FORMER Governor General and President of the People’s Alliance Party Sir Nathaniel Weana has criticised the decision to grant Members of Parliament a $400,000 at the end of their term in office.
Sir Nathaniel, who served four terms in Parliament as MP for Ulawa/Ugi, described as ‘wrong’ that controversial cabinet decision on Tuesday night at St Stephen’s Community College (Pamua) during the campaign launch of PAP’s candidate for Central/Makira Constituency at next month’s national general election.
He claimed the decision was made by cabinet and not the Parliamentary Entitlement Commission.
“Cabinet has no power to approve the condition of services of Members of Parliament,” Sir Nathaniel said.
“That power rests entirely on the Commission and what the cabinet of the care-taker Government has done is wrong,” the former Governor General added.
No explanation been given by the Government for dishing out $400,000 of tax-payers money to MPs at the end of their life in Parliament after waves of complaints from citizens including long serving public servants.
The intention of this grant, which was $10,000 in the mid-1990s, is to assist former MPs readjust to life outside Parliament, but surprisingly this time the entitlement has jumped to a staggering $400,000.
By PHILIP LILOMO
in Makira
