Nothing was rushed, consultations will be held during Bill process - Tabuya

As concerns continue to be raised by many people in the country on the way and the timing of the approval of the motion in parliament which included salary and benefit increases, the Chair of the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee, Lynda Tabuya says there is still the process of changing the laws to give it legal effect, which in the normal process of any proposed law, public consultations and views will be received by the Solicitor General’s office before it is brought to Parliament for debate and passing.

In a statement, Tabuya says that is why the motion gives up to 6 months from 1st August for this process to take place.

She says the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee was a committee established by Parliament under Standing Order 129 to be tasked to review the Parliamentary Remunerations Act and the Parliamentary Retirement Allowances Act.

The Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection says this committee was established under the Standing Orders of Parliament which all 55 members of parliament unanimously endorsed in July 2023.

She says it is a parliamentary process that reports to parliament, not to cabinet, not to a political party, not to Government or opposition.

Tabuya says the committee decided to engage an independent consultancy firm or individual as it strongly felt it should not be reviewing its own salaries and allowances.

However she says with no success locally, they reached out to UNDP to assist them to find an independent consulting firm, noting that UNDP would be funding the independent consulting firm, they identified Kevin Deveaux who is based in Canada.

Tabuya says after conducting the review over the course of eight months the independent consultant reported back to the Emoluments Committee.

She says there were some increases, some reductions and some retained.

Tabuya stresses that it is for parliament to reject or approve the recommendations.

She says should it be approved, then the committee will work with Parliament and the Solicitor General’s office on the proposed amendments to the Acts to give effect to the recommendations, but the proposed laws will go through the normal consultation process of any proposed bills.

Tabuya adds the draft report of the independent consultant was largely ready in March and it was circulated to the three political party leaders in government, because political parties represented in parliament made submissions to the committee which were forwarded to the independent consultant.

She says there was nothing rushed about the tabling of the motion for debate last week and claims that the National Federation Party voting against the motion, was a stalling exercise.

Tabuya says she simply did her job as the chair to follow the mandated parliamentary process under the Standing Orders to table the report and to be debated.

She says that is the legal process, and the motion approved on Friday stipulates the effective date from 1st August to 31st December 2024.

Tabuya says the next step in the process is for Parliament to work with the Solicitor General’s Office with the proposed amendments to the Acts.

She says it will go through the process normally laid out for proposed bills, then it will be brought back to parliament for debate and decision, this will be undertaken in that six month period stipulated in the motion, and members of the public will be consulted on these proposed bills and are free to submit their views during this period.

Tabuya adds that the Prime Minister is correct in stating that the increases have not been implemented yet.

She implores members of the public to obtain a copy of the Emoluments Report which is public record, and note the reductions as well as things that did not change.

Tabuya says people will have the opportunity to be heard when the normal process of proposed laws are undertaken, which includes public consultation.

When contacted for a response from the National Federation Party, the party’s General Secretary, Kamal Iyer said the allegations are for the most part false, possibly defamatory and in some cases breach Cabinet confidentiality.

He says Professor Prasad cannot respond to those allegations without also breaching Cabinet confidentiality - which he will not do.

When approached by fijivillage News, Professor Prasad said he will not make any comments.

We have reached out to get comments from Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.

Professor Biman Prasad opposed the motion to increase the salaries last Friday.

40 MPs voted for the salary changes, 7 voted against it and 5 abstained.

While speaking on behalf of the 5 NFP Members of Parliament, Professor Prasad said when the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee report came out on Wednesday, they were to take it back to the NFP Management Board as the decision of the NFP was that the MPs should not recommend increases to their own salaries.

Professor Prasad says their position on this matter is in accordance with the directive of the party and this should not be in any way be construed or misinterpreted in terms of their position and the support for the Prime Minister and the coalition government.

Professor Prasad said the NFP earlier voted against the increase in allowances and also does not support the proposed increases in the report this time.