Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says the opposition members have no right to come here and lecture the government about consultation now as the Climate Change Bill underwent at least 18 months of extensive public consultations but no member of the opposition provided any input for the first, second and third drafts.
While supporting the bill in parliament today, Bainimarama says if the opposition cared about anything other than their hatred for the government, they would have provided an input on the bill.
He also says SODELPA MP, Niko Nawaikula is misinforming parliament when he says consent does not work for the landowners.
Bainimarama says consent by the landowners is pivotal in the leasing of any land in Fiji and the claims that it does not work is coming from someone who worked at the iTaukei Land Trust Board.
The Prime Minister says one thing is clear that the climate crisis is already here and failure to act now jeopardizes the livelihoods of future generations, something that the opposition do not seem to understand.
He says climate change is the challenge of our lifetime and whether we accept it or not, it will fundamentally change Fiji.
Bainimarama says either we will be destroyed by stronger storms and swallowed by the rising seas or we will change ourselves to be more resilient and become a model that the world can follow to stave off the worst of climate change. He says when the world looks for champions for the climate and for the security of coming generations, they look to our islands, they look to Fijians as we have contributed to the fight for solutions through our global leadership.
Bainimarama says as President of COP23, he met with the leaders from China, Russia, USA, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, India, Japan and dozens of others to convey the urgency of cutting emissions and funding climate resilient developments.
The Prime Minister says these leaders listen to Fiji because we are a credible country and we ask nothing from them that we are not prepared to do ourselves.
Bainimarama says we have no hidden agenda, our intention is pure, and we are working to save our people and save our planet.
