IT is time to end the climate of fear, freebies and failure, says National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad.
With the election coming up, Prof Prasad said he hoped Fijian families would turn out in thousands to help the party bring an end to this.
“Madam Speaker, an election is coming. And the NFP is working hard for that election,” he said.
Speaking in response to the 2018/2019 National Budget in Parliament yesterday, Prof Prasad said he agreed with the Economy Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, that Fijian families mattered.
He, however, claimed Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and the FijiFirst Government were out of ideas.
“The Government says that the theme of this budget is ‘all families matter’. Let me offer an alternative theme. I call it ‘Fear, freebies and failures,” Prof Prasad said.
He said 12 years was a long time for a government to be in power and the Bainimarama-led Government, he claimed had become dictatorial and out of touch.
“Government itself is afraid. It fears criticism.
“A government that will not hear criticism is not open to innovation.
“It is not open to new ideas and new ways of working.
“Whatever the Government says, it is the people, not the Government, who grow the economy. It is the people, not the Government, who know the economy.
“But the Government does not want to hear. It does not want to be reminded about its failures,” he claimed.
“This year the Government has a new idea. ‘All Fijian families matter’. Of course, this budget is not really about Fijian families. It is about political propaganda.”
