Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has questioned the Government’s spending priorities, claiming it can find money for Toyota Land Cruiser Prados and government vehicles while salary upgrades for hundreds of teachers remain dependent on available funding.
His criticism follows Education Minister Aseri Radrodro’s confirmation that 410 teachers applied for salary upgrades between August 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 after attaining and submitting upgraded qualifications.
However, only 273 applications have been identified for processing during the 2026-2027 financial year, and those remain “subject to the availability and release of the required funding”.
Mr Seruiratu questioned why certainty could not be provided to teachers who had invested time and money in improving their qualifications.
“I refuse to accept the excuse that Government simply does not have enough resources,” he said.
“This Government always seems to find money when it suits its own priorities.”
Mr Seruiratu specifically pointed to spending on government vehicles and what he described as an unnecessarily large Cabinet.
“It has found the resources to maintain an unnecessarily large ministerial cabinet. It can have Ministers alongside Permanent Secretaries across ministries. It can find money for Government vehicles and the latest Toyota Land Cruiser Prados,” he said.
“But when 410 teachers come forward after upgrading their qualifications, suddenly we are talking about the ‘availability and release of the required funding’.”
Mr Seruiratu said the response raised questions about what would happen to the 137 applicants who have not been identified for processing this financial year.
He also questioned what guarantee existed for the 273 applications earmarked for processing when their upgrades remained dependent on funding.
“That tells the public everything they need to know about the priorities of this Government,” he said.
“When it comes to itself, Government finds the money. When it comes to teachers, teachers are pushed to the back of the line.”
Mr Seruiratu said teachers had sacrificed their time and, in many cases, their own money to obtain higher qualifications and should be rewarded for improving their skills.
The Education Minister’s parliamentary response did not address Mr Seruiratu’s subsequent criticism concerning government vehicles or Land Cruiser Prados.
