Opposition MP Jone Usamate has called on the Government to ensure balance, transparency, and consistency in how it communicates with the public, warning against selective truths and political spin.
Responding to Information Minister Lynda Tabuya’s update in Parliament, Mr Usamate said he supported initiatives to correct misinformation and digitise records but questioned whether the Government was truly committed to transparency.
“It’s absolutely critical for all entities to ensure there is proof behind the claims they make,” he said.
“Too often we hear statements based on absolutely nothing — that kind of expunging of history needs to stop.”
Mr Usamate cited past government misstatements about provincial councils as examples, saying issues dated back to the 1980s and 1990s, with reforms beginning in 2003 and continuing into 2012.
He welcomed digitisation efforts and plans to counter misinformation but said information should not just be about “what you perceive, it’s also about what you do”.
He questioned why the Ministry of Information, with only 40 staff, needed both a minister and an assistant minister.
“We are one of the countries with the most ministers per capita,” he said. “It shows the calibre of some ministers may be such that they cannot carry a portfolio alone.
“I hope all this is not just political play for the future.”
In closing, Mr Usamate said, “Put the truth out there, not just the truth you like, but also the truth you want to hide, so the people of this country really know what’s going on.”
