A cabinet minister has called on the Tongan nobility to provide solutions to the kingdom's problems rather than try and take down the government.
For the past month Noble Representative Lord Vaea has threatened a no confidence motion saying the government has underperformed, particularly when it comes to the budget and changes to the education sector.
No such motion has been submitted yet.
Tonga Internal Affairs Minister, Fe'ao Vakata. Photo: kaniva pacific
Internal Affairs Minister Fe'ao Vakata said it is unfortunate that Lord Vaea saw a no-confidence motion as necessary.
"I believe the nobles are there to support and build the government and if they are helping, if they want to help, then give us the solutions of what they think that government should be doing instead of trying to take down government," he said.
No-confidence talk not good for country.
The Constitution allows for no-confidence motions to be filed 18 months after a government is elected.
Fellow cabinet minister Saia Piukala said the confidence Constitutional mechanism doesn't help political stability.
Tonga Health Minister, Saia Piukala. Photo: Massey University
Dr Piukala said the talk and threats were not a good look.
"If you look at the stability of the government, you can't really run the government and after one year and six months then you change the government," he said.
"Then one term will be just changing government and nothing much done to the country.
"So in terms of stability, I think the vote of no confidence, I know it's in the Constitution, but for the stability of government it is not too good."
During the last term of Parliament, the current Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva, led a failed no-confidence motion in the government of then Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano.
