The Counter-Narcotics Bill, which establishes the Counter-Narcotics Bureau, has been tabled in Parliament under Parliamentary Standing Order 51 and will be debated on Thursday.
While tabling the Bill, Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalurua says the Bureau will be a dedicated institution that will serve as Fiji's special agency for coordinating national efforts, developing specialised intelligence and investigative capabilities, strengthening partnership across government and internationally, and advancing a comprehensive response to the growing narcotics threat.
He says without the enactment of the Bill, the Government will face continuing limitations on the operationalisation of the Bureau as a legally established and properly mandated institution.
Naivalurua says the longer the legislative response is delayed, the longer Fiji remains dependent on an outdated legal framework while the threat continues to evolve.
He says the Bill is being tabled under Order 51 is to ensure that the legislative response is not unnecessarily delayed, adding the illicit drug challenge is no longer solely a law enforcement matter but is a national crisis and a national security concern.
While opposing the tabling of the Bill under Standing Order 51, Opposition MP Jone Usamate says bringing a Bill of this magnitude to Parliament and asking MPs to debate it within two days suggests that Parliament is not needed to properly consider Bills.
He says if the Government had done its job well, they could be debating it at least at the next meeting in November, giving the representatives of the people in Parliament the opportunity to scrutinize it in a much better fashion.
Opposition MP Alvick Maharaj also says under Order 51, it can also be fast-tracked through a committee within 30 days and brought back to the Parliament.
He says they have almost eight Bills to debate on Thursday, for which they have to prepare themselves.
Maharaj says the 200-page Bill should be referred to a committee for 30 days to allow proper scrutiny before being brought back to Parliament in November.
Opposition MP Premila Kumar says she thought she was intelligent, but today she gives up, asking how they are going to read this Bill, as well as the other Bills, considering they are in Parliament every day, go home very late, are tired, and then have to read the Bills.
She says, as representatives of the people, they have to do that, even if it means getting only two or three hours of sleep.
Kumar says the Bill should have gone through public consultation to raise awareness and allow people to understand its different provisions, adding that this opportunity has been missed.
Acting Attorney General Siromi Turaga says it is unfair to criticise the legal drafters for the time taken to prepare the Bill, saying they are passionate about their work and have other responsibilities.
He says the Government has been given an opportunity to consider and comment on the Bill, adding that most of its provisions are not entirely new and are already part of existing laws.
Turaga says the Government needs to make a decision and move forward, adding that the Bill is needed for the new department to begin making key decisions.
Opposition MP Ketan Lal says people must be consulted on this Bill, also adding that the Opposition does not have the resources in their Parliamentary Office to analyse this Bill within 48 hours.
Leader of Opposition Inia Seruiratu says the Bill refers to the Accountability and Transparency Commission, as well as the Code of Conduct, under Section 23.
He says he asked about the Code of Conduct earlier today, noting that it has been sitting in the Solicitor-General’s Office for months, despite being referred to in the Bill.
Seruiratu says the Accountability and Transparency Commission, provided for under Section 121 of the Constitution, has also not been activated.
He says these are among the reasons why Parliament should allow one month for a committee to scrutinise the Bill.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka says Fiji’s declaration of an emergency over HIV and drugs received global coverage, including on CNN and BBC.
Gavoka says while he initially expressed concern about the impact on Fiji’s tourism industry, he believes being open about the country’s HIV and drug problems will build trust internationally.
He says despite the emergency declaration and global coverage, hotels and airlines remain full because people trust the Fijian Government to address the threats.
Gavoka says the HIV Act, Maritime Powers Bill and Counter-Narcotics Bill demonstrate that Fiji is taking action to address HIV and drugs.
He says the tourism community wants the Counter-Narcotics Bill passed and is calling for support to have it passed as quickly as possible.
