From the House, Minute No. 28 Monday August 2. Queries voiced as to why government made a new tobacco law knowing the existing law could not be enforced.
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Results for Parliament
Wednesday 25 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Monday 23 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Concern over the government's Look East Policy and its impact on the social, economic and the politics of Tonga. From the House, Minute No. 30, Wednesday August 4
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Friday 20 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House, Minute No. 27, Thursday July 29. The meaning of Point of Order is addressed; Heads of Department have the right to scold public servants for minor offenses. By Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 17 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House Minute No. 31, Thursday 5 August 2004. Bill that was presented to the House was requested by the Minister of Police to be withdrawn for further work to be done to it. By Pesi Fonua
(Editor's note to our regular parliamentary readers: Minutes no. 27-30 are coming soon).
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Tuesday 17 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
During proceedings on the Bill for a National Accreditation and Qualification Act a People's Rep. pointed out that the 30 year old Regulation for the Education Act of 1974 had not been tabled into the House. The Minister of Justice replied that the Regulation the member was referring to had been passed [by Cabinet] and was in use but it was awaiting to be tabled into the House. By Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 11 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A scuffle and fist fight took place between the two members. The Speaker called for the members to settle down, then expressed his shame on the language used and what had happened in the House. Minute No. 26, Wednesday July 28
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Tuesday 10 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House, Minute No. 25. Tuesday July 27. The Minister of Finance said that the Sales Tax would be terminated and replaced with a Consumption Tax next year and small businesses would not be required to keep any records. He said that the method of collecting taxes would be different.
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Monday 9 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House, Minute no. 24, Monday July 26. 'Uliti Uata queried the logic of the penalties for the non-payment of income tax. He said that Inland Revenue Department has been forwarding their assessment of income taxes from 1997 up to 2003 and demanding the payment of penalties and interest.
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Wednesday 4 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Minute No. 23 The trouble with the illegal practice of double invoicing, $3 million unpaid Sales Tax, Sea Star Company owed $3.7 million to government, Sea Star borrowed $600,000 from the Tonga National Trust Fund. From the House. By Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 4 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Minute No. 22: Proposed amendment of the Regulation for the Ship Registration Act was to enable the Fuakavenga II to be registered in Tonga, Tonga pays $1 million to the Pacific Forum Line and $1 million to the Hartman Shipping Group of Germany so that Tonga may have the option of buying back the ship after eight years, the Regulation and the Act have been amended and the ship was reregistered earlier this year but the amended regulation was brought in for the House to approve, Death Grant of $15,000 for soldiers who die on the battlefield or during a military exercise, in addition his next of kin will be paid his pension from government. From the House. By Pesi Fonua
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Sunday 1 August 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
"...
if Tonga restored the political rights enjoyed by its citizens before 2003 when it was above the median, it might qualify for access to tens of millions of dollars in US aid funding." Tonga has been dropped from a list, announced on July 20, of the world's poorest countries that the United States will allow to become candidates in 2005 for a new multi-billion dollar aid fund.
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Friday 30 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A fist-fight broke out in the Tongan Parliament on Wednesday 28 July, between two Members 'Etuate Lavulavu and 'Akilisi Pohiva, resulting in their suspension from the House.
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Tuesday 27 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House, Minute No. 21: regulations relating to the Public Service Act, public servants may be penalized by Heads of Department for offenses, withdrawal of etra-ordinary gazette no. 19. By Pesi Fonua
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Monday 26 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Masao Paasi was appointed as a Relieving Police Magistrate for Tonga on July 19.
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Friday 23 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From the House, Minute No. 20, Monday 19 July 2004. The House approved to pay the medical bill of the Chairman of the Whole House Committee (Prince Tu‘ipelehake) who was taken to Mercy Ascot hospital in Auckland for an emergency heart operation. By Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 21 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Sixteen Tongan legal practitioners will study in Tonga for a UK Diploma in Law under a new programme supported by the British High Commission in Nuku'alofa
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Wednesday 21 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Constitutional Monarchy form of Government came under scrutiny during a three-day Human Rights Educational and Awareness Consultation seminar that was hosted by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in Tonga in Nuku'alofa, July 7-9.
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Wednesday 14 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
MPs dismayed with a reduction in the allocation for road construction and repair, and point to desperate need by the people of Kanokupolu and Ha'atafu to stop their villages from eroding into the sea. From the House, Minute No. 19, (Monday night) 28 June 2004.
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Thursday 8 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
MPs query why there is no repair and maintenance allocation for schools. From the House, Minute No. 17 of 24 June 2004 and Minute No. 18 of 28 June 2004.
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Friday 2 July 2004
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Chief Justice, Mr Justice Gordon Ward left Tonga at the end of June to take up a position as the chairman of the Court of Appeal in Fiji. Mr Justice Ward was interviewed by Pesi Fonua on 25 June 2004 a few days before leaving for Fiji. In this interview the Chief Justice notes that Tonga's law is quite clear on the exercise of the king's prerogative power; he also comments on the loss of Tonga's Statutes of Application to British law that has left Tonga with serious gaps in its laws that are only now being identified.
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Tonga weather forecast from yr.no, delivered by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the NRK. See also Fua'amotu Weather Forecasting Center, Tonga, for latest local weather bulletin.