Positive Visit to Fiji’s Parliament
Together with the Speaker and Clerk of our Parliament and the Chair of our Foreign Affairs Select Committee, I had the privilege of recently sitting in on two sessions of Fiji’s new Parliament.
After eight years of having no elected representatives and no means to hold the Government to account, Fiji’s Parliament is now back in action.
The new Parliamentary chamber has been moved back to the old Government buildings in the centre of Suva where it is more accessible.
Its sessions are televised as well as being broadcast online so people can see what is happening in their Parliament.
Of its 50 elected representatives, only four have been in Parliament before so most are relatively inexperienced. The Speaker and her Parliamentary office are also new. Everyone is on a steep learning curve.
However, we were impressed by how Parliamentarians are picking up their new roles quickly.
Opposition MPsare asking good questions and Ministers are gettingused to the idea of being able to be held to account for their decisions.
Parliament has the adversarial feeling of all Westminster style Parliaments though New Zealand created a rare moment of total unity in the Parliament when all sides unanimously passed a resolution congratulating the Fijian Rugby team on its victory over the All Blacks in the Sevens Final in Glasgow! They enjoyed the fact that New ZealandParliamentarians were there to witness it.
The new Parliament still has a long way to go. There are decrees in place that constrain the readiness of the media to be critical. And old 1969 Public Decree requires MPs to seek police permission before organising meetings with constituents. At budget time 15 Bills were pushed through under urgency in 10 minutes. These are matters that Fijians themselves will have to address and resolve.
The purpose of our Parliamentary visit was not to presume to dictate to Fiji as outsiders how they should conduct their affairs. We were there as friends and neighbours of Fiji to offer our assistance in any way that it requests to strengthen the institution of Parliament and help build the conventions that make democracy resilient and sustainable.
Fiji is doing well economically. Tourism is prospering and I saw many advances in the provision of infrastructure and highways.
The Government also deserves credit for its commitment to a Fiji where citizenship is equal for all regardless of their ethnicity.
Fiji and New Zealand are sovereign countries with sometimes differing policies and views. However, as Pacific countries with shared institutions, language and interests, we are also natural partners and it makes sense for us to work together.
The reestablishment of elections and democracy in Fiji opens the way for stronger cooperation and a much better relationship between governments and parliaments. This will match the strong and genuine friendship which has always existed at the people to people level between Kiwis and Fijians.
Together with the Speaker and Clerk of our Parliament and the Chair of our Foreign Affairs Select Committee, I had the privilege of recently sitting in on two sessions of Fiji’s new Parliament.
After eight years of having no elected representatives and no means to hold the Government to account,...
Together with the Speaker and Clerk of our Parliament and the Chair of our Foreign Affairs Select Committee, I had the privilege of recently sitting in on two sessions of Fiji’s new Parliament.
After eight years of having no elected representatives and no means to hold the Government to account, Fiji’s Parliament is now back in action.
The new Parliamentary chamber has been moved back to the old Government buildings in the centre of Suva where it is more accessible.
Its sessions are televised as well as being broadcast online so people can see what is happening in their Parliament.
Of its 50 elected representatives, only four have been in Parliament before so most are relatively inexperienced. The Speaker and her Parliamentary office are also new. Everyone is on a steep learning curve.
However, we were impressed by how Parliamentarians are picking up their new roles quickly.
Opposition MPsare asking good questions and Ministers are gettingused to the idea of being able to be held to account for their decisions.
Parliament has the adversarial feeling of all Westminster style Parliaments though New Zealand created a rare moment of total unity in the Parliament when all sides unanimously passed a resolution congratulating the Fijian Rugby team on its victory over the All Blacks in the Sevens Final in Glasgow! They enjoyed the fact that New ZealandParliamentarians were there to witness it.
The new Parliament still has a long way to go. There are decrees in place that constrain the readiness of the media to be critical. And old 1969 Public Decree requires MPs to seek police permission before organising meetings with constituents. At budget time 15 Bills were pushed through under urgency in 10 minutes. These are matters that Fijians themselves will have to address and resolve.
The purpose of our Parliamentary visit was not to presume to dictate to Fiji as outsiders how they should conduct their affairs. We were there as friends and neighbours of Fiji to offer our assistance in any way that it requests to strengthen the institution of Parliament and help build the conventions that make democracy resilient and sustainable.
Fiji is doing well economically. Tourism is prospering and I saw many advances in the provision of infrastructure and highways.
The Government also deserves credit for its commitment to a Fiji where citizenship is equal for all regardless of their ethnicity.
Fiji and New Zealand are sovereign countries with sometimes differing policies and views. However, as Pacific countries with shared institutions, language and interests, we are also natural partners and it makes sense for us to work together.
The reestablishment of elections and democracy in Fiji opens the way for stronger cooperation and a much better relationship between governments and parliaments. This will match the strong and genuine friendship which has always existed at the people to people level between Kiwis and Fijians.
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