PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
Parliamentary committees mainly conduct inquiries into specified matters, which includes taking submissions, hearing witnesses, and debating issues in order to formulate reasoned conclusions. The Committees make reports and recommendations, which are then referred back, to the House for debate. An important function of committees is to scrutinize government activity including legislation, make inquires into misappropriation or policy issues.
Niuas Parliamentary Visiting Committee 2008
Pictured above (from left): Dr. Viliami Uasike Latu (Clerk of the House), Mr. Sione Feingatau 'Iloa (Niua MP), Hon. Tangipa (Niua Nobles Rep), Mrs. Fatai Leki (Parlimentary Visiting Commitee Secretary), Mr. 'Aisea Ta'ofi (Former Niua MP & Niua Toputapu District Officer), 'Etuate Lavulavu (Vava'u MP).
There are 2 types of committees—Standing Committee (which is formed per the Rules of the Proceedings) and Select Committees which are formed at the request of the Assembly by the Speaker for the purpose of examining or inquiring into any issue that has arisen in the House.
A parliamentary committee consists of a group of Members appointed by the Speaker of the House. Public input is also important. Through its committees Parliament is able to hear the various views of its people, to consider them in a "just & fair" manner, so it can report back to the House.
Since committee system is important to the everyday activities of Parliaments world-wide, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Tonga is undergoing reforms with its committee system in order to go side by side with the Political reforms currently in place. His Majesty, The King of Tonga, George V has approved in Privy Council in 2007 and passed by the House in June 2008, the establishment of a Constitution and Electoral Commission to look at democratic reforms in the kingdom. Political Reforms is scheduled to 2010 in which a Democratic Parliamentary election is to be held and a New Democratic Forms of Government be established.
The move to political change mentioned-above implies that the Secretarial division of the Parliament of Tonga should undergone reforms as well in order to cope with a new democratic structure of parliament that will bring into force by the reforms. As such, the committee system of the Parliament of Tonga in this case needs to be overhauled and modified.