Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica says the FijiFirst MPs’ opposing the repealing of the Media Industry Development Act 2010 and the iTaukei Land Trust Budget Amendment Act 2021 or commonly known as Bill 17 and asking for public consultations, is like a pot calling a kettle black.
While speaking on the Bills to be repealed and to be debated this Thursday, Kamikamica says this is serious business in Parliament and the problem with the opposition is they never listen.
Kamikamica says the government will use Parliamentary Standing Orders 51 sparingly and responsibly, and they will only use it when they believe the laws have been unjust and draconian, and consultations on Bill 17 by the FijiFirst happened after they were passed.
He says what a nonsense.
Kamikamica says these two laws are wrong, they should not exist in a proper democracy, and the two Acts are gone.
FijiFirst MP, Alvick Maharaj says people are also saying that the coalition government should increase the minimum wage, increase the cane price and reopen the Rakiraki Sugar Mill.
Maharaj says Standing Orders 51 allows 30 days for public consultations and these Bills should be referred for that. He says they should then come back if they need to be repealed.
Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad says these Bills are to repeal Acts where there was no consultation.
He says the Media Act was brought in by the military government to suppress the media.
Professor Prasad says Bill 17 was brought into parliament without proper consultation and he had opposed it.
He says after it was tabled, he was one of the people taken to the Police Station for questioning.
He says he was taken 4 or 5 times and the Police officers said they can’t tell him why he was taken in as there were orders from the top.
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya says they are getting on with the job as the opposition has been saying.
Tabuya says these Acts have to go.
