure to pass the votes. In the end the last three ministry votes were just lumped together and voted on at once.

The approval by parliament for a Tripartite Committee to continue with Tonga's proposed political reform was an unwise decision, according to 'Inoke Hu'akau, the president of the Lo'au Research Society, who believes that using politics and economics to spearhead the reform has been the wrong approach and that a clear social objective should have been set first. By Pesi Fonua

Noble Luani, the Chairman of Tonga's newly formed parliamentary Tripartite Committee for Political Reform does not think it is possible for his committee to produce a plan to replace Tonga's 131 years old system of government, within a mere three weeks. By Pesi Fonua.

The Minister of Finance said that 2007 is a very difficult year because on November 16 about 20% of Tonga's GDP was destroyed in one day and it was difficult to establish the real state of the economy because they have not been able to value all that was lost during 16/11. PR Samiu Vaipulu expressed his concern that it would take many generations to repay government loans.

'Akilisi Pohiva continued to argue that business profits should be reduced. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.