Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya has accused the Opposition of lacking direction and has asked what is going on with the Opposition and if they are really united as they say they are.
While responding to the President’s opening address in Parliament, Tabuya says Opposition MP Semi Koroilavesau had accused the government of lacking direction in handling the economy but the lack of direction is coming from the Opposition.
Tabuya has also asked why the Opposition does not have any shadow ministers and they get up and talk about everything and anything so they become the jack of all trades and master of none.
She says as a Minister, she does not even know who to talk to about bipartisanship as she does not who the shadow minister is.
She says the government has one leader and their responses align with their leader, the Prime Minister but the problem with the Opposition is that they have one Leader of the Opposition and others are remote controlling what is happening in Parliament.
She is pleading with the FijiFirst to choose one leader and align with them and adds that Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu should be the leader of the party as in his speech, he is stately and all for working together for the good of our people but the same cannot be said for the rest of them and their remote controllers.
Tabuya says Koroilavesau says there is massive unemployment but there is a huge shortage of labour.
The Minister says 22,000 people left in 2022 under the FijiFirst government and there was an exodus during their time too through the labour mobility scheme and they should stop trying to blame the local and domestic elements.
She says they shut down the vocational colleges that are supposed to be helping our people become employed.
Questions have been sent to the Leader of the Opposition. He is yet to respond.
While highlighting the work her Ministry is doing, Tabuya says the majority of the people living on the streets and street kids have psycho-social problems and need to be rehabilitated.
Tabuya says the Opposition never thought of that during their government.
She says before they can find meaningful employment, they need to be rehabilitated and trained and then put into employment.
The Minister says the government has plans to start the first-ever rehabilitation centre for street kids.
Tabuya says they have also embarked on the development of the Fiji Women’s Economic Empowerment National Action Plan 2024-2029 which was approved by Cabinet earlier this year.
She says the commencement of this critical framework signals the start of an extensive consultation process.
The Minister says they aim to roll out the Action Plan by late 2024 or at least by International Women’s Day next year.
She further says in June 2021 the previous government received a list of issues before the submission of the combined fourth and fifth periodic report of the Convention on the Rights of the Child’s implementation.
She says the Committee pointed out that the number of residential homes and children coming into residential care has increased over the years.
Tabuya says most children find themselves in residential care due to neglect and poverty and spend a very long time in residential care and there is no alternative such as foster care.
She says the system they currently have is based on an outdated philosophy of rescue and removal that was developed under the Juveniles Act of 1974 but this approach has become outdated because of its inability to promote holistic development within a child’s own family and community.
Tabuya says this year they will be tabling the Child Care and Protection Bill and the Child Justice Bill.
She also acknowledged the previous government as the Bills were initiated by the previous government.
She adds it is the goal of the Ministry to bring to Parliament a National Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Children.
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