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Results for Parliament

Thursday 26 November 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The three urgent Bills that were tabled into Parliament on Monday, 23 November by the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Rev Pohiva Tu’I’onetoa are yet to be reintroduced and passed by the House. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 24 November 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
State funding for fasters raised an unanswered question in Tonga's parliament yesterday, when the House resumed its proceedings after a month-long break for the Prime Minister's ongoing national prayer and fasting schedule. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Sunday 25 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Parliament passed six Urgent Bills before it closed for the week on Wednesday 21 October. The push to amend the Illicit Drug Control Act is an effort by government to counter the usage of an illicit drug methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Thursday 22 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The stoppage of Tongan watermelon exports to New Zealand and kava exports to Australia is having a drastic impact on the Tongan economy, Lord Tu'i'afitu told the Tongan Parliament this week. Desperate growers are now trying to sell thousands of export quality watermelons along Tonga roadsides for only a few pa'anga each. Quality control was lost when Tonga's expert agricultural advisers left the country, and with a continuing border closure it will take a long time to replace them. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Saturday 17 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
After 145 years of Rule of Law, the Tongan Parliament with majority votes of 18-0 on Thursday 15 October passed a bill to amend the Tongan Constitution by adding on a Clause 89A to allow undefined Tongan “tradition” to be used in decisions by courts and tribunals, without applying rules of evidence. There was no public consultation. The amendment goes to the King before it can be Gazetted. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Thursday 15 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
MPs claimed that because Cabinet Ministers were on an election campaign mission to ‘Eua, it forced parliament to close down on Monday, 12 October, because it did not have the quorum. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Law
Wednesday 14 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
To date, all Pacific nations have abolished the death penalty entirely except for two, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. The World Day against the Death Penalty was jointly marked by the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions on October 9 in Nuku'alofa.
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Tuesday 13 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The proceeding of the Tongan Parliament yesterday, 12 October, was deferred because it did not have a quorum, when most of the Cabinet members were stranded at 'Eua, where they had celebrated the first birthday of the appointment of the People's Party Government with fasting and prayers. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 12 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Four Constituency Reports of People Representatives from Vava’u, and Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou were passed by the House last week from 7-8 October. This year the constituencies budget allocation is the biggest ever at $250,000 for each of the 17 People’s Representatives.
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Tuesday 6 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Parliament yesterday 5 October with a majority vote of 16-0 passed a number of old Government Ministries Annual Reports, some going back to 2009, that had never been tabled into Parliament. Today, 6 September parliament sat for a half-day, because after lunch it did not have a quorum. From the House, by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 5 October 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Prime Minister Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa informed members of Parliament this morning that he would brief Parliament weekly on what government had achieved, before he released information to the media. Government will soon table into parliament a new Communication Offences Bill, “to address the misuse of social media”. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 28 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When Members of Parliament presented reports of their Constituency Tours to the Tongan Parliament last week, the Whole House Committee voted in favour of three reports but rejected one. Two of the reports stressed a need to amend Tonga's Electoral System.
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Tuesday 22 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A proposed Government Bill to amend Clause 89 of the Tongan Constitution, with an additional Clause 89A introducing "traditional culture", sparked off some vociferous exchanges in the Tongan Parliament yesterday, 21 September, but wording of the proposed amendment has not been released. Clause 89 gives judges the power to direct the form of indictments to control the procedure of the lower courts, and to make rules of procedure. However, the proposed change was not read out in the House and the Bill was not made available to the media. 
From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 14 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's parliament has gone into recess again, after the Prime Minister withdrew 16 bills “to have another look” at them. The PM also told the House that Tonga’s State of Emergency to counter the Coronavirus Pandemic had been extended again from 12 September to 12 March 2021. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Wednesday 9 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Losaline Ma'asi became the first woman parliamentarian to chair the Whole House Committee of the Tonga Legislative Assembly, this week. She was selected by the Speaker of the House Lord Fakafanua. A total of 18 Bills were tabled yesterday. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 8 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Parliament resumed its 2020 -2021 session yesterday, Monday 7 September, after deferring parliament several times since it passed the Annual Budget on 18 June. From the House by Pesi Fonua
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Tuesday 1 September 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Lord Fusitu’a has been re-elected, in absentia, as the Nobles' representative of Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou after a by-election was held at the Palace Office yesterday morning, 31 August. Lord Fusitu'a who suffered from failing health was evacuated to Auckland last year and remains in New Zealand.
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Tuesday 11 August 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When the 17 People's Representatives and nine Nobles' Representatives embark on their parliamentary Constituency Tours next week, they will have a lot of money to spend. Each People's Representative gets $250,000 to spend on their constituents, and each Nobles' Representative will have $50,000 to share with the people in their estates. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Monday 10 August 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Lord Fusitu’a has lost his seat in parliament after a long absence from the Legislative Assembly since 5 August 2019. His seat for the Nobles' Representative of Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou has been declared vacant.
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Friday 17 July 2020

Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Two urgent bills to amend the Traffic Act and the Roads Act, as well as a Petition alleging unfairness in awarding government roads deals, stirred a few aggressive exchanges in the Tongan parliament on Monday and Tuesday this week. There was an objection that the urgent bills had not gone to the Standing Committee on Legislation before they were tabled.
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