[Source: Parliament of Fiji/ Facebook]

The Opposition chambers is questioning why Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka tabled a motion to decrease the travel allowances for Members of Parliament ahead of the emoluments committee report.

Rabuka had cited consideration of legal opinions as the reason for the delay, but the opposition is not buying it.

Opposition Member Viliame Naupoto says they strongly opposed the manner in which the government proposed the motion to decrease the travel allowances of MPs.

“We agree with the decrease but we were against the method that they brought it to effect that decrease. It is partial because if you look at what was passed, it only talked about members of parliament, but the remuneration act also covers that of his Excellency the President, it covers also the remuneration that relates to the Speaker, so if we wait for the emolument committee it will look at it holistically.”

Naupoto says the motion did not include the speaker of parliament, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere.

“If they had wanted a decrease early, they could have done it voluntarily and not come to parliament, they can just say oh ok, we will not take this amount from the allowance, so it raises a lot of doubt as to how genuine that motion was, to me it was a face-saving to look good.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told FBC News that there was no need to return these allowances voluntarily.

“No, no need to return, we’ve earned those………….. “

As per the amendments to Part B of the Parliamentary Remuneration Act of 2014, the reduction will apply to the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, assistant ministers, the Leader of Opposition, as well as other members of parliament.