Opposition: Not enough time for budget reply

THE opposition is unhappy at not being given time to make its budget reply next week.
In a press conference after yesterday’s parliament session, which was adjourned to today, the opposition said the continuous sitting of parliament after the passage of the national budget was suspicious and a plot to cover up on their mistakes.
They described the budget as a “lolly pop” budget geared towards the extension of the grace period to be in power by the government.
Deputy opposition leader Sam Basil said they were disappointed at not being given the time to go through the budget to make their reply next week.
Basil said it was unfair on them to review the money plan when they had shortage of staff to do that, adding that the continuous sitting of parliament was an abuse of the tradition and norm of parliament during budget.
He said the norm was an adjournment of seven days before the opposition returned for the budget reply.
Opposition member and Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Tobias Kulang said the continuous parliament sitting “was a disappointment and a plot to hide things from reality”.
“Opposition needs time to review the budget within seven days for a well-prepared reply … that is a democratic parliamentary process.
“They have employed tactics to hide something,” Kulang said.
He said when asked, the leader of government business said parliament would sit until tomorrow before adjourning to Tuesday for the budget debate.
He said it was unacceptable.
Shadow minister for finance and treasury Joseph Lelang said the delivery of the budget was an important event in the calendar of the parliament.
He said November was a parliamentary budget session and not for any other business and the government should consider sticking to tradition.
He said to allow the biggest deficit of K2.6 billion in a single year “is suspicious even with the continuous parliament sitting”.