A heated exchange erupted in Parliament between MP Jone Usamate and Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga over the $15,000 income threshold for Legal Aid assistance, with Speaker Filimone Jitoko intervening during the debate on Friday.
Mr Usamate had sought clarity on how eligibility was determined when the $15,000 threshold was not strictly applied and what criteria were used to assess applications on merit.
“I think the question was very simple and required a simple answer and we had this meandering. Very poor!” Mr Usamate said.
He questioned whether standard criteria could be provided while a review of the system was being undertaken.
“What does merit mean? So that people can really understand whether they are eligible for getting Legal Aid Commission assistance or not,” he said.
Mr Turaga responded by criticising the former government.
“That was a government that sat there for 16 years and did nothing. They have a memory lapse. You did nothing. Your Minister did nothing,” he said.
Mr Usamate immediately raised a point of order, initially accusing the Minister of “lying”, before the Speaker instructed him to withdraw the word.
“The honourable Minister is misleading the House, Sir,” Mr Usamate responded.
He argued that the former government had expanded Legal Aid services around the country and introduced the threshold.
“The former Government took the Legal Aid Commission to every corner of this country. That is not nothing. Nothing means zilch, nada, zero.”
The Speaker acknowledged Mr Usamate’s point.
“Even if they had gone around consulting without actually bringing any change, they were doing something. You know what I mean. Technically, he is correct,” the Speaker said.
Mr Turaga maintained that the income threshold had not been changed despite changing social and economic conditions.
He said expanding eligibility also carried significant financial implications.
“We cannot grow Legal Aid,” Mr Turaga said.
“Legal Aid is probably the largest law firm, and they are trying their level best to handle the workload. There is also a budgetary constraint.”
Mr Turaga said the Director of Legal Aid retained discretion over assistance and that a review had been directed to ensure eligible people could access Legal Aid services.
“A review has been directed to ensure that people who are entitled to Legal Aid will be assisted,” he said.
