Bainimarama: Opposition Fails To Deliver On Climate Debate | NZ FIJI TIMES

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Updated: 9:11am – Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama did not mince his words when he called out the Opposition on their failure to provide meaningful debate to the issue of climate change.

While speaking in Parliament, Mr Bainimarama said the Opposition confided themselves to petty sniping and political point scoring when they talked about Fiji’s presidency of COP23.

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He implored the House not to make the Presidency a political issue.

“Because this isn’t a fight for any one party or any one community. It is a fight for Fiji, the Pacific and every nation on earth. And the world has given us – the Fijian people –the enormous responsibility of leading that fight at COP23,” he said.

“So imagine my disappointment, Madam Speaker, when – again – we’ve seen certain members of the Opposition have the audacity to doubt my Government’s sincerity on this issue and doubt our commitment to addressing this crisis,” he said.

Mr Bainimarama questioned what the Opposition has done while he spent his time building a consensus for decisive global action and going directly to the Fijian people.

“And I will gladly defer to the Fijian people on what they believe is a better demonstration of sincerity and of bold and consequential leadership.

“I will gladly defer to the Fijian people, because I know they understand the importance of this campaign, even if the Opposition doesn’t. Because they are on the frontlines of our changing climate. They are living through the storms and depressions, they are watching their crops wither and die due to encroaching seawater and they are watching communities they’ve called home for generations steadily eroded by the rising seas.”

Mr Bainimarama also announced the launching of a leaflet on COP23 which would explain the presidency to the Fijian people. It would be printed in three major languages – English, Hindi and iTaukei.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama

Later this month, a weekend of prayer for our presidency through the churches, mosques and temples will also be organised.

“I hope to see as many of our people in attendance as possible. It will be our chance to come together as a nation to pray for Fiji and pray that we bring this issue the attention it deserves. We need the comfort and conviction of the Almighty in this endeavor, because we have an enormous obligation to fulfill ourselves, our neighbors and every vulnerable nation in the world, and we cannot afford to fail.”

-Fiji Sun

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