FLP Criticizes Defence Minister’s Six-Week Middle East Trip

The Fiji Labour Party has labelled Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua’s six-week-long Middle East trip as “unbelievably absurd,” questioning the need for such an extended and costly absence from ministerial duties.

According to the FLP, the Minister’s claim that he is travelling to visit peacekeeping troops to “hear their concerns directly” does not justify the thousands of taxpayer dollars expected to be spent on the trip.

“Six weeks is a long, long time for a highly paid Minister to be away from his duties at home,” said the Fiji Labour Party.

“To make it worse, he adds that he is ‘not going on a vacation but to stand shoulder to shoulder with our men and women in uniform.’”

The FLP described the trip as a “junket” and added that Fiji’s troops are more than capable of standing shoulder to shoulder on their own.

“Besides, we think our men and women in uniform are quite capable of standing shoulder to shoulder on their own — they hardly need a Minister to inspire them.

“As for ‘hearing their concerns directly,’ may we ask the Minister: Does the RFMF not have its own machinery to deal with such matters?” the Party stated.

The FLP further criticised the government for approving such a trip while essential services at home remain underfunded.

“Thousands of dollars will be wasted on this puerile trip while our hospitals and health centres remain deprived of money to provide medicine and other critical supplies to our sick.

“Just how the Prime Minister allows such abuse of funds and irrational ministerial conduct boggles the mind,” the Party concluded.