THE Legislative Assembly is adjourned until October 3, 2016.
This follows a motion from Government calling for an adjournment so some Cabinet Ministers and the Hon. Prime Minister could attend official meetings overseas this week.
The House voted 12 MPs in favour of the motion to adjourn while nine opposed it.
Last Wednesday, the Minister for Inland Revenue and Customs Hon. Tevita Lavemaau made the first plea to allow Government time to also work on pending public amended Bills for submission to Parliament.
It was met with opposition from the Noble Representatives.
Both Vava’u Noble Representatives Lord Tu’’iafitu and Lord Tu’ilakepa insisted that Parliament continues its normal routine. They maintained MPs had a break in July and more legislative work pending for further discussion by the House.
When the same motion was raised again the next day, Tongatapu number one Noble Representative Lord Vaea argued, the House should remain in session for not all Cabinet Ministers are travelling.
“Normally when Ministers leave on official trips, others stay back,” explained Lord Vaea.
Meanwhile five parliamentarians will be leaving tomorrow for a Conference on Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Advancing International Industrial Cooperation in China.
The delegation will join counterparts from Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Solomon Islands as political leaders’ delegation from the Pacific to visit Beijing for 10 days.
The Tongan delegation is co-headed by the Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Penisimani Fifita and the Justice Minister, Hon. Vuna Fa’otusia.
The rest of the delegation includes Lord Tu’iha’angana, Tongatapu 4 constituency MP, Mateni Tapueluelu and the Office of the Legislative Assembly’s Legal Counsel, Seinimili Fonua.