Lands and Mineral Resources Minister Filimoni Vosarogo has accused Opposition Members of Parliament of grandstanding without offering concrete alternative policies to the 2025-2026 budget.
He said the Opposition had repeatedly denounced the budget as “lazy,” “lollipop,” and “candy,” phrases dismissed as unhelpful and lacking substance.
“You must call yourselves the alternative government, not just because your government in waiting.
“You must wait for something; you must wait with something for the people. You cannot be waiting for nothing, and with nothing and that is exactly what they have presented in this house in the last two days.
“Grandstanding about how bad this budget has been, but says nothing, at least in one item, about what anyone would have done differently. And so now the people of Fiji have witnessed this as a government in waiting with nothing.”
He said the Opposition continues to sing three choruses throughout the week.
“First, the denouncement of the sacrilege at the Samabula temple of worship.
“It is a chorus that we all should sing together as leaders and indeed with a loud voice, say to all Fijians that it is not right to enter any place of worship and cause it destruction.
“Secondly, the chorus of congratulations towards the installation at Tubou.
“The third chorus from the other side has been about the budget not being good enough. They have used phrases like lazy budget, lollipop budget, and candy budget.”
Mr Vosarogo said the Opposition should go back and look at their budget books from their days in power.
