The mystery of Committee Reports

By Sapeer Mayron 11 January 2021, 10:00AM

None of the 12 Parliamentary Committee reports tabled in Parliament last month have been uploaded to the Palemene website, with the current Parliament just weeks away from dissolution.

In fact the last committee report uploaded to the website was First Supplementary Estimates for 2017/2018.

As well as the 12 reports tabled in the Tuesday 15 December sitting, the Parliamentary Committee report from the consultation on the three controversial bills has not been uploaded either. 

The full list of Parliamentary Committee reports is contained in the Maota Daily Progress report, uploaded to the Palemene website under Parliamentary Business.

These progress reports are uploaded after each Parliament sitting, but the work they describe is not always publically available.

Among the reports tabled in the last Parliament sitting are Finance and Expenditure Committee Reports on the corporate objectives of the Samoa Post for 2021 to 2024, and Samoa Qualifications Authority for 2021 to 2024.

The Social Sector Committee tabled five reports annual reports of the Samoa Law Reform Commission, the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, the Prisons and Corrections and the Accident Compensation Corporation.

The Infrastructure Committee tabled three reports on the annual reports of the Electric Power Corporation, the Land Transport Authority and the Samoa Water Authority.

The Maota Daily Progress report also outlines that the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020, Judicature Bill 2020, Land and Titles Bill 2020, and the Immigration Bill 2020 were passed. 

None of the new bills or Acts have been uploaded to Palemene. 

However the full Hansard, or transcript of the 15 December Parliament sitting is now online. This includes the speeches and discussion over the latest Supplementary Budget, and the bills now passed into law.

The Parliament Pre Sitting on Monday 14 December notes are also uploaded, which detail discussions over four bills that were meant to be discussed the following day (Accident Compensation Amendment Bill 2020,  Tobacco Control Amendment Bill 2020,  Internal Affairs Amendment Bill 2020 and the Ministry of Women Affairs Amendment Bill 2020).

The Land and Titles Bill 2020, Judicature Amendment Bill 2020 and Constitution Amendment Bill 2020 were not discussed.

The General Election is scheduled for Friday 09 April, and the current Legislative Assembly will be dissolved on Tuesday 19 January.

By Sapeer Mayron 11 January 2021, 10:00AM

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