Results for Parliament

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.

The Minister for Youth and Sports said that only about 10% of school leavers could find employment locally. From the House, by Pesi Fonua

The Prime Minister, as the Chairman of the Board of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, had warned the Manager and senior executives of TBC that there is a limit to Media Freedom. He had warned the TBC about broadcasting "biased reports...…criticising government" and he therefore thought the stopping of the broadcasting of political news was appropriate. From the House, an English translation summary from the Tongan vernacular, by Pesi Fonua. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 6, June 18, 2007.

Tonga's Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele told Parliament there will be no reconciliation, until there is a confession, and a submission for wrong doing by those who initiated the destruction of November 16. However, 'Akilisi Pohiva expressed his fear that if they confess, "we may all end up in Tolitoli" [prison]. From the House.