As President of the Legislative Council, it was a great honour and privilege to visit the Legislative Assembly of Tonga last month at the invitation of Lord Fakafanua, Lord Speaker of Legislative Assembly of Tonga. The delegation also included The Hon Leon Bignell MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly, and Mr Rick Crump, Clerk of the House of Assembly.
We met with the Lord Speaker and the Deputy Speaker Lord Tu’iha’angana to discuss the valued relationship between Tonga and South Australia. We focused particularly on cooperative efforts to strengthen the friendship between our two Parliaments.
The visit provided an invaluable opportunity to observe the Legislative Assembly’s newest outreach initiative – the Speaker’s Debate – where members of the public participate in discussions on key issues of concern in Tonga. The Assembly’s innovative and inclusive approach to democracy is commendable
I look forward to continuing to work together with our Twin Parliament to promote the importance of parliamentary democracy in our Oceanic region.