Thursday – 4Th April 2019
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PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FIJI PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DAILY HANSARD THURSDAY, 4TH APRIL, 2019 [CORRECTED COPY] C O N T E N T S Pages Minutes … … … … … … … … … … 987 Suspension of Standing Orders … … … … … … … 987-990,1052 Urgent Statement of National Importance Urgent Ministerial Statement … … … … … … … … 990-991 Release of New Zealand Journalists Communications from the Chair … … … … … … … 991 Presentation of Reports of Committees … … … … … … 991-1001 . Standing Committee on Economic Affairs - Reserve Bank of Fiji – August 2017 to July 2018 Annual Report . Standing Committee on Economic Affairs - Report on the RBF Insurance 2017 Annual Report . Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence – Review Report of the Ministry of Defence, National Security and Immigration Bi-Annual Report January to July 2016 . Standing Committee on Natural Resources-Review Report of the Water Authority of Fiji Annual Report-2013 to 2014 . Standing Committee on Public Accounts - Review Report of the COP 23 Presidency Trust Fund Second Semi-Annual Report . Code of Conduct Bill – Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights Ministerial Statements … … … … … … … … … 1002-1027 . HIV/AIDS in Fiji . Primary Programmes and Policies for Fijians Living with Disabilities . Strategies for Expanding our Non-Sugar Crop Sector . Assistance to MSMEs - Forestry Sector High Court (Amendment) Bill 2019 … … … … … … … 1027-1037 International Treaties/Conventions and Written Analysis – Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs & Defence … … … … … 1037 Consolidated Report – FCCC 2014 & 2015 Annual Reports … … … … 1037-1051 Review Report – FHEC 2015 Annual Report … … … … … … 1053-1068 Review Report – FCS-1st January-31st July 2016 Annual Report … … … 1068-1077 PAC Report – Audits of Government Ministries & Departments … … … 1078-1099 PAC Report – Audits of Municipal Councils … … … … … … 1099-1117 Questions … … … … … … … … … … 1117-1129 Oral Questions . Measures to Compensate Affected Livestock Farmers (Question No. 69/2019) . Process of Acquiring Groundwater Assessments (Question No. 70/2019) . National Youth Policy - Key Challenges (Question No. 71/2019) . Juncao Fodder Development – Update of (Question No. 72/2019) . Update on the Duavata Initiative - Fiji Police Force (Question No. 73/2019) . Progress on River Dredging in Fiji (Question No. 74/2019) . Mainstreaming Children with Disabilities into Schools (Question No. 75/2019) . REACH Programme - Update on Evaluation (Question No. 76/2019) THURSDAY, 4TH APRIL, 2019 The Parliament met at 9.38 a.m., pursuant to notice. HONOURABLE SPEAKER took the Chair and read the Prayer. PRESENT All Honourable Members were present, except the Honourable Professor B.C. Prasad. MINUTES HON. LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN PARLIAMENT.- Honourable Speaker, Sir, I move: That the Minutes of the sitting of Parliament held on Wednesday, 3rd April, 2019, as previously circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed. HON. A.A. MAHARAJ.- Honourable Speaker, I second the motion. Question put. Motion agreed to. SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS Urgent Statement of National Importance HON. SPEAKER.- Honourable Members, I am allowing a suspension motion to be moved by the Leader of the Government in Parliament. I now call on the Leader of the Government in Parliament to move his motion. There will be no debate on this motion. You have the floor, Sir. HON. LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN PARLIAMENT.- Thank you, Honourable Speaker, Sir. Honourable Speaker, I move: That under Standing Order 6, that so much of the Standing Orders is suspended, so as to allow the Honourable Prime Minister to make an Urgent Statement of National Importance to Parliament and to the nation. HON. A.A. MAHARAJ.- Honourable Speaker, Sir, I second the motion. HON. SPEAKER.- I now call upon the Leader of the Government in Parliament to speak on his motion. You have the floor, Sir. HON. LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN PARLIAMENT.- Thank you, Honourable Speaker, Sir, very briefly, given the events that occurred very recently, Government has considered it seriously and would like to inform the nation about the approaches that Government is taking in order to have this sorted immediately and, of course, thus the request for the suspension of the motion under 988 Suspension of Standing Orders 4th Apr., 2019 Standing Order 6, so that the Honourable Prime Minister can deliver his Urgent Statement. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. HON. SPEAKER.- I thank the Leader of the Government in Parliament. Honourable Members, the floor is open for debate on this motion. HON. N. NAWAIKULA.- Honourable Speaker, you had just mentioned that there will be no debate. HON. SPEAKER.- I have just corrected myself on that and that is why I am giving the floor, unless no one wishes to take the floor now, we can move on. HON. L.D. TABUYA.