Catanasiga Labels Parliament Pay Hike Digusting, Shameful

The one-hour debate to discuss the Emoluments Committe recommendations was disgusting and shameful.

An emotional Vani Catanasiga on Friday said many of whom had been waiting longer than those in the August House for pay increases witnessed just how self-serving and self-centered some of Fiji's elected representatives were.

This includes calls to address teachers and nurses' pay griviences. Ms Catanasiga is the executive director of the Fiji Council of Social Services.

Parliament on Friday night adopted the Emoluments Committee Report. This means significant increases in the salaries of members of Parliament except for the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. "The excuse that parliamentarians need to be better prepared for retirement demonstrates profound deafness from those who claim to be caring leaders," Ms Catanasiga said.

"People are struggling to put food on the table daily; and our parliamentarians are worried about retirement?

Hypocrisy was on full display through Fiji Parliament Livestream. It became even more riveting when Members of Parliament berated the National Federation Party for their principled stand to oppose the committee's recommendations.

"The honorable Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad even had to defend the principle of openness and integrity after being heckled for 'exposing' party submissions - despite these documents being part of a supposedly open parliamentary process."

In their submission, NFP proposed the hiring of an independent expert to hear and scrutinise submissions before making recommendations.

"If this is the caliber of your elected representatives, Fijian citizens, what chance do we have for an accountable and responsive government? Even more so, what hope is there for the excluded, the vulnerable, and for genuine democracy?"

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