On August 1, before the House decided to go into recess due to the ongoing civil service strike, the Prime Minister, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, expressed his dismay with what Clive Edwards had been saying on television, calling on the strikers to do something about public servants who were not on strike but were still working for government. He thought it was unusual for a former Minister of Police to say things like that. He said that what Clive was doing was inciting people to riot. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 22, Monday August 1, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Results for Parliament
Tuesday 16 August 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Thursday 11 August 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A call to give the people of Tonga the right to elect a Prime Minister and Government Ministers, was delivered to the Palace Office in Nuku'alofa today by a small group of political activists.
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Thursday 4 August 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A private bill aimed at reducing the new consumption tax was rejected by the House after its first reading. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance won a new Regulation giving the Chief Commissioner discretion to exempt organizations from CT - despite protests that it was illegal.
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Friday 29 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A move by the Tongatapu no1 People's Representative, 'Akilisi Pohiva, to resolve the national strike, and get the striking civil servants to return to work was rejected by Parliament yesterday.
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Monday 25 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
'Akilisi Pohiva wondered why the police arrested Piveni Piukala for a small crime and yet the Shoreline Chairman and Director who had committed bigger crimes were not arrested. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 20 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga will wind up its disastrous Hawaiian experiment, after calling on parliament to pay USD$233,120 in debts from a failed farming project, following a million dollar investment by the king in Hawaiian land in 1998. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 20 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongan vanilla growers will receive a $1 million subsidy for green vanilla from government, after People's Representatives pushed a growers' petition. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Friday 15 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Prince Tu'ipelehake returns to the Tonga Legislative Assembly after winning the Tongatapu no. 1 Nobles Representative seat in this week's nobles by-election.
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Wednesday 13 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's first registered political party, known as PEDPIN, says its registration this month was a step toward good governance and accountability in the kingdom.
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Wednesday 13 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongan members of parliament left for their annual national tour this month taking a hand-out of $200,000 from the House Vote to be given away for community projects. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 12 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A By-Election to elect a new Tongatapu Noble's Representative to the Tonga Legislative Assembly will be held on Thursday July 14.
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Monday 4 July 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
After Clive Edwards's proposal for a deduction of $6 million from the total government budget for the next financial year to be set aside "to do something for the people" was supported by the Minister of Finance, other People's Representatives tried to extract funds for public relations handouts and support in various sectors. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 13, Wednesday June 22, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Monday 27 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Clive Edwards wanted to know if government was taking Shoreline to court for abusing its Development Licence. Clive Edwards also said that the Trust Fund had not been audited during the past seven years. He wanted to know when it was going to be presented to the House, and also the USA court decision relating to the missing Trust Fund. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 12, Tuesday June 21, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Sunday 26 June 2005
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USA
I fully realize that it takes a lot of work to summarize each daily Minutes and translate it from the Tongan language. Your balanced coverage of local news is also greatly appreciated.
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Thursday 23 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Noble Fohe, called 'Akilisi Pohiva a liar, for saying that Fohe was paid for sleeping in the House. He warned 'Akilisi that next time he said bad things about him he would knock his brains out.Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 11, Monday June 20, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 22 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Government could not sell shares in Sea Star because there had been no financial report during the past four years. 'Isileli Pulu said he had not seen a Public Account since he entered the House in 2002. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 10, Wednesday June 16, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 21 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
'Akilisi Pohiva said that there was no Law and Order in Tonga, particularly at the top level of the society. He introduced proof of how Shoreline misused its development licence and government turned a blind eye. Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Cecil Cocker, said he regretted that he gave 'Akilisi a scholarship for a university education. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 9, Wednesday June 15, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Monday 20 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
'Akilisi Pohiva said that if they were talking about accountability, and taking it to the highest level then who was the chief executive of the Privy Council [the king] accountable to?
The Prime Minister, HRH Prince ...Ulukalala Lavaka Ata asked would the people be more powerful than the constitution and the law? In the old days when there was no law and order, countries ended up in war, and it seemed that was what some of the PRs wanted, they did not want Law and Order. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 8, Tuesday June 14, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Monday 20 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The People's Representatives' Private Bill to amend the Consumption Tax will be a crunching issue before the House, which should start debate on it soon, possibly before the end of the month, meanwhile, members debating the Budget said CT was badly timed and was imposed on a struggling economy. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 7, Monday June 13, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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Thursday 16 June 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Following the Minister of Finance's presentation of his Budget Statement the day before, clarifying where he stood with regards to his Tax and Economic reform program, the Minister, Hon. Siosiua 'Utoikamanu, came under a relentless attack from the People's Representatives, picking holes in his Budget. The questioning was so intense that before lunch the Minister slipped out from the House, and after waiting 25 minutes for him to return, the House broke up for lunch. Tonga Legislative Assembly, Minute No. 6, Thursday June 9, 2005. From the House, by Pesi Fonua
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