Basil slams MPs' pay rise

By GABRIEL LAHOC

 

Bulolo MP Sam Basil is against the budgeted pay rise for Members of Parliament, announcing to his district that he “didn’t get into parliament to get a pay rise, but to bring development and services down to the people”.

Mr Basil said this on Monday during the launch of the EMTV and Australian Network signals into Lekluk village in Mumeng Local Level Government area.

He described as “ridiculous” the decision of the Somare government, seeing it as another luxury item on the Government’s wish list.

The Government passed the 2011 national budget last week and gave a massive 52% salary increase, which Mr Basil argued should have been spent on other important government sectors which will have a direct impact on the people and communities.

“We the MPs are getting an extra K80,000 while the Prime Minister is getting another K100,000, which I believe is not the people’s wish,” said Mr Basil.

He also announced that for all future bills and acts presented in parliament to be enacted and amended, he would firstly consult the people through mass opinion polls in the local level governments and vote accordingly in Parliament.

Several leaders speaking on behalf of the Leklu community, which has a population of more than 2000 people, openly challenged him to continue to bring community impacted projects and give to the people all that is rightfully theirs.