24 May 2019

Controversial Tonga bills back before parliament next week

From , 3:04 pm on 24 May 2019

A raft of controversial bills that the Tonga government had wanted to push through under urgency are now set to return to parliament for further consideration from next week.

In March the government tried to have the bills passed without wide public consultation, claiming this had already been done on the same legislation by a previous government.

The legislation would give the government control over key appointments in the judiciary and police, rather than the King, but opposition MPs ensured that widespread public consultations had to be carried out.

That process is nearing its end and opposition MP, Lord Fusitu'a, told Don Wiseman he thinks there is strong backing for the status quo.

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