State accused of being ‘deceptive’

OPPOSITION parliamentarian Niko Nawaikula said Government’s intention to suspend Standing Orders to fast track the implementation of the COVID-19 supplementary budget could not go unchallenged.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, he accused Government of trying to be deceptive by not allowing Parliament to take the mini budget through Standing Orders 102 which would allow for “good governance and transparency” in the way funds would be allocated.

“What the Government is trying to do here is to suspend several Standing Orders in order to push through a supplementary Bill,” he said.

“We all know that the Government is entitled to know the reasons, and for that we have a special Standing Order that caters for that – Standing Order 102.

“If they are successful, they can do without supplementary estimates and supplementary estimates is needed and is required for the public to know what the extent of the problem is.

“That is why I am saying they are trying to hide something from the Government.

“Supplementary estimates must be circulated to all members immediately after the Bill is introduced.

“So here we are left not in the know, it has come without notice, we don’t even know if supplementary estimates will come, the only assurance we have is 102.

“The only assurance that the public has for accountability and transparency is 102 and that’s what they are trying to kill.”