Suva lawyer Richard Naidu says the National Federation Party is a party that is fired up and ready to go.
While speaking at the NFP Annual Convention, Naidu said that some political parties come and go.
He says they are formed around one or two people, and they last only while those people have power.
Naidu told the NFP these parties then disappear as they are not connected to the community.
He says they are vote‑collecting machines.
The Suva lawyer says these parties collect the votes then they disappear until the next election.
He says they hold no conventions, they hold no meetings and they are only seen at election time.
Naidu says a good political party builds leadership, in good times and bad. He says this is not just in Parliament and in the Government.
Naidu went on to say that we need leaders everywhere.
He says we need leaders in the villages, settlements, churches, other religious places, sports, community organisations, health and education.
Naidu says this is where the real work gets done.
Richard Naidu says politics is not about giving out free money, it is not about opening bridges and presenting solar panels.
He says that is what every government does and that is what every minister does, whoever is in the government.
Naidu says they are working with the people’s money.
He says that is what they are paid to do – and, right now, people pay them very well to do that.
The Suva lawyer says leadership is not about travelling around in big four wheel drives with flashing lights and flying First Class from every airport.
Naidu says leadership is about bringing people together.
He says a good leader does not tell others what to do.
The lawyer went on to say that if you tell people what to do, those people will remember you told them what to do.
He says they will wait for the day you are not in power, and then, on that day, they will undo what you told them to do.
Naidu says some leaders cling to power because they believe only they can lead.
He says they trust no one else to lead but those are leaders who have failed.
Naidu told the NFP supporters to think carefully about the leaders people want.
He says people should use the power they have once every four years – and vote for those leaders.