- Thank you, Honourable Speaker, Sir. At this point in time, the Opposition is actually quite clueless as to what the subject matter is. Perhaps, if the Honourable Prime Minister or the Leader of the Government in Parliament would allude to what it is, we would then have a meaningful debate on it. Thank you, Honourable Speaker, Sir. HON. SPEAKER.- Honourable Attorney-General. HON. A. SAYED-KHAIYUM.- Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue is not about the content of the statement. The motion is about suspending the Orders to allow the Honourable Prime Minister to make a Statement of national importance, and normally statements made by the Honourable Prime Minister is a statement that is obviously an urgent, important matter, and then we hear the statement and then return to the agenda item as per the Standing Orders has set for the Order Paper today. HON. SPEAKER.- Thank you, Honourable Attorney-General. HON. LT. COL. P. TIKODUADUA.- Honourable Speaker, that is exactly the point. It is trying to set aside the Standing Orders without understanding what it is for. So to have at least just what it is, then it gives us a more meaningful contribution in terms of whether we are happy with it not. That is exactly the point that is being raised by the Whip of SODELPA, and I am raising the same issue too, Sir. I think it is fair just what it is about, that is all. HON. A. SAYED-KHAIYUM.- It is just a statement, not a motion. HON. SPEAKER.- Order! Honourable Members, we are debating the process at the moment. Once we get through this and the Honourable Prime Minister takes the floor, you will hear the reason for that. It is not often that we come to this procedure in a Parliament, and those of you who have been Members before, know that it is very rare, and it is done for an important announcement that the Prime Minister wants to make; that is the reason for this. We do not go through this on an everyday basis. Honourable Bulitavu, you have the floor. HON. M.D. BULITAVU.- Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Just a clarification: we understand that there is an urgent Statement by the Prime Minister, and given that an urgent statement will not have any reply from this side of the House, and again given that you have said that it is just an announcement, whether it will be a statement for thirty minutes or just an announcement of something 4th Apr., 2019 Suspension of Standing Orders 989 important to the nation, of national interest. If no, then he can come around by way of a Ministerial Statement; he wants to make a Statement. HON. SPEAKER.- Honourable Member, we are not debating the process, we are debating the motion that was moved by the Leader of Government in the House, and then we will hear what the Prime Minister has to say; it is a simple process. HON. L.D. TABUYA.- Mr. Speaker, with the greatest of respect, under Standing Orders 6, in order to suspend a motion, it does require for Parliament’s leave to agree to suspending before it is allowed and so we are standing up to ask about the subject matter so that we can agree to it. How can we agree to something that we have not even heard about what the subject matter is, and that is, I now remind this House…. HON. A. SAYED-KHAIYUM.- …what the Honourable Member is saying, I want to remind, please, Honourable Members, please, Mr. Speaker, through you, the motion is not about the content, the motion is about suspending the Orders to allow the Prime Minister of the elected Government of Fiji, that as the Head of the Executive, to make a Statement of national importance. It is a Statement, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Unfortunately, the response by the other side is always demonstrative of their pugnacious competitive behaviour. It is of national importance, a simple issue. (Honourable Members interject) HON. SPEAKER.- Order, order! As I have said before, we are going through the process now. When we had the debate the other day, some wanted this process, some did not want it; the same thing is happening here. You are there to debate the process, not the content. The content will come later and you will be informed, and as I have said before, it is not often and during your time in Parliament, you might have only one occasion for this, it is not often, so the debate goes on. If there is no one else wishing to take the floor, I will give the floor to the Leader of the House. You have the floor. HON. LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN PARLIAMENT.- Thank you, Honourable Speaker, Sir. I have made it clear that it is just a suspension motion, the Honourable Prime Minister can deliver his Statement and I thank your Office, Sir, for allowing us to move with this motion. HON. SPEAKER.- I thank the Leader of the Government in House. Honourable Members, the Parliament will now vote. Question put. The Question is: That under Standing Order 6, that so much of Standing Orders is suspended, so as to allow the Honourable Prime Minister to make an Urgent Statement of national importance to Parliament and to the nation.