The One Fiji party has taken on a global approach for education.

Launching their official campaign yesterday, party leader Filimoni Vosarogo said improving the quality of education was crucial.

“Quality education must always be at the top of our priority, nothing less, even if we have to pay a bit more,’’ he said.

He argued that Fijian graduates should be able to compete for jobs in Amsterdam and New York against other foreign nationals.

To do this he argued, Government should not be expected to be solely responsible for educating young people in Fiji.

“Government responsibility must not be used as leverage or an excuse for failing parental responsibility. We must understand that government cannot be expected to solve all of our problems and so part of our contract of social existence is the expectation that people everywhere must put in their fair share,’’ he said.

Mixing personal anecdotes and socio-economic analysis, the twenty minute speech focused on several areas:

• workable economic recovery package

• affordable, accessible health care

• comprehensive working platform for resource management

• empowering landowners to become the biggest supplier of primary industry goods in the country

• Identifying the ‘average family’ shopping list and remove the VAT from the basic necessary items of purchase

• Outlawing the Land Use Decree and assisting landowners to make the transition into the business world.

Feedback: josuat@fijisun.com.fj