"In a picture story on the front page of today’s Fiji Times [8 February], the Speaker is seen showing the guide book to the PM, the Opposition Leader and NFP Leader. All three are wearing gleeful smiles on their faces...There must have been something really funny for the Opposition Leader and her NFP colleague to put on such delightful faces."
Guide book for a gagged parliament?
It makes amusing reading to note that a guide book has been published by the UNDP to assist our MPs find their feet in Parliament.
In a picture story on the front page of today’s Fiji Times, the Speaker is seen showing the guide book to the PM, the Opposition Leader and NFP Leader. All three are wearing gleeful smiles on their faces.
The Speaker in her launch speech is reported to have said, “I am quite passionate about opening Parliament by creating the enabling environment and opportunities for citizens to understand this institution, how it works and how they engage in the work of parliament.”
Well Madam Speaker the people generally understand the institution of parliament to be a chamber where:
• The Opposition is muted by a bullying government ably assisted by a helpful speaker
• A chamber where Ministers do not give honest answers to straight questions and where the Opposition MPs get the boot if they speak their mind – currently the number of booted out MPs stands at 3
• It is also known as the chamber where MPs approve for themselves huge increases in pay and travel allowances while half the nation starves
In her speech, the Speaker warned that the Guide Book does not replace the Standing Orders which she says is “the definitive rule for the way the Parliament operated”.
Well, there is nothing definitive about the Standing Orders as far as we know because these can be amended anytime the FF government feels it needs more control over the parliamentary process. A case in point: when the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee was taken away from the Opposition.
Despite all this, there must have been something really funny for the Opposition Leader and her NFP colleague to put on such delightful faces.
It makes amusing reading to note that a guide book has been published by the UNDP to assist our MPs find their feet in Parliament.
In a picture story on the front page of today’s Fiji Times, the Speaker is seen showing the guide book to the PM, the Opposition Leader and NFP Leader. All three are wearing gleeful smiles on their faces.
The Speaker in her launch speech is reported to have said, “I am quite passionate about opening Parliament by creating the enabling environment and opportunities for citizens to understand this institution, how it works and how they engage in the work of parliament.”
Well Madam Speaker the people generally understand the institution of parliament to be a chamber where:
• The Opposition is muted by a bullying government ably assisted by a helpful speaker
• A chamber where Ministers do not give honest answers to straight questions and where the Opposition MPs get the boot if they speak their mind – currently the number of booted out MPs stands at 3
• It is also known as the chamber where MPs approve for themselves huge increases in pay and travel allowances while half the nation starves
In her speech, the Speaker warned that the Guide Book does not replace the Standing Orders which she says is “the definitive rule for the way the Parliament operated”.
Well, there is nothing definitive about the Standing Orders as far as we know because these can be amended anytime the FF government feels it needs more control over the parliamentary process. A case in point: when the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee was taken away from the Opposition.
Despite all this, there must have been something really funny for the Opposition Leader and her NFP colleague to put on such delightful faces.
BUSTING UP THE RULE BOOK: FIGHT ERUPTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN PARLIAMENT
Punches have been thrown in South Africa's parliament as opposition MPs tried to disrupt the State of the Nation address by President Jacob Zuma. Members of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters' party (EFF), all dressed in red, scuffled with security guards who ejected them from the chamber. Mr Zuma had twice got to his feet but was shouted down by EFF MPs.