Karavaki outburst uncalled for: Sudhakar

Acomplaint against Opposition Member of Parliament Semesa Karavaki is expected to be brought before the Speaker to Parliament. This is after the outspoken MP made degrading comments on committee chairman and Government Whip Ashneel Sudhakar during submissions before the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights. “I might have to refer the matter to the Speaker, that the integrity of the Committee has been compromised because I am the chair, the presiding officer of this committee,” Mr Sudhakar said. He said the committee was hearing submissions on the Information Bill 2016 and the Code of Conduct Bill when a presenter started making submissions on issues out of the context of both Bills. Mr Sudhakar said the presenter spoke on the MIDA Decree instead of the Information Bill and he started politicising his submissions. He said that’s when Karavaki started asking questions not related to the Bill and an issue that was not before the Committee. “Hon Karavaki in question time, FIJI SUN | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016 asked him in a roundabout way bringing him to a submission that was already ruled out of order,” Mr Sudhakar said. He said the submission was ruled out of order because it was referring to something not before committee which was the MIDA Decree. “He stared accusing me that I was afraid, you don’t own the committee, when I reminded him that he needed to read the Bill, he has got nothing do with journalism, Karavaki said I was a small child and I knew nothing,” Mr Sudhakar said. He said he would formally take the matter to the Speaker of Parliament. | FIJISUN.COM.FJ

“I will get the recording and the verbatim notes out and refer this matter to the Speaker because Committee has always functioned in a very cordial manner and we are already keep personal things out,” Mr Sudhakar said. “My Committee Public Accounts and Justice has always worked things out.

“It’s just undermining the chair and the committee, and he is personalising matters which shouldn’t be the case, this committee’s had vigorous and loud submissions before; never ever before that a member of a committee accused the chair for being a small child,” Mr Sudhakar | said. H e said the role of the Committee was to hear submissions on Laws and Bills. Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa, said Government must stop this childish behaviour and act responsibly. Edited by Rusiate Mataika