What to expect from the 2020-2021 National Budget debate next week in Parliament
On Monday, we will hear the budget debate in Parliament. It will start with SODELPA’s acting leader and Opposition Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka. After that, we will hear Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s views on the 2020-2021 National Budget. Fijians have become accustomed to catching the live parliamentary sessions, either on the Walesi app on their phones or through the Walesi platform’s Parliament Channel on television.
What can we expect from the Opposition?
The National Federation Party has already showed its cards. The trio will speak on sugar, dialysis treatment allocation and will no doubt attempt to dissect the list of 1600 items which have been earmarked for a reduction in duty and highlight those items they feel are not basic necessities.
The entire list of the betting order can be read on page 14. Because
Neither of these two parties – NFP nor SODELPA – have come out with an alternative budget.
NFP is predictable, they will also claim that the decision to reduce duty on alcohol, more specifically beer, was their idea.
They, of course, will not elaborate that the thinking behind the decision was very different from theirs. They will also drop in a line or two about teachers’ pay.
Talking about being predictable, SODELPA’s track record has shown what their focus would be. Lynda Tabuya will take on squatter issues, Niko Nawaikula, whose antics are somewhat that of the court jester, will no doubt come with an ethnic analysis on everything and anything.
Mosese Bulitavu is expected to continue the rhetoric on prison rights and prisoners. Or, they will try to swap this around now given that they have been called out on it. Mr Rabuka will try to make the budget address all about himself. Anare Jale will want to know about shipping and Mikaele Leawere will ask questions about teachers’ pay. Aseri Radrodro’s response is expected to be better than Mr Rabuka’s. It has been in the past and there is no reason to believe it would not be this time around. Neither of these two parties – NFP nor SODELPA – have come out with an alternative budget.
It was a stunt pulled by Mr Rabuka in the past, but this time around his focus may have been holding onto his Opposition Leader seat after several attempts to remove him from his own party have been made in the past few months.
Bursting their bubble
FijiFirst will prepare to burst the bubble of the Opposition. Because this budget left many in the Opposition scratching their heads, FijiFirst’s simple and clear strategy would be not to waste Parliament’s time but to keep their responses short and simple.
The Right of Reply, which will be given by the Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum, will be one to watch.
We have, so far, seen that nothing escapes him, and this budget debate would be no different.